Families confront the city council about prison conditions in Richland County and demand changes

RICHLAND COUNTY, SC — On Tuesday evening, the Richland County Council met for its regularly scheduled board meeting.

During public comment, people talked about the problematic county jail.

Families of loved ones in the county jail say they voted these county officials in office and can't see any progress as smuggling arrests continue and two more inmates died of overdoses last week alone.

Angela Brennon has a relative in prison. She told WACHFOX News she wants to know what else it takes to get answers.

“The county is not taking this seriously because if they were, nobody would have died from any drugs,” Brannon added. “I don't feel like we're getting any answers. I don't feel like we're making any progress because this is an ongoing and ongoing process. I don't think they're going to stop until the inmates are dead,” Brennon said.

The Richland County administrator spoke briefly about the troubled prison and outlined statewide trainings he and the county's prison leadership would attend to learn better ways to help the facility.

The Richland County Jail has been under fire for some time and has been the focus of a Department of Justice investigation for nearly a year.

Letoya Gibson spoke before the council tonight and told WACHFOX News she was tired of not getting answers.

“I voted for some of you and it's very hard when I send an email with sincere condolences and address situations that have occurred all over the place and have not been handled properly and then I get silence. That's very hard. Immediate action is critical,” Gibson said.

Later this week, the families say they plan to meet with elected officials at Seven Oaks Park in Irmo for a community forum where they will continue to advocate for better conditions for their loved ones in the Richland County Jail.