SC DJJ agrees to federal investigation fixes after finding pattern of excessive force
Federal investigators and the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice have agreed to fixes at the department after a five-year investigation found officers had broken a youth’s arm, bit another and use other means of excessive force at a Columbia juvenile prison.
“The SCDJJ is at a pivotal point in its history,” DJJ Interim Director Eden Hendrick said in a statement. “We are optimistic and determined to use this Settlement Agreement as an opportunity to institute sweeping reforms that will positively impact youth, their families, our staff, and the state of South Carolina.”
The U.S. Department of Justice announced the agreement Thursday. The agreement ends a lawsuit brought by the justice department against DJJ that said the state agency violated the rights of young people under its watch at the Broad River Road Complex.
DJJ agreed to increase staffing, install more surveillance equipment, provide more rehabilitative programs, implement positive reinforcement techniques, change punishments and limit use of force and restraints.
DJJ also agreed to better investigate and document incidents.
Federal investigators began their probe of DJJ in 2017. The findings were released in full this month.
Officers used “dangerous tactics on the young people at (the Broad River facility), often engaging them even when they were not violent or threatening,” the justice department said.
After reviewing hundreds of incidents, investigators found a pattern of excessive and “unreasonable” force being used against children at the Broad River Road Complex from 2017 to 2020.
In one incident, a boy who was waiting to get on a bus after a fight was thrown to the ground by a staff member, according to the justice department. The staff member fell onto the boy, breaking his arm.
In another incident, a girl was stripped search after an escape attempt, the justice department said. The girl asked an officer to take off her handcuffs so they could fight and the officer obliged. During the fight, the officer bit the girl on the face.
DJJ failed to protect youth from assaults by other youths and used “prolonged and punitive isolation” as well as misused restraints, the justice department concluded.
DJJ has six to 18 months to implement the various changes.
During the investigation, DJJ was cooperative with federal investigators, the justice department said. The state agency “has demonstrated significant commitment to reforming its polices and processes.”
The Broad River Road Complex “is fortunate to have many experienced and devoted staff who serve our youth with dedication every day and they are committed to the long-term work to improve the facility and its processes to achieve better outcomes for our youth,” Hendrick said.