Federal and local probes of the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center have uncovered 62 previously unreported crimes since December 2025 and prompted arrests of employees and inmates. Investigations revealed continued violent incidents—including multiple stabbings—and at least 154 new cases opened by the sheriff’s office. A class-action over inadequate mental-health care reached a preliminary settlement while the county previously paid $3.8 million to resolve a wrongful-death lawsuit. Authorities say systemic failures at the facility continue to jeopardize inmates and staff.
‘Shanks,’ Hospitalizations and a $3.8M Payout: Alvin S. Glenn Jail’s Ongoing Crisis
Richland County's Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center is located in Columbia. Perry McLeod/Special to The Post and Courier.
The Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Richland County remains beset by violence, unreported crimes and institutional failures that federal and local investigators say place inmates and staff at unacceptable risk. Recent federal and sheriff’s department probes have uncovered a pattern of missed reports, repeated stabbings and criminal allegations involving both detainees and employees, while civil litigation over mental-health care has moved toward a preliminary settlement.
Key Investigations and Findings
Delayed reporting and a wider probe: An inquiry into the April 7 death of inmate Keith Bagley, attributed to a K2/Spice overdose, found the jail failed to notify the sheriff’s department for nearly 14 hours. That delay prompted a broader investigation that identified 62 previously unreported crimes dating back to December 2025.
Arrests and allegations: The sheriff’s office reported arrests of seven employees and 17 inmates connected to the probe. James Lipscomb, the detention center’s director of compliance, was charged with obstruction of justice after authorities say he directed staff not to contact law enforcement. Additional correctional officers have since been arrested on charges that include bribery, sexual misconduct, money laundering and willful destruction of evidence.
Violence Inside the Facility
Violent incidents have continued. On July 16, two inmates stabbed each other with homemade knives; investigators recovered three shanks with cloth handles. In September, an outdoor recreation-area beating left an inmate hospitalized with head and facial injuries and resulted in second-degree assault-by-mob charges for four detainees. A 2025 federal civil-rights investigation previously documented at least 60 stabbings at the jail during 2023, underscoring an ongoing pattern of serious violence.
Civil Litigation and Settlements
Richland County and Disability Rights South Carolina reached a preliminary settlement in a class-action lawsuit alleging inadequate treatment of people with serious mental illness at the detention center; a federal judge paused a trial that had been set for mid-September while the parties negotiate terms. Court filings describe harrowing conditions, including inmates left restrained and unsupervised during suicide attempts and other dangerous episodes. The developments follow a prior $3.8 million county payment to resolve a wrongful-death suit over the 2025 dehydration death of inmate Lason Butler.
Scale of the Local Investigation
Since the sheriff’s department first disclosed arrests on June 30, investigators opened at least 154 new cases tied to the detention center. Those include 31 contraband investigations that involved 10 overdoses, and additional allegations ranging from indecent exposure and throwing bodily fluids to arson and armed robbery.
Bottom line: Federal findings, mounting criminal charges and ongoing civil litigation point to systemic failures at Alvin S. Glenn that continue to endanger detainees and staff. County officials face legal and operational pressure to fix persistent safety, reporting and mental-health care breakdowns.
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