CHARLESTON, SC – The U.S. Department of Justice has initiated civil investigations into two detention centers in South Carolina following reports of multiple inmate deaths stemming from mistreatment and unsafe living conditions. The investigations will focus on the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center in Charleston and the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Columbia, both of which have been the subject of credible allegations.
The investigations come after reports of incarcerated persons dying from use of force, gross medical neglect, suicide, and unsafe living conditions. The Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center in Charleston and the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Columbia are individually funded and operated by their respective counties, making them two of the largest counties in South Carolina.
The federal probe will be looking into the use of isolation, use of force, as well as medical and mental health care at the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center. Meanwhile, at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, the investigation will focus on the inmates’ living conditions and whether the facility fails to protect them from violence during their incarceration.
Since 2022, there have been eight deaths among inmates at the Charleston jail and six known deaths among inmates at the Columbia jail, according to the assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s civil rights division. These deaths have included cases of dehydration, homicides, and brutal killings by other inmates. The Justice Department has also received reports of stabbings, escapes, alleged rapes, and significant delays in discovering deceased inmates at the Columbia jail.
It has been revealed that one inmate died after being tased and pepper-sprayed multiple times as well as having a spit hood placed over him at the Charleston jail. At the same facility, another inmate suffering from severe mental illness died after spending months in isolation due to neglectful conditions. These incidents have raised concerns about the lack of transparency and adequate mental health care at the detention centers.
The Justice Department is collaborating with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for South Carolina to conduct the investigations, with local officials in Charleston and Richland counties already agreeing to cooperate. The seriousness of the allegations under investigation speaks to the urgent need for an exhaustive review of conditions and procedures at these detention facilities.