Myers returning to lead Richland County jail

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Ronaldo Myers, who resigned as director of Richland County’s Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center last year, will return to the post he held for 13 years at the 1,150-bed facility located off Bluff Road.

Richland County administrator Gerald Seals said Myers, currently working as head of a regional jail system in Virginia, will return to the S.C. position on April 2.

“The leadership skills and institutional knowledge Mr. Myers gained throughout his professional career with Richland County are extremely valuable,” Seals said. “He knows firsthand aspects of various positions at the facility, and he understands the crucial role the detention center has in maintaining public safety.”

Seals said strong leadership is necessary at the jail, facing challenges such as gang-related activity, opioid-addicted inmates and inadequate staffing. Myers, whose resignation took effect March 31, 2017, provided input as Richland County searched for a new jail director. When the county passed its self-imposed October 2017 deadline to fill the post, Seals asked Myers to return.

“I look forward to returning to Richland County,” Myers said. “I have gained additional knowledge while working in Virginia over the past year. I thank Mr. Seals for maintaining the lines of communication after I left Richland County.”

Interim director Shane Kitchen will return to his position as assistant director of the detention center, which houses around 800 detainees each day.