Richland County introduces new jail director; administrators outline recruitment and facility upgrades

Richland County administrators formally introduced Kevin Jones as the new director of the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center and outlined staffing and facility plans, including recruitment strategies and capital upgrades.

Administrator Brown introduced Jones and said Jones has more than three decades of law enforcement and corrections experience, including work with the National Institute of Corrections. “I’m glad to be here,” Director Kevin Jones said, calling it “a pleasure and honor to be your jail director.”

Why it matters: County leaders said they face double-digit vacancies in detention staff and are examining strategies used elsewhere to improve recruitment and retention. Brown presented a recent article about the J. Reuben Long Detention Center as one model, noting that some jurisdictions have lowered the minimum hiring age and aligned entry pay across deputy and detention roles to make recruitment more competitive.

Administrator Brown described Horry County’s increase in starting pay (the article quoted $60,000 as a reference point) and said officials there recently approved roughly a 4% pay increase effective July 1 and added 10 positions. Director Jones said the J. Reuben Long facility has about 320 staff and a five- to eight-person hiring waiting list. “They’re doing a 4% pay increase… and they just added 10 more positions,” Jones said.

County leaders emphasized that the examples are informational only and that no action was requested at the meeting. Chair Mackey and other members signaled support for studying local applicability. “I think we should definitely look at how to move forward in that direction,” Chair Mackey said.

The presentation also reviewed capital and security projects at Alvin S. Glenn. Administrator Brown said most non–open-bay housing units are renovated, and current work focuses on phase one of formerly open-bay dorms. He described a facilitywide security-control upgrade intended to remove camera blind spots and said the bar screen delivery is near completion; roof construction documents are under review with bidding expected before August. Brown said a planned new tower could add “a few hundred more beds,” providing additional capacity.

Brown stressed these infrastructure projects and recruitment options are part of efforts to stabilize operations and conceded details such as cost and timing will require further study and follow-up with directors and contractors. No formal votes or policy changes were taken on recruitment or capital projects during the meeting.