ACLU report alleges dangerous conditions, racial disparities in SC juvenile justice system

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - A new report published by the ACLU of South Carolina on Wednesday alleges what it calls “a pattern of traumatization, criminalization and widening racial inequality” within South Carolina’s juvenile justice system.

“Vulnerable youth are suffering through a crisis in the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice (SCDJJ), and our state owes them a chance at real healing and rehabilitation,” Jace Woodrum, executive director of the ACLU of South Carolina, said in a statement. “We are calling on the state legislature to address the dangers and inequities exposed in this report. These children can’t wait another year for justice.”

The full report includes newly compiled statistics from public records as well as Freedom of Information Act requests made by the ACLU.

WIS reached out to SCDJJ on Wednesday regarding the report, but did not immediately receive a response.

Key findings

According to the report, South Carolina continues to refer and detain children for status offenses, or conduct that are only illegal because of their age. Those range from truancy, incorrigibility, running away, and possession of alcohol by a minor.

The ACLU claims South Carolina is the only state that sends minors into its juvenile justice system based solely on such an offense. It added that status offenses accounted for 14% of SCDJJ referrals and 8% of detentions in the 2025 fiscal year.

The ACLU also alleges racial inequality within the juvenile justice system, with a disproportionate number of Black minors being referred to SCDJJ by solicitors and schools. The group said Black children make up roughly 28% of the state’s youth population, but accounted for more than 75% of those detained by SCDJJ in 2025.

Further, the ACLU claims SCDJJ continues to place youth in harm’s way, with multiple instances of violence at the hands of corrections officers and fellow youth.

The ACLU added that it compiled its report after SCDJJ stopped publishing annual data resource guides after 2021. The organization said county-level data is missing for fiscal years 2022 through 2024, while county-level data for 2025 did not include racial demographic data.

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