Former Employee Raises Safety Concerns at South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice

COLUMBIA, S.C.

A former South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) employee is voicing her frustration with the agency’s leadership, and speaking out about safety concerns at DJJ facilities.

The agency has been under federal scrutiny for more than a year after settling a federal civil rights lawsuit with the Department of Justice in April 2022. Safety issues escalated recently with an incident involving juveniles resulting in an employee being hospitalized.

“It’s just not a safe environment at all,” the ex-employee, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation, said in a Friday interview. She highlighted her repeated efforts to address safety concerns while working at the Juvenile Detention Center on Shivers Road in Columbia, pointing out that her concerns were consistently ignored.