Eight women from the state’s minimum-security unit in Pierre took off on a walkabout Monday night.
According to a release from the South Dakota Department of Corrections, the eight walked out about 8:43 p.m. Three of the women were sentenced out of Pennington County. A ninth person also escaped but she was quickly apprehended. DOC did not release her name.
The prison staff began escape procedures and notified area law enforcement about the situation. They also used a Highway Patrol aircraft to help in the ground search for the inmates.
The women now face escape charges, a felony that could cost them five more years in prison.
The escapees are:
• Philomene E. Boneshirt is serving a 7-month, 15-day sentence for 3rd-degree simple assault and a consecutive 1-year sentence for possession of a controlled substance. Both convictions are from Minnehaha County.
• Jordan F. Wakeman is serving a 6-year, 7-month, 5-day sentence, a consecutive 5-year sentence with 5-years suspended and an additional consecutive sentence of 2 years. All of the convictions are for possession of a controlled substance from Minnehaha County.
• Alice M. Richards is serving three 5-year sentences with 3-years suspended on each. All of the convictions are for possession of a controlled substance and are from Pennington County.
• Kayla A. Lamont is serving two sentences of 2-years, 7-months and 20-days for possession of a controlled substance and a 2-year, 7-month and 20-day for second-degree robbery. All of her convictions are from Pennington County.
• Carly F. Schoneman is serving a 2-year, 8-month, 20-day sentence with 1-year suspended for possession of a controlled substance from Minnehaha County.
• Pamela M. Miller is serving a 1-year, 11-month, 10-day sentence for failure to appear and a 4-year, 11-month, 10-day sentence for possession of a controlled substance from Davison County and a 4-year, 11-month sentence from for forgery from Yankton County.
• Kelsey C. Flute is serving two 1-year, 11-month, 20-day sentences for third offense DWI. One conviction is from Charles Mix County and the other from Yankton County.