Justin T. Bamberg District 90 Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Operations and Management Committee P.O. Box 11867 Columbia, SC 29211 ‘Tel. (803) 212-6907 District Address: 232 Azalea Avenue i! Bamberg, SC 29003 House of Representatives odce State of South Carolina April 19, 2018 Director Bryan P. Stirling SC Department of Corrections 4444 Broad River Rd Columbia, SC 29221 Ce: Governor Henry MeMaster Dear Director Stirling, ‘The violent incident at Lee Correctional Institution is more than just a tragedy; we are concerned it is indicative of much greater problems within correctional facilities in South Carolina. Seven inmates were killed in the deadliest prison riot in the United States in the last twenty-five years. We do not believe such violence is inevitable. Rather, we believe it is preventable. Lack of action now to stop an incident from occurring in the future would be an inexcusable failure of leadership. Inthe wake of the violence, much attention has been drawn to cell phones by you and Governor McMaster. However, we believe there may be more pressing problems regarding the security of inmates and SCDC employees. While access to cell phones within prisons is a problem that must be addressed, it is inaccurate to blame a riot that lasted more than seven hours, involved three dormitories, and left seven inmates dead on this. ‘We ask for an opportunity to tour Lee Correctional Institution as soon as possible, so that we can see firsthand the conditions of the facility. This will greatly assist us as we take action to address the conditions in our correctional facilities. Additionally, we request information regarding the treatment that inmates and SCDC employees at Lee Correctional Institution have received as of the outbreak of violence on Sunday, Namely, we request answers to the following questions be provided no later than close of business tomorrow: © How many showers have inmates received?‘¢ How many meals have inmates received, what time were meals served, and what food was included in the meals? Have inmates been given their medication, including those prescribed for mental health? How frequently has medicine been administered? ¢ Has mental health counseling been made available to correctional officers and inmates who were uninvolved in the incident but witnessed other inmates being. decimated? We look forward to your response as we seek to better understand the incident at Lee Correctional Institution and the state of the South Carolina Department of Corrections. Respectfully, hae Rep, Justin Bamberg Op in Pacha C Kea Rep. John King Rep. Todd Rutherford Rep, James Smith, Rep. Will Wheeler