Our September 2026 Youth Behind the Fence brings to light a pattern of traumatization, criminalization, and widening racial inequality in the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice (SCDJJ). The report brings new statistics to light, highlighting the state's ongoing decision to lock up children for nonviolent status offenses and expose them to dangerous conditions. The report concludes with evidence-based policy changes to help some of South Carolina's most vulnerable children turn heal, learn, and turn their lives around.