$6 Million Meant for DOC Staffing Vacancies Reallocated For Security Upgrades at Inmate Housing

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)– Millions of dollars that were supposed to go towards helping the deficit of correctional officers in the department of corrections will now be used in different ways.

There were no objections when it came down to a vote at the State Fiscal Accountability Authority Meeting Tuesday, but there were some concerns. They are reallocating $6-mill. that was supposed to help with staffing with the Department of Corrections, but now are using that money for security upgrades to inmate housing units.

While Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom said there’s no doubt the $10.5 mill. project is needed, he has reservations about why so much of that money is being used for a purpose other than what it was supposed to be for.

“Six-hundred vacancies, and we’re taking 6 million dollars of personnel money and putting it into razor bars…  which is important, don’t get me wrong. But it seems as though we’re working against ourselves on hiring by using funds that could be used to hire people for capital projects,” Eckstrom said. 

The $6-mill. has a new purpose. It is to put a fence 50 yards from the original netting, add some barbed wires, replace and repair door locks, and glaze windows to block the view inmates have of the outside perimeter.  Colie Rushton, Director of Security and Emergency Operations, said this is something they desperately need at the Broad River Correctional institution.

“What that will do is it will certainly slow down the intruder, and hopefully give us the opportunity to identify that we have someone there,” Rushton said. 

They hope this will make it harder for people to toss in contraband, and harder for inmates to retrieve packages while they are in the yard.  Yet, a cell phone still might be able to make it over.

“If you have a good arm you might be able to throw a small package over, like the size of a baseball, or if you have a real good arm a football,” Rushton said.

“It seems as though you’re shooting yourself in the foot here,” Eckstrom said. 

Another concern was how the reallocation of funds won’t deter drones. In fact, it’s illegal for the Department of Corrections to disarm drones, but they do have the technology to alert them when there is one in the area.  These security upgrades will be for 11 different level 2 and 3 correctional institutions, affecting more than 18-thousand inmates.