Department of Juvenile Justice's Acting Director Eden Hendrick has requested $20 million to build a state-operated Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) for seriously mentally ill, justice-involved youth.

During a House budget subcommittee hearing on February 8 and a Senate budget subcommittee hearing on February 9, Hendrick outlined her reasons for requesting the funding to re-establish the Department of Mental Health's mental health placement for seriously mentally ill youth who are committed to DJJ.

The State newspaper covered this story in an article titled, "For years, SC has been unlawfully locking up mentally ill youth. Now it wants to Stop" by Zak Koeske. Read the full article here.