The Justice Department has released findings indicating that the conditions at Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Columbia, South Carolina, violate constitutional rights under the Eighth and 14th Amendments. The investigation, which scrutinized the facility funded and operated by Richland County, revealed significant safety issues for the approximately 965 individuals housed there.
The report concluded that both Richland County and the detention center fail to ensure reasonable safety for inmates, exposing them to serious harm from physical violence by other inmates. This includes assaults with weapons, group attacks on single victims, and sexual assaults.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division stated: “Incarceration in our nation’s jails should not expose a person to severe and pervasive violence like that in the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.” She emphasized that many detainees are awaiting hearings or trials and have not been convicted of crimes. "They have a right to be free of violence, threats and sexual assault," she added.
U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs for the District of South Carolina remarked on the severity of conditions within the jail: “The conditions inside the Richland County jail are a matter of life and death." He expressed hope for cooperation with local authorities to improve safety measures.
The investigation highlighted systemic issues contributing to severe violence within the facility, including inadequate staffing, poor facility conditions, security lapses such as insufficient prisoner supervision, lackluster internal investigations, and weak contraband prevention efforts. These factors allow gangs to control parts of the jail environment with ease.
Conducted under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), this investigation allows for potential federal court intervention if necessary reforms are not implemented cooperatively. The Justice Department has communicated its findings along with suggested remedial actions to Richland County officials.
This inquiry was carried out by both the Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section and U.S. Attorney’s Office for South Carolina as part of broader efforts targeting unconstitutional practices in correctional facilities nationwide.
For further details on this investigation or others conducted by the Civil Rights Division's Special Litigation Section, visit their website or contact them directly through provided channels.
