State Agency to Promote 20 Agents to Exclusively Supervise Domestic Violence Offenders

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)- South Carolina has ranked among the top five states for domestic violence for over 20 years. One state agency that works with perpetrators is expanding training in that area to help end this abusive trend in the Palmetto State.

This legislative session, the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services was awarded over $1 million by lawmakers.

Director James Adger says the agency wants to decrease the number and variety of caseloads by training agents to work solely with offenders of domestic violence.

“When you have 150 people on your case load, you have sex offenders, drug abusers, you have all these different types of cases. In my mind, I don’t think you can effectively supervise and manage men and women with those myriads of different issues. What we’re trying to do in the future in terms of being the best in the business, in terms of supervising men and women is get specialized in that business,” said Adger.

Adger says the agency will promote 20 developed agents to work across the state. Regional directors say the agents will have to go through extensive training online and in-person to help them supervise over 29,000 offenders.

Organizations like Sistercare promote holding offenders accountable. Board member Antjuan Seawright says this announcement is a proud moment for our state.

“It’s about time that we take our state in the right direction so we can make sure those numbers come down and hopefully we can be at the bottom of that list we’ve traditionally been at the top of,” said Seawright.

Director Adger says the agency will begin the application process Tuesday with hopes of getting the training completed by the end of this year.