Republican lawmakers agree the state’s criminal justice system needs serious improvements.

Sen. Tom Davis of Beaufort County says state money is not going where it needs to.

An April 15, 2018, riot at Lee Correctional Institution proved that.

It was the deadliest prison riot in recent history.

What started over a battle for territory, cell phones and other contraband ended with 22 inmates injured and 7 dead.

It took authorities 7 hours to regain control.

Reports blamed broken door locks and understaffing.

Rep. Murrell Smith of Sumter County agrees that SC has a tremendously underfunded system.

It’s not just the prisons that need help.

At an SC Press Association legislative briefing last week, lawmakers pointed out:

• The war on drugs has failed. Sentencing for minor drug-related charges are “out of whack” with other states, Smith said.

• Recruiting, retaining and safety of correctional officers should be prioritized.

• Hepatitis C treatments should be made available to inmates. Murrell speculated the cost for treatments would be $30-40 million, but that would cure longterm costs.

• Prisoners should be given resources and job training for re-entry to society once they serve their terms.

• The probation system has been grossly underfunded, says Sen. Greg Hembree of Horry County.

Lawmakers are considering ways to keep prisons safer for staff and inmates. One way is signal blockers for cell phones.

Prisoners use the illegal cell phones to communicate with associates outside the prison to continue criminal activities.

Blocking cell phone signals would cut off communication for officers inside prisons, which poses concerns in the event of an emergency like the one in Lee County.

Lawmakers at the legislative briefing were hopeful that changes for the better will come in 2019.