Whatever happened at DJJ shouldn’t be simply explained away. Root causes must be examined
What caused the issue at the Department of Juvenile Justice facility outside Columbia Tuesday morning?
That’s a question public officials need to be asking. The answer shouldn’t be as simple as it was a fight.
The incident, as reported on by The State’s Noah Feit and Alexa Jurado, at the children’s prison was described as a “situation,” a “disturbance” and a “riot” by different news outlets.
The specifics of what occurred aren’t yet clear, nor is the cause. While the public’s right to know what happens at state funded agencies like DJJ is of utmost importance, of equal importance is officials analyzing the cause of what happened and finding solutions without delay.
Does DJJ struggle with being chronically understaffed in its prison like other jails and prisons across South Carolina? Is contraband and a black market for it an issue inside the DJJ’s facility? Is overcrowding an issue? Or do inmates have a problem with treatment?
Whatever the issues are, DJJ officials must address them quickly and holistically.
Look at a specific issue facing the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Richland County. Chronic understaffing factored into a brutal assault on two guards in September 2021. Sheriff Leon Lott said the detainees attacked because they weren’t given enough recreation time. That’s time detainees can use to see their lawyers and call family. Because of staffing issues, violence escalated inside the jail and lawyers were denied seeing their clients. All that stemmed from being understaffed and the inability of the jail’s leadership and county administration to address the issue.
Problems inside jails and prison’s don’t just go away. They fester if not addressed, making facilities unsafe for imprisoned people and workers. Festering issues at facilities like DJJ are a drain on public resources.
Putting patches over these issues only acts to siphon off taxpayer money over time. Police resources are also at stake in a dysfunctional prison facility. Tuesday’s incident drew a slew of South Carolina Law Enforcement Division agents and other officers.
Lawmakers and public officials have to ensure that DJJ is given the resources it needs to keep its facilities as safe as possible for imprisoned people and workers.
A positive next step would be for the director or DJJ to give a rundown of what happened Tuesday and present any underlying potential problems to the governor and other lawmakers. Those lawmakers should allocate resources to fix the these problems.
Some people might think spending money on a prison is a waste of money, that anything that benefits imprisoned people is money being thrown away. Those people are wrong. The quality of a state can be measured by how it takes care of its prisoners.
This story was originally published October 18, 2022 at 2:04 PM.