SC officials see promise in prison where ‘restorative justice’ has boosted safety
TURBEVILLE, S.C. (AP) — A South Carolina prison unit where older men with lengthier sentences mentor young adults preparing to reenter society is giving officials hope that a different approach to living conditions will reduce violence behind bars. The special housing facility emphasizes an unorthodox method of prisoner reform called "restorative justice" that prioritizes open communication and [...]
$1.6M settlement reached in handcuffed prisoner’s 2014 death
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The family of a handcuffed inmate who was shot and killed in 2014 by a prison guard trainee reached a $1.6 million settlement with Nevada prison officials on Monday, capping a nearly decadelong legal battle that raised questions about the use of shotguns in state prisons. Less than two years after […]
SC prison has to pay $920,000 water and sewer bill
RIDGELAND, S.C. (AP) — A Jasper County town is being paid nearly $920,000 by the South Carolina prison system to end a four-year dispute over a facility’s water and sewer bill. Corrections Director Bryan Stirling told the State Fiscal Accountability Authority earlier this month that he didn’t want to pay the bill, but he felt […]
Black man stomped by Orangeburg officer gets $650K
By JEFFREY COLLINS Associated Press COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A South Carolina city is paying $650,000 to a Black man who was stomped in the head by a white police officer upset that the man could not quickly lie flat on his stomach because of rods and pins in his leg. Orangeburg officials also have […]
Man gets 20 years in SC prison in shooting of Cayce officers
CAYCE, S.C. (AP) — An Orangeburg man who shot at two police officers during a chase will spend 20 years in a South Carolina prison and then 10 years in a federal prison, authorities said Wednesday. Eugene Jonathon James, 23, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted murder and other charges in the May 2017 […]
Mom of man who died custody settles suit for $10M
The mother of a mentally ill man who died in the Charleston County jail has reached a $10 million settlement with the county, the county sheriff’s office, and the city of North Charleston, her attorneys report. “From everything we’ve researched, I think it is the largest civil rights settlement or judgment in the history of […]
South Carolina gives initial OK to $6M prison riot deal
South Carolina officials gave initial approval Tuesday to a $6 million settlement to resolve dozens of prisoner lawsuits against the Department of Corrections following a riot that killed seven inmates. With one abstention due to a conflict of interest, the State Fiscal Accountability Authority voted unanimously to approve the deal, which it said would work […]
Some South Carolina prisons to resume in-person visits
COLUMBIA (AP) — Some South Carolina prisons will allow in-person visits this month, more than a year after officials canceled visitations due to the coronavirus pandemic. Visitation will resume June 19 for vaccinated inmates at four minimum security institutions across the state, the South Carolina Department of Corrections announced in a news release Wednesday. Visitors […]
New program offers free college degrees to SC prisoners
ORANGEBURG (AP) — Some prisoners in South Carolina will soon be able to attend college for free. The South Carolina Department of Corrections says it is partnering with Claflin University, a historically Black private school in Orangeburg, to offer bachelor’s degrees to people incarcerated in state prisons. The program is slated to start in 2021, […]
S.C. government to pay man $50,000 after prison attack
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina state government is paying a man $50,000 following a lawsuit that says he was attacked and stabbed in prison due to a failure in security measures, according to documents obtained by WCSC-TV. The lawsuit states the incident happened while the plaintiff was an inmate at the Goodman Correctional Institution […]
Why ‘ban the box’ rules are becoming more popular
Last year the City of Columbia passed an ordinance that prevents employers who do business with the city from asking job applicants if they have a criminal history. Richland and York counties passed similar policies covering applicants for county jobs. So-called “ban the box” laws have been passed in 35 states and the District […]
New reform should increase inmates’ safety in prisons
For years, frantic families have asked the South Carolina Department of Corrections to relocate incarcerated loved ones who were assigned to cellmates with violent tendencies or committed violent crimes–under longstanding SCDC rules, an inmate without a criminal record but serving a sentence for felony DUI causing death could end up sharing a cell with […]
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Commentary
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