According to a new report from the Justice Department, detainees at a South Carolina jail face persistent threats of stabbings, sexual assaults, and gang-related violence within the facility’s deteriorating environment.

The Justice Department began investigating the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in November 2023 due to alarming reports of violence, homicides, and hazardous conditions, according to U.S. Attorney Adair Boroughs for South Carolina. The findings revealed that jail personnel failed to safeguard detainees from assaults, a failure linked to ongoing staffing shortages and significant security flaws.

“The violence at Alvin S. Glenn is widespread, systematic, and commonplace,” Boroughs stated. “There exists a culture of violence that endangers everyone inside — detainees, staff, and law enforcement alike.”

While Boroughs noted that local authorities have made some improvements through repairs, “widespread violence” persists. The Justice Department cautioned that it might pursue legal action against Richland County within 49 days unless the dangerous conditions are addressed, which the report states constitute violations of the Constitution.

Under the Biden administration, the Justice Department has been investigating prison conditions nationwide, including facilities in Texas, Georgia, California, Kentucky, and Mississippi. Concerns in these jails often revolve around physical violence, sexual abuse, and deteriorating infrastructure.

DOJ attributes jail violence to persistent staffing issues

The recent report by the Justice Department highlighted that there were at least 60 stabbings recorded in 2023 at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, located in the capital city of Columbia. The DOJ compared the rate of such incidents at this facility to that of jails in New York City, which were recently found in contempt of court due to systemic violence.

According to investigators, a long-standing staffing shortage, persisting for over five years, has obstructed regular security checks and necessitated that employees oversee multiple units simultaneously.

Many assault victims were only discovered during medical rounds, meal deliveries, or when a relative called to report an incident, the report indicated.

One disturbing instance involved a detainee who was beaten and stabbed “multiple times” over a three-year period at the jail, with staff absent during each attack. The first incident went unaddressed until two days later when the victim’s mother contacted the jail. In February 2024, this same individual suffered a fourth assault by seven other detainees.

The Justice Department also claimed that the jail frequently fails to protect detainees from sexual violence. One individual admitted in August 2023 recounted being assaulted by his cellmate three times within two days during his initial month. When he sought assistance, staff ignored his pleas. The DOJ’s report detailed how he resorted to self-harm to be placed under suicide watch, enabling him to report the abuses and escape his aggressor.

The report does not identify the victims involved in the alleged assaults.

Ongoing staffing shortages have similarly jeopardized the safety of jail employees. A 2023 study by the South Carolina Association of Counties pointed to understaffing as a contributing factor to increases in officer injuries and workers’ compensation claims over the last five years.

YSL News has reached out to Richland County for their response pertaining to this report.

Contraband and deteriorating infrastructure escalate violence

In numerous interviews with detainees, the Justice Department found that many reported instances of assault and confirmed rampant gang violence, including robbery and extortion. Almost all interviewed detainees acknowledged witnessing violence on a regular basis. However, the actual extent of violence remains uncertain due to the jail’s failure to maintain accurate records of incidents.

The report explains that the violence, particularly gang-related, is exacerbated by unusually high levels of contraband, including makeshift weapons, illegal drugs, and lighters. Investigators noted that in 2023, around 150 weapons were confiscated — nearly four times the typical amount found in state prisons across the country.

Additionally, a spate of eight overdoses attributed to illicit drugs occurred over two months in 2024, with three resulting in fatalities. Detainees reportedly smuggled contraband through breaches in the facility, and some jail staff were accused of bringing in drugs such as cocaine and oxycodone.

Structural issues with the jail compound the problems, including holes in walls, ceilings, and fencing, along with broken lighting, furniture, and toilets that have been repurposed to create weapons.

The Justice Department has recommended several measures, including updating the jail’s staffing plan, controlling the flow of contraband, reassessing housing placements based on potential violence risk, addressing maintenance concerns, and reevaluating responses to violent occurrences.

Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, emphasized the jail’s legal obligation to safeguard those in its custody from the severe violations identified in the report.

“Incarceration in our nation’s jails should not expose individuals to the extreme and prevalent violence seen at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center,” Clarke stated. “Most detainees are awaiting trials and have not been convicted of any crimes — they deserve protection from violence, threats, and sexual assault.”