Offender monitoring program with ties to Upstate faces lawsuit

A new lawsuit says a company tasked with tracking inmates is failing at its job after a 10-year-old is shot and killed in his bed. The federal case is out of Georgia, but the company, Sentinel Offender Services, also monitors hundreds of people charged with crimes and awaiting trial in Greenville County.

The Incident

The lawsuit alleges that Sentinel was supposed to be monitoring Rodracious Stephens, who left his home in Milledgeville, Georgia with a gun on the night of March 6, 2023. Stephens, along with three other suspects, sprayed bullets into another home, resulting in the death of fifth-grader Damarion Byrd who was asleep in bed.

The lawsuit claims that Sentinel failed to track Stephens’ location despite known issues with his ankle monitor, ultimately leading to the tragic death of Damarion Byrd.

Sentinel’s Response

Sentinel has filed a response denying any liability and invoking state law that absolves monitoring companies from responsibility for an offender’s criminal actions.

Similar Incident in Greenville County

In a related incident in Greenville County, Sentinel was monitoring Gary Whitten who, while facing domestic violence charges, violated the terms of his bond by returning to his home. The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office was not notified of this violation until Whitten cut off his monitor the following day. By then, Whitten had already committed a series of heinous crimes.

Investigation and Legal Action

Both the federal lawsuit and the incident in Greenville County raise questions about the effectiveness of Sentinel’s monitoring services and the accountability of such companies in cases of criminal actions by the individuals they are supposed to be monitoring.

Conclusion

As the legal proceedings unfold and investigations continue, it remains to be seen how such cases will impact the oversight and regulations governing offender monitoring programs tied to the Upstate area. Investigates will continue to follow developments in this story and provide updates as they become available.