RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. — Richland County officials are hiring former federal prosecutors to independently review the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center and the allegations against it amid a federal investigation into conditions at the jail.
The county announced on Thursday that it had retained the services of Wyche Law Firm and Maynard Nexsen Law Firm.
The county said the law firms will conduct an internal investigation into the conditions at the jail and "work with the Department of Justice ... team to provide federal investigators with timely and accurate information to complete their inquiry, as the County has nothing to hide."
In a provided statement, county attorney Patrick Wright said Richland County had already committed to improving the safety and well-being of detainees and staff at the jail while "fostering a culture of accountability and transparency."
"The public should be aware the County has invested nearly $30 million in facility improvements, staffing and retention at the detention center," Wright said.
The Department of Justice announced on Nov. 2 that it would launch a federal civil rights investigation into conditions and deaths at the jail - one of two in the state facing scrutiny.
The department said it received credible allegations that the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center is structurally unsafe and that there have been sexual assaults, homicides, and prevalent violence resulting in serious injuries.
Since that announcement, the Richland County Sheriff's Department reports the jail has been the scene of multiple alleged assaults and stabbings and what law enforcement described as a riot.
Richland County said in Thursday's announcement that it plans to spend millions more in 2024 on "improvement initiatives." It also said it had spent millions already in the past three years on improving the jail, including $3,658,215 in staffing, $15,055,495 in facility improvements and $8,183,613 in facility security.
The county cited improvements, including pay increases, new staff hires and future compensation plans, equipment, kitchen upgrades, unit improvements, attorney visitation construction and an upgraded jail management system.