COLUMBIA, S.C. — Thursday afternoon, Richland County Administrator, Leondardo Brown held a press conference to discuss problems within the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.
After months worth of issues, the county has consistently said they are 'working on it.. County Administrator Brown described what that work will do.
"Three of our units inside the jail are currently closed for upgrades. That includes the Special Housing Unit or the SHU, Charlie, and the Yankee units. We have moved detainees to other units while we are making some upgrades and repairs to plumbing, lighting, and other things of that nature," Brown said.
After videos surfaced of poor living conditions, inmate deaths, and the arrest of three officers, the county says staffing is its top priority at the moment.
Brown says the county wants to recruit good people to fill open slots, and weed out the things that could be contributing to issues in the jail.
"Anyone who misbehaves in a way that is criminal in nature should be treated as such, so it is our expectation to work with law enforcement at any level to weed out anyone who is making these decisions that could compromise the safety of their fellow colleagues or the detainees in the facility," Brown explained.
The County Administrator also said that repairs are currently being made to the plumbing and kitchen in the facility.
A family member of one inmate, Unique Spain says she hopes these words turn into action.
"It all sounds good in theory, but the question is how are they actually going to implement all these changes," Spain stated.
County leaders say all of the needed changes to the jail will cost roughly $18 million.