By Scott Buttram
The United States Department of Justice announced Wednesday that an investigation into the treatment of juveniles at the Jefferson County jail is underway.
According to a statement from the DOJ, “the investigation will assess whether juveniles are detained at the jail in conditions that pose a serious risk of harm to their physical and psychological well-being.”
The DOJ said they have received allegations that juveniles at the jail are regularly housed with adult detainees, have been victims of sexual abuse and have been approached by adult detainees for sexual activity and favors.
“Additionally, juveniles, including those with diagnosed mental illnesses and intellectual disabilities, allegedly are routinely placed in solitary confinement or lockdown—sometimes for months at a time—with little or no access to the law library, telephone, commissary, educational opportunities and other services,” the statement said.
The sheriff’s office answers
Chief deputy Randy Christian responded to the claims, stating that only certain juveniles are housed at the county jail and, even then, only under certain extenuating circumstances.
“The only juvenile inmates we house have committed crimes so violent or heinous that the laws of the State of Alabama require they be charged as adults, Christian said. “If they would rob, rape or murder you, I would likely assume they would also lie to try and make it out of adult jail. It isn’t a place for the faint of heart, but it is a place they are treated fairly. We certainly have no heartburn over defending that in court should we need to.”