SCDC (South Carolina Department of Corrections) inmates die at a high rate compared with other states.
SCDC Inmate Deaths
A research group at the University of South Carolina School of Law recently compiled a report on deaths in “prisons, jails, and detention centers across South Carolina.” The January of 2023 report, “SC Deaths Behind Bars” found that between 2015 and 2021, at least 777 SC prisoners died while in custody.
Nearly 800 South Carolina inmates died, with some counties contributing more to that number than others. For example, Richland County was the site for 301 deaths, higher than any other SC county. Of those 301 deaths, 160 occurred at the Kirkland Correctional Institution and 101 occurred at the Broad River Correctional Institute. Both are state-run facilities, and both are among the largest institutions in the state (The State).
The Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, also in Richland County, had eleven deaths occur during the 6-year period examined by this report. The Center is currently being scrutinized for routinely violating state standards as four more people have died from February of 2022 to January of 2023. Since these deaths took place after 2021, they were not included in the initial report.
In February of 2022, 27-year-old Lason Butler was found dead of dehydration, and several rat bites were found on his body. However the Richland County Coroner deemed his death a homicide.
Three more deaths occurred between December of 2022 and January of 2023, two of which, the deaths of James Mitchell and Demond Thompson, have not had their causes released to the public. The last, the death of Antonius Randolph, has been ruled a murder. Five other prisoners have been charged in his killing (The State).
How does SC compare to other states?
SCDC inmates die at a high rate compared with other states in the U.S.
An April 2021 report by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) covered mortality in state and federal prisons between 2001 and 2018.
In the report, the states with the highest prisoner mortality were:
- Louisiana (766 per 100,000 prisoners)
- Tennessee (619/100,000)
- South Carolina (619/100,000)
- Alabama (588/100,000)
- West Virginia (583/100,000)
- Mississippi (572/100,000) (PrisonLegalNews.org)
Causes of mortality in correctional institutions in SC
Of the 777 SCDC inmate deaths analyzed in this report, 500 deaths were attributed to medical reasons, and almost 90 were caused by suicide.
While deaths between White and Black prisoners were evenly split, White inmates were far more likely to die from drug-related incidents and suicide, while Black inmates died mostly from violence in the facilities.
Almost 94 % of the 777 deaths were among men, which follows the trend of 93% of people incarcerated after conviction in South Carolina being males.
While only 14% of those held in state prisons are 55 and older, more than 60% of the deaths cited by the report were among people older than 50 years of age (The State).
Staff shortages in SCDC prisons
In 2023, the main contributor to inmate deaths according to SCDC and Assistant U.S. Attorney is staffing problems. In the most recent inspection of the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, 124 positions were vacant. Some prisons have elected to make up this staffing shortfall by hiring private security firms. However, those employees are still very limited in what they can do.
Mental health in prisons
In addition, 30 to 40% of inmates in SC have mental illness. But those who are employed by these facilities usually lack proper training in how to deal with the mental health needs of their inmates. In fact, a suit was filed against a Richland County jail on behalf of Disability Rights South Carolina for what they deem to be dangerous and inhumane conditions and inadequate support for people with mental illnesses (The State).
Prison Population Statistics in the US
As of 2021, the United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world. Not only that, but every U.S. state incarcerates more people per capita than most independent democracies worldwide.
Prison Population Statistics in SC
South Carolina is in the top 25 for highest incarceration rates among the states with an average of 678 prisoners per capita. That’s 14 people higher than the total U.S. average. This is caused by imprisonment being the default punishment for crime, with 70% of convictions resulting in confinement. This rate is much higher than other developed nations with similar crime rates, including violent crimes (Prison Policy).
At the end of fiscal year 2021/22 (June 30, 2022), the SCDC had a total of just under 16,000 inmates across 21 facilities in the state. (SCDC FAQ’s)
Mortality in correctional institutions in the US
“The U.S. has seen a significant, continual increase in deaths in prisons over the past two decades.” (UCLA Law)
The April 2021 BJS report showed that, “In 2018, the number of deaths (4,135 prisoners) and the mortality rate (344 deaths per 100,000 prisoners) in state prisons were the highest since the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) began collecting mortality data from state prisons in 2001.”(bjs.ojp.gov)
By encouraging incarceration transparency with the University of South Carolina School of Law report, many hope that positive changes, such as better conditions and more humane policies, will be made to South Carolina prisons.
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