Interesting Facts and Events
| Year |
Facts/Events |
| 1867 |
The first inmates entered the State Penitentiary, which was
designed to hold 400 convicts. |
| 1872 |
Prison school established by law. |
| 1877 |
Introduction of farming at the State Penitentiary. |
| 1878 |
Prison school act repealed. |
| 1893 |
Segregation of young boys from older inmates at the State
Penitentiary. |
| 1905 |
Hospital was constructed. |
| 1912 |
The electric chair was installed at the Penitentiary in 1912 and
the first executions were carried out. |
| 1917 |
A chair factory was established as the first prison industry. |
1922 |
First prison
board of directors appointed by the Governor. |
| 1922 |
A riot occurred at the State Penitentiary. |
| 1932 |
A fire destroyed 1/3 of the prison facilities at the Penitentiary. |
1937 |
Six inmates trying to escape killed Captain of the Guard J. Olin Sanders. |
1945 |
Per diem pay system initiated for inmates. |
1950 |
Total inmate counts averaged 1,450. |
1960 |
The State Penitentiary was made a state agency and renamed the South Carolina Department of Corrections. A State Board of Corrections was established with a member representing each judicial circuit. |
1960 |
Total inmate counts averaged 2,073, an increase of 43% in 10 years. |
1962 |
A moratorium on execution was imposed nationally, including South Carolina. |
| 1962 |
Plastic money was introduced and U.S. currency was taken away from inmates. |
1963 |
"Guards" were changed to "correctional officers." |
1968 |
300 inmates riot about food and conditions in Central Correctional Institution. |
1970 |
Total inmate counts averaged 2,705, an increase of 30% in 10 years. |
1971 |
Based on state funds, it costs $1,689 to incarcerate an inmate per year. |
| 1972 |
United States Supreme Court, in the case of Furman vs. Georgia, declared most death penalty statutes, including South Carolina's, to be unconstitutional. |
1972 |
SCDC established positions of inmate representatives to improve communications between inmates and prison management. |
1976 |
Formal inmate grievance procedures were introduced. |
1977 |
William D. Leeke, Agency Commissioner was elected President of the American Correctional Association. |
1979 |
The Sesame Street Childcare Center Program at Kirkland Correctional Institution (KCI) was selected as "The Most Outstanding Project of the Year" at the United States national Jaycee Convention |
1980 |
The KCI Sesame Street Childcare Center Program was selected as the United States' sole representative in the International Jaycee competition in Sweden. From 86 projects around the world, the KCI program selected as the single most outstanding humanitarian project in the world. |
1980 |
Total jurisdictional inmate counts averaged 7,869, an increase of 191% in 10 years. |
1980 |
SCDC's year-end budget deficit totaled $525,000. |
1980 |
Based on state funds, it costs $4,995 to incarcerate an inmate per year; almost 3 times the cost in 1971. |
| 1981 |
A serious incident at Central Correctional institution - inmate rally and refusal to work-
was effectively controlled so that system-wide
riots/disturbance did not occur. |
1981 |
Commissioner Leeke received American Correctional Association's
E. R. Cass Award |
| 1982 |
A serious incident occurred at Perry Correctional Institution where
some property damaged occurred. |
| 1982 |
Plastic money was no longer used; substituted by cash. |
| 1982 |
Nelson vs. Leeke, a lawsuit involving prison overcrowding filed. |
| 1984 |
SCDC's education program received its first state funding as an
independent school district - Palmetto District One. |
| 1985 |
Consent decree for Nelson V. Leeke was signed, the
General Assembly authorized funding for the construction of 5
new prisons, a replacement facility for the Central Correctional
Institution (formerly the State Penitentiary), and other smaller
lower security units. |
| 1985 |
The death penalty was reinstated in South Carolina. |
| 1985 |
For the first time, the fiscal year-end jurisdiction count reached
over 10,000 inmates - 10,350 on June 30, 1985. |
| 1986 |
William D. Leeke received the Southern State
Correctional Association's first David H. Williams Excellence of Service Award.
|
| 1986 |
A disturbance occurred at Kirkland Correctional Institution in April
and was shortly controlled. |
| 1988 |
SCDC employees exceeded 5,000 for the first
time on the May 16th payroll. |
1989 |
The capital punishment facility was relocated from
Central Correctional Institution to Broad River Correctional Institution. |
1990 |
Based on state funds, it costs $12,414 to incarcerate an inmate
per year - 2.5 times the cost in 1980. |
1990 |
Total jurisdictional inmate counts averaged 16,149, an
increase of 105% in 10 years. |
1990 |
Corrections museum opened in old Death House. |
1990 |
Broad River Correctional Institution held its first execution. |
1993 |
SCDC initiated a cashless system - debit inmate accounts - for
canteen purchases. |
1994 |
The Central Correctional Institution (CCI), the original
State Penitentiary, closed after 127 years of operations. |
1994 |
Director Parker Evatt received the American
Correctional Association's highest honor - the E. R. Cass Award. |
1995 |
The Prison Litigation Reform Act was passed, allowing
correctional agencies to ask the Federal Court for relief from previously entered
consent decrees under certain circumstances. |
| 1995 |
April 17, 1995, a disturbance occurred at Broad River
Correctional Institution - 5 officers were injured and 3 non-security personnel
were taken hostage. After 11 hours of negotiation, the hostages were released
unharmed. |
1995 |
The General Assembly amended South Carolina Code of Law to
allow lethal injection as a form of execution. Those inmates sentenced to death
before 1995 were given an option of electrocution or lethal injection.
In August 1995, the first inmate to die by lethal injection was executed. |
| 1995 |
A cashless system was introduced - inmates were
issued identification cards to debit their accounts for canteen purchases.
|
| 1995 |
In November, SCDC began recruiting and hiring
18-20 year old men and women for positions as correctional officer cadets. |
| 1996 |
SCDC became the first state correctional agency to
utilize provisions of the Prison Litigation Reform Act to
terminate its consent decree under Plyler vs. Evatt. This termination
allowed SCDC to modify and restructure facility operations without
oversight by the federal court. |
| 1996 |
Touchtone Pictures shot some scenes of its movie, "The Last
Dance," at SCDC's Ridgeland Correctional Institution. |
| 1996 |
For the first time, the fiscal year-end jurisdiction count
reached over 20,000 inmates - 20,862 on June 30, 1996. |
| 1996 |
SCDC became the first state correctional agency to be
relieved from the requirements of a federal consent decree pursuant to
the newly enacted Prison Litigation Reform Act of 1995. |
| 1997 |
Death Row was moved from Broad River Correctional
Institution to Lieber Correctional Institution. |
| 1997 |
Video conferencing technologies were applied to
parole hearings to reduce transportation of inmates, to enhance
public safety, and facilitate citizen's attendance at administrative
offices of the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services.
|
2000 |
Total jurisdictional inmate counts averaged 22,053, an increase of 37% in 10 years. |
| 2000 |
Based on state funds, it costs $15,142 to incarcerate an inmate per year - 22% higher than the cost in 1990. |