A Limited Review of the S.C. Department of Corrections
August 2019
Members of the House Legislative Oversight Committee requested that we review various areas of the S.C. Department of Corrections (SCDC).
- Review SCDC’s security policies, internal controls, and classification system to determine their adequacy and if they align with national best practices.
- Review human resources’ issues, including hiring, retention, training, work environment, and corrective actions.
- Review the consistency and transparency of reporting of various indicators, including performance measures, types of contraband, types of incidents, etc. to determine if improvement is needed.
- Report on the litigation costs and determine what, if any, trends are identified for lawsuits filed by employees or inmates.
SCDC’s mission is, in part, to provide safety to the public, its employees, and inmates. Staffing issues have created challenges to the agency’s ability to meet its mission.
As of September 2018, SCDC employed approximately 4,900 staff who work at the agency’s 21 institutions and headquarters. SCDC’s FY 19-20 budget is approximately $516 million.
We visited 12 of the 21 institutions to interview staff and inmates and make observations about security procedures.