Prisons are a necessary evil. People are only human after all. Some of them make mistakes and some make egregious mistakes. For those, we have to have special prisons. The ones that claim to be Level 3 – in South Carolina – are the ones for the people known as “long timers”; the ones who will probably never see the light of day from the other side of that razor wire fence. How many prisons are in South Carolina? We have 21 institutions in the Palmetto State. Here are the seven worst prisons in South Carolina.

1. Leiber Correctional Institution

136 Wilborn Ave, Ridgeville, SC 29472, USA
Google Maps
This is the deadliest prison in South Carolina. At any given time, there are fewer than 300 guards to watch over the full prison. Riots are frequent, the smell is atrocious. And, death row is a real thing here. Probably more real than you can believe. Here is housed Stephen Stanko from Murrells Inlet who will never again be a free man.

2. Lee Correctional Facility

990 Wisacky Hwy, Bishopville, SC 29010, USA
Lee Correctional Facility/FB
Lee Correctional has been in the news more times than I'm sure South Carolina would like due to the more than frequent riots. Too many times guards are taken hostage by the prisoners who then send out pictures of what they have done on cell phones.

3. Leath Correctional Institution (Women's Prison)

2809 Airport Rd, Greenwood, SC 29649, USA
Google Maps
You may know Leath Correctional Institution because of who stays there...Susan Smith, known for having taken the lives of her two sons.

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4. Kirkland R&E

4344 Broad River Rd, Columbia, SC 29210, USA
Google Maps
Kirkland is in Columbia and has its own share of stories including the one that surrounds Johnny Brewer (who beat death row only to kill himself by hanging), Jimmy Causey (a kidnapper who is in for life), and Stephen Beckham who is in for hiring a contract killer to kill his wife whom you will know as the daughter of State Senator Jim Lander.

5. Graham Camille-Griffin Correctional (Women's)

4500 Broad River Rd, Columbia, SC 29210, USA
Google Maps
Yes, you guessed it. Susan Smith stayed at this women’s prison for a while too. She seems to have been bounced around South Carolina prisons due to behavior unbecoming of a lady.

6. Perry Correctional Institution

430 Oaklawn Rd, Pelzer, SC 29669, USA
Google Maps
In 1985, Perry Correctional was top news due to the fact that a strange woman tried to hijack a helicopter to rescue some inmates. You may know or remember one of them as James Rodney Leonard who murdered a teacher in 1983.

7. Broad River Correctional Institution

4460 Broad River Rd, Columbia, SC 29210, USA
Google Maps
If these were rated by which one housed the worst criminals, this one would have made the top of the list. You may or may not know this, but this was the last home of Pee Wee Gaskins; the most notorious serial killer of South Carolina.

This is a short video showing the South Carolina Department of Corrections Death Row, perhaps the worst prison in South Carolina. It’s a few years old so there have been a few changes since then, but it’s very informative.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t even want to have to visit these places. South Carolina has some really bad people behind bars, but don’t forget that there are also people who were imprisoned unjustly. The Justice system is not infallible. It’s run by humans, and just like the ones behind bars, neither is perfect. While you’re visiting South Carolina, be sure to stop in Charleston and see one of the best prisons in South Carolina…for ghost hunting!

This Ghost Hunt In A Former South Carolina Jail Isn’t For The Faint Of Heart

 

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More to Explore

Scary Places In South Carolina

Will Suphan | March 06, 2024

What are the most abandoned places in South Carolina?

The most abandoned places in South Carolina include:

  • South Carolina State Mental Asylum. Constructed in the 1800s, this was an asylum until 1989 that is now in disrepair but is said to soon be turned into a mixed-use building.
  • Glendale Mill. This will was devastated by fire in 2004 and the husk of it still stands as a captivating ruin.
  • St. Simons Episcopal Church. This old church is being reclaimed by nature and photographers flock here to take pictures.
  • Castle Pinckney. This was once a defense fortress and a prison during the Civil War and the structure is still largely intact.

Discover more about the most abandoned places in South Carolina. 

What are the scariest ghost stories in South Carolina?

The scariest ghost stories in South Carolina include:

  • The Charleston Orphan House. This was an orphan house until 1918 when a fire consumed the building and the children inside, who reportedly haunt the place.
  • Poogan’s Porch Restaurant. This was a Victorian home built in 1888 lived in by schoolteacher Zoe Amand who is said to be seen staring out the window.
  • The Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon. This held pirates who were denied food and water and their moans are reportedly still heard here.
  • The Ghosts of Battery Carriage House. This is a bed & breakfast that has been going since 1843 said to be haunted by a headless Civil War soldier.

Learn more about the scariest ghost stories in South Carolina. 

What are the most haunted places in South Carolina?

The most haunted places in South Carolina include:

  • Baynard Plantation. Locals report seeing and hearing the funeral procession of William Baynard passing by.
  • Cypress Garden Ruins. This was a set built for the movie The Patriot where locals claim to hear and feel strange sensations.
  • Hell’s Gate/Oakwood Cemetery. This is said to be the most haunted place in South Carolina with all kinds of apparitions and phenomena reported here.
  • Admiral’s House. Located at Charleston Naval Base, there is reportedly a ghost of a little slave girl hiding in a copse of trees.

Find out more about the most haunted places in South Carolina. 

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