Gov. Larry Rhoden has issued 65 pardons and one commutation since taking office in January, according to records on file with the South Dakota Secretary of State.
As of Sept. 29, Rhoden had also denied four pardon requests, and denied one request for a commutation.
A state board makes recommendations, but the South Dakota Constitution grants the governor sole authority to extend clemency to people convicted of crimes.
Pardons scrub all government documentation of a crime from a person’s public record. Commutations reduce sentences for inmates, often making them immediately eligible for parole and early release from prison.
In an interview with South Dakota Searchlight, Rhoden said his legal team reviews the notes, video interviews with applicants and records for each pardon and commutation request carefully before he makes the call. He trusts his legal team, he said, but “for me, it boils down to just my personal feelings and beliefs about the goodness of humanity.”
“It’s just looking for signs that you feel like they deserve a second chance,” Rhoden said.
Kristi Noem, who preceded Rhoden in office and departed in January to become secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, issued a total of 348 pardons and 27 commutations during her six years in office.
State law grants the governor the authority to let the state Board of Pardons and Paroles review and recommend pardons and commutations. The board meets and issues recommendations on a monthly basis, in each case after hearing directly from the person requesting clemency and sometimes also from the person’s victims or the prosecutors involved in the case.
Rhoden’s approach, decisions
Noem would sometimes wait months between signing each batch of clemency orders. Rhoden signed his clemency orders at least once a month during the first half of 2025, but hasn’t issued any since July. His first dozen pardons were signed on March 3.
Parole board rules say a person must be at least five years removed from the date of their sentencing to request a pardon.
Pardons are filed and held as a public record at the Secretary of State’s Office for five years after being signed and are sealed thereafter. Commutations, also held by the Secretary of State’s Office, are not closed after five years and do not shield any record of a conviction or the circumstances surrounding it from public disclosure.
You can read the full article at South Dakota Searchlight.