Columbia man and inmate at Richland County jail who died is identified by coroner
An inmate at a jail in Columbia who recently died was publicly identified by the Richland County Coroner’s Office Tuesday.
Kevin Gladden, a 66-year-old Columbia resident and inmate at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, died on July 12, the coroner’s office said in a news release.
At about 8 a.m. on July 12, the inmate was taken to an area hospital due to what nurses at the jail called an “altered mental status,” Richland County officials previously said. He died at the hospital at about 9:30 a.m., according to officials.
Information about Gladden’s cause of death was not available.
There was no word if Gladden’s death is under investigation, or if foul play is suspected.
Gladden was being held at the jail after being arrested June 14 on a larceny charge, Richland County court records show. A $10,000 surety bond was set on June 14, but Gladden remained behind bars, according to court records.
This is one of the latest incidents at the troubled jail.
On July 14, inmates identified as an 18- and 23-year-old men were treated for stab wounds after being approached by a larger group of inmates who instigated the fight, according to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.
The 18-year-old was stabbed approximately a dozen times on his upper and lower body, but the injuries to both men were not considered life threatening, and they were treated by medical staff at the jail, the sheriff’s department said.
The sheriff’s department has reported more than a dozen assaults in the jail in 2023. But those are not the only troubling incidents.
On July 11, inmate Charles Meador was recaptured by Lexington County Sheriff’s deputies after escaping from the jail.
Another inmate attempted to escape on Monday, according to the sheriff’s department. One inmate was unaccounted for at a 3:30 a.m. count, and it was discovered the subject had stacked chairs and climbed through a hole in the ceiling — a method similarly used by Meador, the sheriff’s department said.
A perimeter was set up while both K9 and drone deputies responded, before the inmate was located inside the building, according to the sheriff’s department.
On Sunday, an inmate was found with a cellphone, and an investigation uncovered that Detention Officer Bianca Canty was paid to smuggle the contraband into the jail, according to Richland County officials.
“Canty’s actions are a direct violation of policies and standards set forth by Richland County leadership and as a result she has been placed on administrative leave without pay, pending termination,” and she was booked into the jail on a misconduct in office charge, Richland County officials said.
Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center has been under scrutiny because of severe understaffing, violence inside the jail and reports of poor conditions for detainees.
The jail is managed by the Richland County government, not the sheriff’s department.
County officials have pledged to make wide-ranging improvements to the jail, including restructuring leadership and increasing pay for staff. The have also pledged more than a million dollars to retrofit locks and renovate the kitchen and some common areas.
With Gladden’s death, now five people died at the jail between February 2022 and July 12, 2023.
▪ In February 2022, 27-year-old Lason Butler was found dead in his cell at the jail. An autopsy revealed he died of dehydration, and a report noted he had rat bites on his body. The Richland County Coroner deemed the death a homicide.
▪ Thirty-eight-year-old James Mitchell was found dead Dec. 7 at the jail, but that’s all the information that has been shared about his death.
▪ On Jan. 17, 2023, Demond Thompson died just two hours after arriving at the jail.
▪ On Jan. 27, Antonius Randolph was stabbed to death in his cell by five other inmates who have been charged in the killing.
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This story was originally published July 18, 2023 at 8:33 AM.
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to report that Kevin Gladden died at an area hospital. The Richland County Coroner’s Office initially said his body was found at the jail.
