About
Southeast Alabama Youth Leadership Academy, commonly called Camp SAYLA, is a youth residential facility in Henry County, Alabama. Public reporting describes it as a state-funded or state-licensed facility serving nonviolent, at-risk teenagers referred by juvenile courts, with licensing oversight by the Alabama Department of Youth Services (ABC 33/40, Morris Haynes).
In January 2024, the Alabama Department of Youth Services suspended Camp SAYLA's license after abuse allegations and an unannounced site visit. In a December 2025 response to ABC 33/40, the department said Camp SAYLA was not operating or housing youth and would have to submit a new application, pass inspections, and demonstrate full compliance before resuming operations (ABC 33/40).
Multiple lawsuits have alleged abuse and unsafe conditions at the facility. Attorneys for plaintiffs alleged that youth were beaten with broomsticks, extension cords, and socks filled with potatoes, and that staff created a "bounty system" in which children were made to fight each other. Those claims remain allegations in civil litigation and public reporting (Morris Haynes, ABC 33/40).