RAPID CITY, S.D. — Authorities are searching for a state prison offender who failed to report to his work release job last week, according to the South Dakota Department of Corrections.

Offender James Traversie left the Rapid City Minimum Center on Oct. 28, 2026, to go to his assigned work release employment but never showed up at the jobsite, officials said.

Traversie, 41, is described as Native American, six-feet-two inches tall and approximately 222 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.

He is currently serving sentences from Pennington County for possession of a controlled substance and from Meade County for receiving or transferring a stolen vehicle.

Failure to return to custody following a work assignment constitutes second-degree escape, a Class 5 felony punishable by a maximum of five years imprisonment.

Anyone who sees Traversie or has information about his whereabouts is asked to contact local law enforcement immediately.