Charleston County Sheriff’s Office gives News 2 a behind the scenes look at the juvenile detention center

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – The Charleston County Juvenile Detention Center works to prepare inmates for a successful life once released, filling inmates days with educational opportunities and skill-building programs.

The facility currently houses 26 inmates age 14 to 17 who have charges ranging from murder, burglary, assault and more. They do not intake those with truancy or status charges. The maximum capacity is 60 inmates and the deputies can take in someone as young as 12 years old, but they must have a judge’s order. Officials said while the juveniles are there, they try to balance safety and opportunity for them.

“We’re here to ensure the secure custody of the kids, but we want them to not get too comfortable here but realize that this is not their end all be all,” Major Dorothy Harris, administrator of the center, said. “Jail doesn’t have to be the end of what they want and we try to give them things – activities that can make them be better when they get out.”

The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office partners with community organizations to come in and teach lessons such as guitar, gardening, mentoring, book club, haircutting and more. However, minors are required to go to school when it is in session and summer school when necessary.

“This school year has been really, really good. The kids have been participating much more so than when we first got here. So, they have done well. We have six that are in summer school right now that are working towards another credit towards their high school degree,” said the major.

Charleston County School District currently helps run classes and the county’s public library offers books in the facility. Deputies added that keeping the kids busy also helps keep them safe.

“They get exposed to a lot of different things. By the end of the day, the kids are really probably almost too tired to be fighting. So, we don’t have a lot of fights because we have a lot of things for them to do and that’s where having the community partners come in,” Kieviet Driskell, captain of the juvenile detention center, said. “We can continue to keep these kids focused on being busy versus focused on being doing things that are not appropriate.”

Along many of the hallways, staff encourage the kids to channel their emotions in creative outlets. Multiple murals sketched and painted by the inmates display chosen phrases or words, one which they are still working on.

Additionally, officials said each of these programs and activities go towards their efforts of preventing future offenses for these kids.

“So, we recognize that these juveniles are young people who are still developing. They’re not who they’re going to be in the future. So, our goal is in part to interrupt, hopefully, a cycle of negative behavior – criminal behavior. So, they can go on in the future and be successful,” Stan Davis, jail administrator of the Al Cannon Detention Center, said.

The juvenile detention center has 12 openings, however separate requirements may be required for this facility.