McMaster backs embattled DJJ director after audit says agency failed to protect kids
Standing next to the director of the embattled Department of Juvenile Justice, Gov. Henry McMaster says he has confidence in the agency after a legislative audit found the agency failed to protect children in its care.
The Legislative Audit Council earlier this month issued a scathing report about DJJ saying its facilities are severely understaffed, the agency’s employees are poorly trained and the juveniles in its care are being left untreated and unsupervised, leading to an increase in violent incidents.
At a news conference Wednesday to announce $12 million in funding to expand juvenile delinquency prevention programs, McMaster reiterated his confidence in DJJ Director Freddie Pough and the department.
“As we know this is challenging effort, very challenging effort. The ultimate answer to keep the people from getting off the right track,” McMaster said. “It is mighty easy today for a young person, particularly with the effects of the virus and all of the ramifications there, it was easy to get on wrong track before, it’s even easier now.”
The report found youths in the custody of DJJ also did not receive adequate medical care, because of lack of staffing. The lack of staffing led to a doubling of violence among the youth in the agency’s custody as well as violence against staff members.
The increase in violent incidents also may be responsible for the agency’s “excessive and unconstitutional” use of isolation, identified last year by the U.S. Department of Justice.
A lack of staffing meant staff could not get the training required by state law that new hires receive within a year of joining the staff. DJJ also relied on staffers with multiple disciplinary actions on their record.
“A number of the items in the LAC report, we’ve been working on. There’s new items that have been mentioned that we’re going to embrace and continue to work on,” Pough said.
To help prevent juvenile delinquency, the agency will use $12 million of federal COVID-19 relief money to run programs aimed at keeping youth out of the criminal justice system.
“These funds will help us serve youth of South Carolina as a whole,” Pough said.
The money comes from the governor’s share of federal COVID relief money given to states as part of the CARES Act, signed during the Trump administration. The $12 million was the remaining of the $48 million in GEER money McMaster had to award.
“Our goal is invest in these young people at an early age and give them the tools and resources they need to stay ‘outside the fence’ rather than in the ‘inside the fence’ at the Department of Juvenile Justice,” McMaster said.
The money will be used to help at-risk children.
“Big picture, we know it’s education, it’s the economy,” McMaster said. “We have to have a family that’s working, doing work that they like, producing income. That adds to stability and that in the end is the answer.”
How the money will be spent
▪ $4.8 million for community-based and evidenced-based therapy programs targeted to keep children in school and living at home.
▪ $4 million for the South Carolina Afterschool Alliance to work with DJJ to provide summer and after-school programs to at-risk middle school students in primarily rural areas.
▪ $2 million for full-time mentoring programs that support education and life skills development.
▪ $1.25 million for Teen After-School Centers, which support at-risk high school students. DJJ will provide GED testing for youngsters through the centers.
