SENATOR VOWS TO HOLD NIKKI HALEY’S CABINET ACCOUNTABLE … AGAIN
S.C. Senator Katrina Shealy says the current situation at governor Nikki Haley‘s Department of Juvenile Justice (SCDJJ) is “unacceptable” – and that she plans to be actively involved in the investigation launched this week by the S.C. House’s legislative oversight committee.
That’s bad news for Haley … who bit off more Shealy than she could chew two years ago when the feisty first-term Senator played a starring role in investigating another scandal-scarred agency in Haley’s cabinet, the S.C. Department of Social Services (SCDSS).
Now it is SCDJJ mired in scandal after a riot at the agency’s Broad River Road facility in northwest Columbia, S.C. last weekend caused extensive damage – and exposed a pattern of alleged mismanagement.
After breaking news of the riot earlier this week, we have now learned that the violence that went down was far worse than we originally suspected – with more than fourteen vehicles sustaining damage and at least four guards reporting serious injuries.
We also learned that one female juvenile inmate was allegedly raped by a male juvenile inmate during the melee.
Shealy has a long history with SCDJJ – one predating her involvement in politics. She began volunteering as a mentor with the girls program at the agency over a decade ago and has stay involved ever since.
Bill Byars was the director of the agency at the time – and there were over 300 children incarcerated at the Broad River Road facility where the riot took place. Today there are roughly 100 children – males and females aged 12-17 – at the facility.
“I did programs with the girls on being in business, how to dress for job interviews and then just filling in for a parent figure when they didn’t have one,” Shealy said. “Judge Byars did a great job turning this facility around bringing in job readiness programs, training – carpentry, upholstery, welding – for the kids as well as making Birchwood High School a well respected school in South Carolina.”
Shealy became even more involved when she served on the board of directors of S.C. Friends of Juvenile Justice, a non-profit organization which supports special projects to provide career opportunities for these children. She eventually served as the chair of the organization.
“Margaret Barber took over when Judge Byars moved to the department of corrections and she did an excellent job until her retirement when governor Haley appointed the current director, Sylvia Murray,” Shealy said. “I am very discouraged over the recent events at DJJ and watching all the work that director Byars and director Barber did go up in smoke!”
“There are many great programs at that facility, many great employees, some who have been there for years,” Shealy added. “I will not sit by and watch this work – as well as the well-being of our state’s children – be destroyed due to mismanagement.”
Shealy said she will be following the work of the House oversight committee – chaired by S.C. Rep. Weston Newton – but indicated that she would likely ask Senators to open their own investigation.
“I will definitely be following this closely,” she said.
Newton’s committee notified the governor’s office of its probe this week, informing Haley it would be investigating multiple allegations related to the agency’s “lack of control, lack of trust, lack of adequate staffing, and lack of safety for juveniles and employees.”
Obviously we will be following the probe(s) closely as well.
30 comments
Will she hold Haley accountable? Certainly they let Haley off the hook for the mess at DSS.
She got rid of that Woman didn’t she?
The sanitarium scene in 12 monkeys where Brad Pitt introduces Bruce Willis to “reality” with the LooneyTunes cartoon on TV behind them is pure genius – punctuating Brad’s paranoia with coincidental canned sound effects in cosmic synchronicity provides a view of a God providing unheeded meaning in a nut house – one who watches without direct intervention – the ultimate yardstick of sanity… hidden in plain sight.
The nut house is an intersection at the edge of the universe, where reality and absurdity overlap.
Trump is the avatar of the crack monkey in the material world.
Someone poured LSD on the anthill.
euwe, your post is Intellectual silliness disguised as puffed up insight. Trite and juvenile, it belies a cynicism that is unflattering at best. Perhaps a hobby would keep you occupied and away from the idleness that gave notion to your post.
Max is a good guy, and he is just relieving his stress created by the debate last night. Hang in there, Max!
Max is a good guy
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What are you trying to do? Ruin the reputation I’ve spent so much time refining?
What if someone reads that?
Well, you reminded of this story:
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A man who had been in a mental institution for some years finally seemed to have improved to the point where it was thought he might be released. The psychiatrist who headed the institution, with commendable caution, decided, however, to interview him first.
“Tell me,” said he, “if we release you, as we are considering doing, what do you intend to do with your life?”
The inmate said, “It would be wonderful to get back to real life and, if I do, I will certainly refrain from making my former mistake. I was a nuclear physicist, you know, and it was the stress of my work in weapons research that helped to put me here. If I am released I shall confine myself to work in pure theory, where I trust the situation will be less difficult and stressful.”
“Marvelous,” said the psychiatrist.
“Or else,” ruminated the inmate, “I might teach. There is
something to be said for spending one’s life in developing a new generation of scientists.”
“Absolutely,” said the psychiatrist.
“Then again, I might write. There is considerable need for
books on science for the general public. Or I might even write a novel based on my experiences in this fine institution.”
“An interesting possibility,” said the psychiatrist.
“And finally, if none of these things appeals to me, I can always continue to be a coffee pot.”
“he is just relieving his stress”
That’s fine and dandy, but why do we have to be a part of his masturbation activities?
That’s a “post modern haiku” Ma. It’s symbolic of the struggle caused by our nation’s out of touch drug laws and stresses the need to legalize marijuana – or something like that.
That’s a “post modern haiku” Ma.
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After reading your response, I re-read my post, and thought “hell – talk about synchronicity.” if I had thought of post-modern haiku as an inspiration for the layout, composition and effect of that comment, I’d be a genius! … alas, fate has stolen this reward from me, and given it to you!
Never change Euwe – your distinctive brand of weirdness is the cherry on top of the nutty banana split that is Fit’s News.
altered states prove there is a true state.
Around here the “normal state” is the state of confusion.
The only way to truly fuck shit up is to take Jesus literally.
Seems to work the other way around for me.
Turn the other cheek works on terrorists? Who knew?
How about the old “give everything you own to the poor, and follow me?”
I know… I know.. it’s love your enemy and forgive 70 times 7.
Luke 22:36 (NASB) And He said to them, “But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one.
1When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples. 2And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples. 3Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? 5They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. 6As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground. 7Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. 8Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way: 9That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none. 10Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. 11Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?
(Matthew 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52; John 18:1-14)
47And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him. 48But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss? 49When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword? 50And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. 51And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him. 52Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves? 53When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.
Shealy’s habit is to show up after a crises and talk, talk and talk some more. She gets all the credit for caring and sharing but her legislative fixes do little to change the underlying problems.
Shealy is just another windbag in politics that gets what she needs and wants, media attention and ego stroking, and we the taxpayers are left with a bag of crap.
You are dumb. Ms Shealy cares about the kids and all of us out here at DJJ. She has been taking up for all of us for years so shut up or do sometime to help. She got that woman at Dss out of there and she kept on til people listen. You don’t no anything. The only way she gets it done is to make sure everybody know or they sweep it under the rug. You just don’t know. Like I said you are stupid.
So, she had years of caring and productive involvement with the director,staff, and juveniles, and then she gets elected ——- and suddenly it’s a void in her life and NOT ONE SINGLE PERSON gives her a hint that problems are brewing..??
“lack of control, lack of trust, lack of adequate staffing, and lack of safety for juveniles and employees.”
Is that like the lack of staffing at DHEC’s dam inspection division during the let’s-deregulate-everything years of the Sanford/Haley administration?
The water managers at DHEC were screwing up the dam program far beyond staff shortages. They misused the competent staff they had and ran a few of them off, disgusted.
This is why Nikki in National Politics is such a Joke. She’s won the Governor’s Pageant twice. And that’s all! She is clueless about Executive leadership. She’s killing babies at DSS. She sold SC’s Medicaid program to BC/BS so that the Corp could keep the money and deny actual medical care, and somebody suddenly notices that DJJ is fucked up too? Every agency she oversees is fucked up. Nothing new here. Nikki is living proof that the GOP is still the Party of Stupid. And we the people pay her bills and suffer the consequences.
Well, you forgot SC DHEC, as in health and environmental control, which finds its State Office building located in what must be the worst recurrent municipal polluter in the USA. South Carolina has been so bad for so long that folks just don’t “give a shit” any more. Thank you Mayor Shitwater.
Haley just keeps fucking up and no one cares…
Sad thing is hard workers always suffer due to lack of mismanagement and misdirected leadership. When trying to guide already corrupted minds, you sure don’t need weak minded, corrupted leaders.
The situations at SCDOT, SCDPS, SCDC, and several others agencies is also unacceptable. What is Katrina doing about those agencies? Not a damn thing.
Well let’s just put her in charge of the damn world?? You think she is Governor dumb ass? I think someone else needs to step up to the plate – speak the truth!!
No, She is a Senator and on the Judiciary Committee. She should be calling for hearings on all of these agencies and their directors instead of rubber stamping their nominations.