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Changes at Lee since 2018:

Policy and practice changes:

● Changed the agency’s classification system for inmates to a more behavior, reward-
based system, allowing inmates to earn a lower level of custody through good behavior
and participation in education and programming.
● Because of the new classification system, Lee is now a split custody level institution,
with medium custody on the east yard and maximum custody on the west yard.
• On April 15, 2018:
▪ 1,583 total inmates
▪ 1,338 maximum custody
• On June 28, 2021 (yesterday):
▪ 1,273 total inmates
▪ 270 maximum custody
▪ 949 medium custody
▪ 39 minimum custody/15 not yet classified
● Strengthened our gang identification system to identify and track inmates who are
affiliated with gangs. Before April 15, 2018, we had identified about 260 inmates who
were affiliated with gangs. Today that is more than 2,250.
● SCDC moved almost 50 problematic inmates to include gang leaders from Lee and other
SCDC institutions to a private prison in Mississippi.
● Increased pay for correctional officers across the board, with the highest salaries going
to officers at maximum security institutions like Lee. All employees get raises this year.
Correctional officers, nurses and other essential personnel are getting higher raises this
year, along with sign-on bonuses. The department also pays overtime now.

Security and structural changes:

● Replacing aging, malfunctioning locking systems in housing units across the state
including the F-5 unit at Lee, where the deaths occurred, has been completely renovated
and now serves as our COVID-19 isolation unit.
● Installed 50-foot high nets around Lee in July 2018 to further limit contraband from
being thrown over the fence. We now have nets around all medium and maximum
institutions.
● Installed a portable drone detection system that alerts security when a drone is in the
area at all Level II and Level III facilities.
● Placed intruder detection cameras on the perimeter to detect when an intruder is
approaching the outer fence at several locations.
● Installed solar-powered motion sensor lighting at several locations.
● Removed trees from the perimeter of institutions at several locations.
● Added a layer of razor wire before approaching the institution at several locations.
● Developed a central monitoring station for all institutions that includes security cameras
at headquarters that are monitored 24/7 at all institutions statewide.
● Installed managed access cell phone detection technology at Lee in July 2018.
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● Purchased high-tech mobile scanners, which can detect cell phones on or inside a
person as they walk past the device at all institutions statewide. These have proven to
be essential in the search for contraband.
● Installed a system to detect cellphone signals coming out of the restricted housing unit
at Broad River, Lee, Lieber and McCormick.
● Installed full-body scanners similar to those at airports at all Level II Level III institutions.
● Creating structured living arrangements at Lee and other institutions where inmates
who work, take education classes and behave earn more incentives by where they are
housed. Some are character dorms, some are focused on education, others on jobs.

Programming:
● Founded the Academy of Hope at Lee, in which gang members and other influential
inmates live together and learn how to deescalate violence with words instead of
weapons. This program has seen real results, with an inmate saving an officer’s life and
inmates mediating disagreements in other dorms. An inmate trained at AOH saved an
officer’s life last year.
● Founded a Restoring Promise program in partnership with the Vera Institute of Justice at
Lee in which inmate mentors are trained to work with and help younger inmates. The
people in this program live in single cell dorms and earn other privileges as the program
progresses. SCDC also has this program at Turbeville and is hoping to expand to another
institution next year.
● Opened structured re-entry programs for all levels of inmates, including a two-year
program for maximum security inmates who have been incarcerated for many years.
These programs make sure inmates have work skills, a place to live, proper documents
and other essentials to build a new life and re-enter society.

NUMBERS:
Homicides:
2018: 9
2019: 8
2020: 2

Inmate on inmate serious assaults

2018: 73
2019: 65
2020: 62

Inmate on staff assault:

2016: 67
2017: 84
2018: 43
2019: 51
2020: 44
So far 2021: 14