Challenges Mount at South Carolina’s Department of Juvenile Justice
Columbia, SC – A recent report from the state’s Legislative Audit Council has unveiled some alarming difficulties facing the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ). After a series of damaging audits, the agency is still grappling with several issues that threaten the safety and well-being of the children and staff it serves.
Are They Making Progress?
Released earlier in December, this audit serves as a follow-up to a 2021 audit that highlighted various failures within the agency. Sadly, the latest findings suggest that DJJ has only managed to implement a little over half of the 101 recommendations proposed in the previous report. This lack of progress comes as a significant setback for an agency that has seen new leadership trying to turn things around amidst a storm of old issues.
What’s Going Wrong?
DJJ is meant to provide care for juvenile offenders up to the age of 18. But the agency’s challenges are formidable. There’s a pressing issue of underfunding, where the passing of the “Raise the Age” law has placed extra burdens on DJJ without any additional resources. State Senator Tameika Isaac Devine noted, “When the state passed raise the age and didn’t secure extra funding, it really put a lot more on DJJ.”
Currently, the department is facing a crisis, with juvenile corrections officer vacancies skyrocketing from 15% to 39% in just a few months between October 2023 and February 2024. What’s even more concerning? Of the 118 newly hired officers in 2023, a staggering 79% had already left by August, averaging merely three months on the job. This sparsity of staff raises alarming questions about the safety of both the youth confined there and the remaining staff members.
Medical Care and Transportation Woes
Adding to the troubling picture, auditors found that many juveniles are not being transported for essential medical care. The agency lacks a transportation plan, and concerningly, hasn’t updated its policies since the previous report in 2021. On top of this, DJJ has been struggling to pay its bills on time, leading some medical providers to cut off treatment for juvenile inmates.
Security Policies in Flux
Safety has been a hot topic, especially after high-profile incidents that have occurred over the past few years. Policies, which have undergone significant changes, are still in the works. As of now, out of the nine security-related policies reviewed, only five have been finalized. If these issues remain unaddressed, Senator Devine cautions, “We could have a large disaster on our hands.”
Recent Troubling Incidents
Since the 2021 audit, the DJJ faced numerous scandals and crises. In 2022, the agency was hit with a complaint from the United States Department of Justice for failing to protect children from violence within its facilities. A shocking incident occurred when a 13-year-old girl managed to smuggle a loaded weapon into the facility, resulting in administrative action against staff members.
Further tragedy struck when 16-year-old Easley Jeffcoat lost his life after attempting to take his own life inside DJJ’s Broad River Road facility. Additionally, allegations of violence against staff have surfaced, prompting further scrutiny into how juvenile offenders are treated.
Hope on the Horizon?
Despite these bleak findings, there are positive developments worth noting. The agency has invested $7 million in installing nearly 1,200 cameras in its facilities to help improve safety measures. Director Eden Hendricks is making significant efforts, but without financial support, the path to improvement remains rocky.
In a bid to revive the agency, Senator Devine has introduced the Juvenile Justice Reform Act, hoping to spark bipartisan support for additional funding and to tackle the problem of overcrowding by reducing the number of children incarcerated for less serious offenses like truancy. “If you were an adult, that would not be a crime,” she stated.
The DJJ has a long road to recovery, but with ongoing efforts and a supportive legislative environment, there’s a glimmer of hope that positive change may come. As the situation unfolds, it’s clear that all eyes will remain on the agency genuinely trying to find its footing amidst disaster.
