Director brought in to fix troubled Richland County jail announces his resignation
The director who oversaw improvements at Richland County’s troubled jail has announced that he is stepping down.
Crayman Harvey, who led the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center for 2.5 years and sought to bring order to the facility during a period of violence, disorder and public scrutiny, has announced that he will be leaving on April 14.
As director, Harvey attempted to steady the jail, helping to bring new services to detainees and overseeing a $33 million renovation of the facility that included extensive security upgrades.
In a letter to the Richland County Administration and jail staff that was shared on LinkedIn, Harvey expressed his gratitude to the Richland County Council and admiration for the jail staff.
“Words cannot fully capture my appreciation for each of you,” Harvey wrote of his Alvin S. Glenn “family.”
“You are, without question, among the most dedicated, resilient, and hardworking correctional professionals I have had the privilege to serve alongside.”
Reached by The State, Harvey confirmed that he was departing but said that he could not provide any additional information at this time.
“I’ve enjoyed working with him and he tried his best,” said Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott. “We had a great working relationship and I’m sad to see him go.”
“We can confirm that we have received Director Harvey’s resignation dated to April 14,” said Mark Moore, an attorney from law firm Maynard Nexsen who represents the jail. The State has reached out to the Richland County Administration for more information about the search process and who will be interim director.
Harvey’s number two, assistant director Jermaine Gordon will also be departing.
Harvey, who began his career in detention and law enforcement in 2006, worked at the Kershaw County Detention Center, before becoming a police officer and later associate deputy director of security and operations at the state Department of Juvenile Justice. He arrived at the jail in 2022 where he was soon appointed interim director.
In 2023, he was appointed permanent director by the Richland County Council, and promised a “culture change” during a dark period in the facility’s recent history.
Longtime director Reynaldo Myers had resigned after a riot in 2021 erupted while he was absent. His replacement, Tyrell Cato, was soon forced out after it was revealed that he had been terminated from his previous job with the Kershaw County Detention Center over accusations of sexual harassment.
Inmate numbers had risen inside of the facility due to court backlogs from COVID, while staff levels plummeted and the facility’s physical condition deteriorated after years of under-funding.
Violence exploded in the facility, with stabbings, assaults and robberies becoming commonplace. Inmate Lason Butler died of dehydration while suffering a mental health crisis. Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford ruled his death a homicide.
Inmates opened locks on cells to commit assaults and even a murder. During a Richland County Council meeting, detainees called in to a group of reporters to describe how the jail’s plumbing broke down, leading to overflows of sewage or no water running from taps.
Lawsuits against the jail and county, including a class action on behalf on inmates with mental illnesses, soon multiplied. The Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney’s Office for South Carolina launched an investigation into the jail, which concluded that the facility had a “culture of violence” that became “pervasive, systematic and commonplace.”
But in the past year, Harvey oversaw a widespread hiring effort as well as extensive renovations beginning with the jail’s highest security units. Some staffers were arrested and accused of bringing in contraband, and new security features, including a body scanner, a magnetometer and a mail scanner, were introduced.
Since renovations were completed on high security units, stabbings declined 82% from June to December 2023 compared to the same period in 2024, according to county officials.
In his letter, Harvey called these renovations a “landmark achievement” that produced “enormous strides” for the jail. The hope, Harvey wrote, was to position the facility for the next 30 years.
Harvey also implemented detainee incentive programs to try to build a sense of camaraderie inside the facility, where some detainees stay for years while awaiting trial. These included chess tournaments and a GED program for detainees. In 2023, the jail graduated its first class of GED recipients. The occasion was marred by a stabbing only hours later.
But through his tenure, the Richland County Council consistently expressed its support publicly for Harvey.
In his statement, Harvey thanked his “partners and colleagues” for their “unwavering” support, guidance and friendship.
“The conversations we’ve shared, the challenges we’ve tackled, and the encouragement you’ve given me have meant more than I can express,” he wrote.