Del’Quan Seagers

On November 25, 2015, 16-year-old Del’Quan Seagers died under mysterious circumstances at a state-funded wilderness camp – a juvenile corrections facility – in the South Carolina woods. The official cause of death, asthma, was disputed by some youth in the facility, and a legislative audit report later concluded that the state’s Department of Juvenile Justice “did not properly investigate” claims of foul play in his death.

The story has many tragic elements, but perhaps the most tragic is that Del’Quan Seagers should never have entered the justice system.

At age 14, two years after his father was murdered, Del’Quan was arrested and referred to juvenile court for stealing candy.

Rather than diverting him, the juvenile court placed Del’Quan on probation. When he didn’t follow probation rules, authorities shipped Del’Quan off to a wilderness camp for three months.

After his release, the court kept Del’Quan under probation supervision, and more than a year later authorities shipped him off to a second camp – the place where he died – for skipping school and staying out past curfew.

Had South Carolina’s courts followed the evidence and diverted Del’Quan Seagers from court in response to his petty offense at age 14, he would probably be alive today.