South Carolina has the most prisoners of any democracy. The South Carolina jail rate is 678 per 100,000, according to a report. South Carolina has the deadliest prisons. In 2017, fellow inmates killed 12 inmates, a survey found. This is because South Carolina jails have too many violent events.In this article, we will discuss various prisons across South Carolina that rank high on notoriety.
Lee Correctional Institution
Lee Correctional Institute in Bishopville, South Carolina, is a maximum-security male prison. The SC Department of Corrections runs it. It can hold 1785 convicts.Violence has plagued South Carolina’s most dangerous prison. A violent gang brawl killed seven convicts and injured 22 on April 15, 2018. Drug smuggling was also found in prisons. Lee is the most hazardous and worst prison due of its violent history.
Kirkland Correctional Institution
High-security Kirkland Correctional Institute located in Columbia, Richland County, South Carolina. The South Carolina Department of Corrections owns and operates this male penitentiary. It holds 1707 convicts max.This facility has gang and violence records. Prison hygiene is also a concern. Kirkland’s leading gangs brutally beat detainees. Two life-sentenced prisoners killed four prisoners.
Berkeley County Detention Center
Berkeley County Detention Center ranks third among South Carolina’s worst prisons. This medium-security prison is in Moncks Corner, South Carolina. Male inmates live there.It denies detainees basic rights like books, newspapers, and magazines. They are denied their rights and barred from communicating, breaching their free expression.
McCormick Correctional Institution
Image: Post and CourierState prison McCormick Correctional Institution located in McCormick County, South Carolina. Established in 1987, the South Carolina Department of Corrections runs this facility. It holds 1124 convicts max.Violence and savage beatings plague McCormick inmates. Many convicts stabbed an inmate to death in a McCormick riot. Poor staffing is also exacerbating circumstances. McCormick’s aggression has hurt prisons too.
Evans Correctional Institute
Evans Correctional Institute is medium-security level 2. It holds 1410 inmates in Bennettsville, South Carolina. The South Carolina Department of Corrections runs it. In 1989, building began on this facility.Gang activity is rising in this facility, where prisoners are physically beaten and tormented. Events have worsened Evans’ situation. Evans saw gang violence when a lady was coerced into paying a group to keep her son alive in prison. Gang violence has worsened Evan Correction Institute’s conditions.
Richland County Detention Center
Richard County Detention Center (ASGDC) is a medium-security prison. In Columbia, South Carolina. Male inmates live here.The death of 27-year-old Lason Butler in Richard County’s Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center shows that inmates are treated inhumanely in filthy cells. Butler was found dead, alone, and rat-bitten. Butler reportedly died from dehydration, and inmates testified that he was refused water.
Perry Correctional Institution
Perry prison is in Pelzer, South Carolina. The prison is level 3 high security. The facility houses dangerous criminals. According to the South Carolina Department of Corrections, the facility can hold 1,000 convicts.Perry Correctional Facility inmates are abused physically and sexually. There are reports of convicts being unsafe. A prison officer was charged with distributing inmate nude images. The prison has seen riots and violence.
Conclusion
Historically, South Carolina prisons have been difficult. The first state prison opened in 1703, and the system has changed multiple times. The South Carolina Department of Corrections manages 22 prisons. Most South Carolina convicts are for nonviolent crimes.In 2016, approximately 60% of the state’s jail population was serving nonviolent sentences. One of the highest percentages in the nation. Still, state prisons are overcrowded and understaffed. Poor conditions, violence, and death have resulted. High-profile jail conditions cases have been launched against the state in recent years.Reference
