Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center has until Thursday to address security concerns raised by SC Department of Corrections

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - The Richland County detention center has until Thursday to respond in writing to a July security audit from the S.C. Department of Corrections.

Details from the audit have not been made public because it would identify security issues within the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, according to the S.C. Department of Corrections.

County leaders spent a portion of Tuesday’s Ad Hoc Committee before county council discussing what they say is misinformation in the local media, specifically the fact that Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center was audited and was given a deadline to respond.

However, a letter from state Department of Corrections sent to County Administrator Leonardo Brown on Aug. 28 says that the jail was audited.

While the audit was not released publicly, a cover letter from the inspection was.

“The audit report you have been given is documentation of findings from that that site visit and review. It should come as no surprise that some conditions at your Detention Center are in need of immediate attention and improvement,” the letter states.

The state asks that the county submit a “written response on or before Sept. 28, 2023, on the status of your progress.”

The Department of Corrections also told the county which issues were most important and should be corrected “prior to that deadline.”

County leaders said during the Ad Hoc meeting on Tuesday that they did plan on responding to the state by Sept. 28.

“We feel confident that we are going to respond to them and show them we’re taking positive steps,” said County Administrator Leonardo Brown.

It was clear during the council meeting if those positive steps include the immediate security concerns.

County Attorney Patrick Wright told council that they are not required to respond to the Department of Corrections and questioned whether or not they had the authority to impose deadlines.

“Department of Corrections, the only real oversight they have legally is the annual inspection they do at the facility and things regarding that,” Wright said.

“There will be a response to it but its not a mandatory response,” he said. “It’s not a legal requirement. It’s not a real deadline because its not something we had to do in the first place.”

The Departments of Corrections has the authority to shut the jail down if it wants to.

While the Department of Corrections did offer to do the audit in hopes to help improve conditions at Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, county council referred to the audit as a voluntary program.

The Department of Corrections said that is not an accurate characterization of the audit.

The county has had around two months to address “immediate” security concerns at the jail. It’s not clear how the Department of Corrections will respond on Thursday if the county does not address these issues.

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