Sarah Scully, Anchor/Reporter
The Madison County Sheriff’s Office used to oversee a Juvenile Detention Center inside this jail housing children awaiting trial.
Turns out, some of the county’s corrections officers reportedly abused those children repeatedly by firing tasers at them, pepper-spraying them, and putting them in solitary confinement in a so-called “detox” cell where their only way to use a bathroom was to urinate and defecate in a hole in the cell floor, all outlined in this report by the federally authorized Disability Rights of North Carolina, the DRNC.
The report said the “detox” cell did not have cameras, and this is where officers would tase and pepper spray them. Sometimes, they’d be put there for days at a time with no furniture or shower. They’d only have a mat to sleep on at night.
These conditions, under the supervision of Sheriff “Buddy” Harwood, came to light in a surprise December 2024 inspection by the DRNC.
The Sheriff’s Office declined to comment on this story. Harwood is up for re-election as Madison County Sheriff Nov. 3.
DRNC Education Lawyer Glynnis Hagins was part of the surprise team who talked to 20 juveniles.
“Things that will stick with me from my experience in Madison, that’s one of those things, every kid I spoke with felt like they were being treated like animals,” said Hagins.
The kids told the DRNC that they would end up in solitary confinement for days, or even weeks at a time, for minor infractions or without a reason explained.
They also told the DRNC that, while some corrections officers were good to them, others would physically assault and threaten them.
The DRNC immediately notified state authorities and a local Department of Social Services did their own investigation within hours, substantiating the DRNC findings of abuse and neglect.
“I think to the people of Madison County, I’m glad we could bring to light what was going on, because it was clear to me, as an individual, that no one knew what was happening.
“No one, except for the people who worked there, and the kids who were detained there,” said Hagins.
Child welfare officials pulled the kids from the Madison JDC, and Sheriff Harwood’s supervision, by January 2025.
North Carolina Department of Public Safety Division of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Matt Debnam said the sheriff’s office then lost that state memorandum of agreement for juvenile detention due to the DRNC’s visit and subsequent investigation, closing down the Madison County JDC.
Since the children reported tasing, pepper spraying, assault and extended solitary confinement by some of the officers, the question then rose…were there any criminal charges brought against those officers?
Debnam said, “Recommendations regarding potential criminal charges would come from the investigating child welfare agency, and decisions regarding the appropriateness of criminal charges would rest with the local district attorney's office.”
Madison District Attorney Seth Bank’s office has not responded to a July 27 email asking if there are any charges pending against those officers relating to this report.
The DSS agency and the overseeing North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services have been asked if they brought charges to the DA, but did not respond by press time.
DRNC Public Policy Director Corye Dunn has a message for the people of Madison County.
“If you don’t think that people who are employed with tax dollars should be tasing children, maybe tell them that,” said Dunn.
“I hope that if people in Madison County don’t like what they hear about this facility, that they will insist that it not happen again.
“They will feel empowered to make their local government better. That can happen a lot of different ways, right? Show up at county commission meetings,” she said.
“We entrust hard decisions to elected officials and government appointees, and I’m not going to pretend that their jobs are easy, but our job as people who aren’t in government, is to make sure that the people in government know what we want.”
To see an update on the possible charges: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Gyy42rWeY/?mibextid=wwXIfr
To see the DRNC report: https://disabilityrightsnc.org/news/no-place-for-kids-the-closure-of-the-madison-county-juvenile-detention-center/
To see the NC juvenile solitary confinement regulation: https://www.ncdps.gov/press-release/state-prison-system-announces-end-solitary-confinement-inmates-under-18
From state to local class action lawsuit: https://www.carolinajournal.com/federal-judge-approves-limited-class-in-nc-juvenile-detention-center-lawsuit/
On an editorial note: Please keep in mind, the kids did say some of the officers were good to them.
There are a minimum of three more stories relating to the Juvenile Detention Center as part of the overall now 12 plus investigative stories into the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, including stories on former Chief Deputy Coy Phillips currently awaiting trial for 5 felonies and 2 misdemeanors.
The JDC stories will look into the role of law enforcement leadership, the path of finances and the kids’ education by Madison County Schools.
Next up: The report says Madison County Schools violated state and federal laws by providing poor education and no testing for the kids. We’ll hear from new Superintendent Lisa Gahagan and the DRNC in the next segment.
Special thanks to the dozens of former law enforcement officers and community members who have come forward, and to the organizations that speak directly to you through this work.
I’d also like to thank Pulitzer-Prize winning investigative journalist with the “Asheville Watchdog” Sally Kestin, for being a sounding board and to her and NC Local journalist Catherine Komp for pointing me in the right directions when needed.
