Officials must curb violence at DJJ facility

South Carolinians should be dismayed that two of the chief state agencies dealing with at-risk juveniles are in crisis.

The S.C. Department of Social Services has been inadequately staffed and unable to keep up with spiraling caseloads for years. Now, however, the spotlight is on the Department of Juvenile Justice, whose Broad River Road detention center in Columbia was the site last month of a riot involving dozens of inmates and causing thousands of dollars worth of damage.

In testimony before a state House committee investigating the agency last week, corrections officers conceded that, yes, DJJ is in crisis, and that officers working there often feel unsafe. In the case of DSS, much of the problem stems from a lack of adequate funding, but DJJ has more than $3 million in the bank carried over from last year’s budget.

DJJ Director Sylvia Murray told the House Legislative Oversight Committee that, despite access to that money, the agency hasn’t had a gang intervention specialist in a year and the agency’s police chief position has been vacant for nearly three years.

Murray said the vacant chief’s duties have been handled by the agency’s inspectors general. But the opening for the position was advertised only five months ago.

The Feb. 26 riot, which was the third in eight months, allegedly broke out as a result of a gang dispute. During the melee, sinks were ripped from walls, cars and whole rooms were damaged, glass windows and doors were smashed, and electronic equipment was destroyed.

In the end, five male juvenile inmates were arrested and charged as adults, with charges ranging from attempted murder and sexual assault to burglary, arson and malicious damage to property.

Murray told legislators that the agency is taking steps to improve safety for inmates and officers. She said a rapid-response team of correction officers will be created to respond to emergencies.

Murray also hopes to segregate inmates based on their behavior. Well-behaved inmates would have their own dorms, while violent inmates would be isolated from the general population as well. Murray said she also would increase staffing from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., the hours when inmates are out of school.

The obvious question is how the situation has been allowed to deteriorate to the point that guards fear for their safety. Why haven’t authorities hired a new police chief and taken other measures to improve security?

Safety is the first concern, but not the only one. We would like to believe that the function of DJJ is not only incarceration but also rehabilitation.

Many of the juveniles sent to detention should have a chance to straighten out and lead productive lives. But that is difficult, if not impossible, in a facility where gang violence is the norm.

We hope that Murray and others in charge are able to get this situation under control. The state’s at-risk young people deserve better.

This story was originally published March 16, 2016 at 5:51 PM with the headline "Officials must curb violence at DJJ facility."