Staff reports  |  The Slave Dwelling Project will host a March 4 discussion of recidivism during a at the Old Charleston Jail.  Following the discussion will be a chance for listeners to spend the night in the building.

The Slave Dwelling Project uses antebellum historic buildings as classrooms to interpret African American history. The jail was built in 1802 using slave labor and slave-made bricks. Members of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry were held captive there after they were captured during the Assault on Battery Wagner on Morris Island on July 18, 1863.

During the March 4 event, Charleston County Public Library historian Nic Butler will discuss the history of law enforcement in Charleston County.  Charleston Interim Chief of Police Jerome Taylor will address the audience on programs that the Charleston Police Department has in place to address the recidivism rate of African Americans. African Americans represent a disproportionate rate of inmates in the American prison system.