MORNING HEADLINES | A five-year civil lawsuit over the living conditions at the Charleston County Juvenile Detention Center (CCJDC) has ended with a settlement that outlines reforms for the facility. The legal agreement addresses allegations that children were treated unconstitutionally, dating back to the old juvenile detention center, which was built in 1967.
“While conditions have improved significantly since we filed this lawsuit, this order will ensure that these changes will last and that other improvements required in the order are made over the next few years,” said Robert Brunson, an attorney at Nelson Mullins.
U.S. District Judge Judge David C. Norton of Charleston signed the consent decree resolving the civil rights claims, stopping short of assigning liability to any of the three named agencies: CCJDC, the Charleston County School District and the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office.
The decree sets detailed standards that must be maintained across multiple areas, including classification and intake procedures, medical and mental health care, suicide prevention, education and programming, behavior management, staff training, use of force, restraints, room confinement, disability accommodations, grievance procedures and ongoing monitoring.
The lawsuit spanned the administrations of three different sheriffs including Al Cannon, Kristin Graziano and Carl Ritchie, who assumed the role in January 2025.
“Our priority is to provide a safe, lawful and rehabilitative environment for young people,” Ritchie said in a statement. “We fully support the measures outlined in the consent decree and will work closely with the professional monitor to ensure accountability and transparency throughout the process.”
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