Justice Department launches civil rights probes into South Carolina jails after at least 14 inmate deaths

Federal authorities have launched civil investigations into two jails in South Carolina, after receiving reports that multiple inmates died at each detention center in recent years from various forms of mistreatment, unsafe living conditions or a combination of both, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Thursday.

The department's civil rights division launched separate probes at the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center in Charleston and the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Columbia after reviewing credible allegations. The Charleston jail had "credible allegations that incarcerated persons have died from use of force, gross medical neglect or suicide, and the jail in Columbia had allegations that the facility was "structurally unsafe and that there have been sexual assaults, homicides and prevalent violence resulting in serious injuries," the news statement said. 

The jails now under investigation are individually funded and operated by the counties in which they are located — Charleston County for the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center, and Richland County for the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center — which are two of the largest counties in South Carolina. The Charleston jail is run by the Charleston County Sheriff's Office and the Columbia jail is run by the county via a director, according to the Justice Department.