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What Exactly is the School to Prison Pipeline, and Why it Matters

January 31, 2024

Written by Jennifer Rainville, Education Policy Attorney When discussing criminal justice, we often focus on adults in the system, but the unfortunate truth is that interaction with the criminal system isn’t limited to adults. And in South Carolina, a state that expels more preschool children from school than any other state, getting caught up in…

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Meet Bridget Brown, the New Executive Director of SC Appleseed Legal Justice Center

January 30, 2024

Hello! My name is Bridget Brown, and I am honored to be speaking with you as the new Executive Director of SC Appleseed. For nearly six years, I have worked at SC Appleseed — serving first as a staff attorney and for the past two years as Deputy Director. Throughout my time at SC Appleseed,…

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How a Criminal Record Can Lead to a Lifetime of Housing Issues in South Carolina

January 18, 2024

Written By Emily Blackshire-Giel, EJW Housing Fellow Attorney Edited by Dontae James, EJW Housing Justice Fellow The impact of having a criminal record can permeate into every part of a person’s life. Over the next month, we’ll be exploring the different ways the criminal justice system makes it difficult for individuals to stabilize and return…

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Medicaid Renewals in South Carolina: Frequently Asked Questions

September 6, 2023

During the pandemic, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare issued a Public Health Emergency (PHE). This meant that no one could be taken off of Medicaid during that time. It has been announced that on May 11, 2023 the PHE will be ending. The state of South Carolina began sending out Medicaid renewal forms beginning…

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South Carolina ABAWDs Returns – What to Know (2023)

August 24, 2023
man helping elder with walker

Summary The Return of ABAWDs On September 1, 2023, almost 30,000 people in South Carolina will be get a letter telling them that they will only be able to get benefits for three months in a three year period unless they comply with an outdated work requirement called Able-Bodied Adults without Dependents (ABAWDs). This harsh…

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How Housing Issues Quickly Become Health Issues: Edith’s Story

August 22, 2023

“I can’t sleep, I can’t eat, I can’t take a bath. I can’t walk around barefoot. They’re all over my clothes and making me sick.” While having a roof over your head often is a signal of stability, for Edith and her family it’s been anything but that. From bugs to lack of repairs to…

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What is a 14 Day Letter? (Letter and Sample Included)

August 3, 2023

Tenants who are struggling to get their landlord to make repairs, especially repairs materially affecting the health and safety or physical condition of their property, should send their landlord a letter regarding the landlord’s duty to fix the property (per SC Code Ann. § 27-40-610). This is called a 14 Day Letter. When writing a…

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The Impossible Task of Finding Rent on a Budget: Tonia’s Story

June 26, 2023

“They were passing out evictions like ice cream in South Congaree,” says Tonia. Tonia lives in Richland county – at least, she is trying to.   It was just a couple of years ago when she suddenly was forced to move away from her home on Farrow Road. Desperate for a place to go, she…

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Fighting for Stability in the Coverage Gap: Michelle’s Story

June 13, 2023

“My situation throughout life really has been around substance abuse and mental health,” says Michelle. “I have worked long periods of time, been able to maintain jobs so on and so forth… been able to take care of myself, live on my own, had money, so and on and so forth. But with substance abuse,…

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Maya’s Medicaid Story

May 31, 2023

Maya is an aspiring entrepreneur and mother of three. When we spoke with her, her youngest had just turned 4 months old. Over the years she’s worked many jobs: she was a certified nursing assistant, she worked in hospice care, and she’s done rehabilitation and home health. She found her passion as a bakery assistant…

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