Fall 2026
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Dear Friends and Supporters,
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URGENT: WE ARE ASKING THE PUBLIC to stand up and speak out for Robert Horse Stands Waiting #13466, an incarcerated Oglala Lakota man from the Pine Ridge Reservation who has spent nearly 27 years inside the South Dakota prison system after entering prison as a teenager at just 16 years old.
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In 2024, Robert was transferred from the Mike Durfee State Prison based on allegations that he was involved in contraband inside the prison. These accusations are FALSE and appear to stem from another inmate attempting to avoid responsibility for their own misconduct.
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Robert and his supporters can prove that the money he receives comes from friends, family, and members of his Christian church in Columbia, Missouri. These records can be verified through inmate banking records, communications, and documented financial transactions already available to prison authorities. No intercepted communications or verified evidence exist to support these accusations.
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Robert believes he is being targeted and discriminated against because of his political views and his writings criticizing the South Dakota Department of Corrections, specifically his efforts to expose the lack of rehabilitation opportunities and conditions inside the prison system.
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Robert is poor. He comes from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, one of the poorest regions in the United States. Despite spending most of his life incarcerated, he has been actively trying to rehabilitate himself and learn skills for the future.
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Before this transfer, Robert was attempting to participate in the South Dakota Governors housing construction program at Mike Durfee State Prison — a program that helps build homes for reservation communities while teaching incarcerated individuals’ valuable construction and trade skills. This opportunity could help Robert rebuild his life after decades behind bars.
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The state of South Dakota publicly claims it supports rehabilitation but removing inmates from educational and vocational programs based on unverified accusations undermines that goal.
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We are asking the public to call and write Associate Warden Reyes at Mike Durfee State Prison and demand a fair review of this situation. Why has this accusation not been properly investigated when prison officials already have access to: Inmate banking records Incoming and outgoing mail Communication records Financial transaction histories Review the actual evidence Stop retaliatory treatment Return Robert to the rehabilitation and housing construction program Rehabilitation should not be denied based on false allegations.
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Please contact: Nicole Norwick Constituent Service Coordinator at 605-773-3478
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