Inmates removed while state DOC conducts investigation
By TIM GULLA Ledger Staff Writer tim@gaffneyledger.com

Officials from the state Department of Corrections (DOC) visited the Cherokee County Detention Center on Wednesday to remove three state inmates who had been providing labor for the county jail.

The move followed an allegation made to the DOC about inappropriate behavior between one of the state inmates and a worker at the local detention center, confirmed Josh Gelinas, a spokesman for the DOC.

Gelinas said all three inmates were taking part in the state's Designated Facility Program, in which they were assigned to Cherokee County for inmate labor.

"They may or may not be returned, depending on the outcome of the investigation," Gelinas said of the three prisoners.

Gelinas could not comment on the specific allegations that led the DOC to remove the state inmates.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) has been asked to look at the DOC's findings, he said.

Cherokee County Sheriff Bill Blanton said he could not comment on the DOC's investigation.

"All I can say is they came and got our three trustees," he said. "They'll do an investigation and let us know the results of it."

Gelinas said there are many criteria in place for DOC inmates to participate in the Designated Facility Program. If assigned to a county facility, inmates participating in the program can do any number of jobs, such as cooking and cleaning.