COLUMBIA, SC – The U.S. Dept. of Justice last week announced the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Columbia, SC, has violated the Eighth and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution.
The DOJ reported Richland County funds the detention center, which currently houses an estimated 965 people and has violated the rights of those incarcerated.
“The jail fails to provide reasonable safety and to protect incarcerated people from serious harm and death by physical violence from other incarcerated people,” writes the DOJ.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said individuals who are incarcerated should not be exposed to the violence they endure at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.
Clarke also adds many of those incarcerated are awaiting hearings and trial dates—not all have been convicted of a crime.
U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs notes in the DOJ statement “the conditions inside the Richland County jail are a matter of life and death. Individuals accused of crimes in Richland County should not face a death sentence before they ever see a courtroom.”
The DOJ said systemic problems have persisted, given that there were at least 60 stabbings in 2023. Gangs, weapons, drugs and contraband cell phones facilitate the emergence of violence.
Additionally, the DOJ said the jail is aware of its inadequate staffing, and faulty security systems that fail to protect those incarcerated.
The U.S. Dept. of Justice explained that under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), the Attorney General can file a lawsuit in federal court to eliminate the practice of unlawful conduct, adding Richland County and the detention center have been provided with a notice of the facts and the measures necessary to combat the allegations.
This investigation was conducted jointly with the Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina, and any findings are separate from criminal cases brought by the Justice Department, according to the DOJ.
