The South Dakota Unified Judicial System (UJS) supports courthouse security through grants administered by the State Court Administrator’s Office. These grants help counties enhance safety for the public, litigants, witnesses, attorneys and courthouse staff. Grants cover a variety of security enhancements, including hiring security staff, purchasing security equipment, making structural improvements and training security teams. The UJS appreciates the executive and legislative branches' support in achieving these goals.
Court Security Grants
Discover the Courthouse Security Grant Program supporting security enhancements like alarms, detectors, glass, video surveillance, with a 75% match for approved projects.
About Security Grants
The Courthouse Security Grant Program is designed to support measures like duress alarms, metal detectors, security glass, video surveillance and more. Each grant offers a 75% match for approved projects and requires counties to contribute 25%.
Eligibility
- Open to all counties, with additional benefits for those with a structured security committee.
- Requires endorsement by a Presiding Judge and supporting cost documentation.
Grant Tier One
Matches up to $10,000 for smaller security upgrades for counties across South Dakota.
Grant Tier Two
With an active Courthouse Security Committee, matches over $10,000. Maximum award is $350,000 per fiscal year per county.
Administration
- Funds are reviewed and approved by the Grant Review Committee.
- Applications are evaluated based on need, potential impact, and alignment with courthouse security goals.
Submission Requirements
- Counties must submit detailed applications, including cost estimates and project benefits.
- Approved projects must comply with laws, and counties must report on implementation before receiving funds.
Download the Certification Form
(The Certification Form serves to certify the completion of an approved security grant project and facilitate the disbursement of funds.)
Video Surveillance System Upgrades
If you are a vendor or county planning to implement or upgrade a video surveillance system within the courthouse, ensure compliance with the following questionnaire.
- Vendor Name:
- Contact Person:
- Contact Email:
- Contact Phone:
- Name and Version of the Product:
- Website:
- Deployment Type: Cloud-based, On-Premises, or Hybrid
- Camera Details
- Quantity:
- Model:
- Is monitoring restricted to a central location for UJS staff? Yes/No
- Is a county-provided device on the county network required? Yes/No
- Options for Resolution:
- Compression of Video:
- Resolution of Video:
- Frames Per Second (FPS):
- Bandwidth Needed Per Client:
- Choices for Viewing:
- Simultaneous Viewing of Multiple Cameras.
- Cyclic Viewing of All Cameras.
- Cyclic Viewing of Selected Cameras by the User.
- Is the installation of an application necessary?
- Is a login required?
- Who is responsible for account management?
- Is there a multi-factor component to sign on?
- IP addresses?
- Whitelisting?
- Who is authorized?
- Duration of Recording Storage:
- Are there any other features or considerations that might increase bandwidth usage on the State WAN?