[South Carolina] Department of Juvenile Justice’s Broad River Road Complex: Notice and Investigation 

On February 5, 2020, the DOJ sent notice to the Governor of South Carolina regarding the alleged conditions  they have reasonable cause to believe violate the U.S. Constitution at the Broad River Road Complex juvenile facility. The notice states, in part, “After carefully reviewing the evidence, we conclude that there is reasonable cause to believe that conditions at BRRC violate the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution and that these violations are pursuant to a pattern or practice of resistance to the full enjoyment of rights protected by the Fourteenth Amendment. Specifically, we have reasonable cause to believe that South Carolina fails to keep youth reasonably safe from youth-on-youth violence at the BRRC. Additionally, DJJ seriously harms youth by using punitive, prolonged isolation. The violations are exacerbated by the failure to train staff, implement effective behavior management tools, and establish key safety features in the physical plant at BRRC.”