With 16 violent deaths, Parchman sees “level of violence and lethality that we associate with prisons in countries like Brazil and Honduras”
Government
The state inked a deal to house Parchman inmates in a private prison. Is it legal?
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Several people briefed on the contract between the Department of Corrections and Nashville-based CoreCivic, which owns and operates the prison, shared its details with Mississippi Today
Justice
Parchman at the center of state prison system plagued by neglect and lack of funding
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Understaffed, underfunded and plagued by gang violence, inmates in Mississippi’s Parchman prison have been living in deadly conditions that state lawmakers knew about for decades. Now, everyone is paying the price
Justice
Mississippi moving inmates to privately owned Tallahatchie County prison
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Mississippi’s beleaguered corrections system has garnered increased scrutiny in the new year as reports surfaced of deadly fights among prisoners at several facilities, including Parchman and South Mississippi Correctional Institution in Leakesville
2020 Legislative Session
Mississippi Legislature 2020: Election challenge, prison unrest greet lawmakers at start of session
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About 50 protesters were on hand as lawmakers kicked off a new four-year term in state government. One of the first orders of business for the House is an election challenge in District 40 where Democrat Hester Jackson McCray defeated Republican Ashley Henley by 14 votes
Justice
Rep. Bennie Thompson to seek federal investigation into ‘ongoing failures’ within MDOC
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Prisoner rights advocates are also calling for the Department of Justice to look into conditions at facilities across the state amid reports of violence and unrest
Justice
Parchman’s former supermax unit, shuttered amid civil-rights lawsuits, back in use after prison unrest
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Notorious unit was shutdown 10 years ago following a lawsuit by the ACLU over conditions
Prison brass warned of dangerous conditions a year ago, but lawmakers did not act
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In the aftermath of deadly incidents at correctional facilities, state leaders vowed to address problems plaguing Mississippi prisons. These promises come despite a series of cuts to correctional budgets and unfulfilled requests for funding to make repairs at Parchman
Cartoon
Marshall Ramsey: Parchman
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Parchman disturbance draws heavy emergency response, report of one death as state officials remain silent.
Justice
Violence at Mississippi jails and prisons: Timeline, Fact check
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As of Jan. 3, at least five prisoners at three Mississippi correctional facilities were confirmed dead in disturbances at jails and prisons. These deaths come amid a series of violent disturbances reported via social media and news outlets
Government
Parchman disturbance draws heavy emergency response, report of one death as state officials remain silent
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The Mississippi Highway Patrol and sheriff’s offices in Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Bolivar and Washington counties sent more than 100 deputies to the prison on Thursday after a violent incident broke out Thursday morning and left one inmate dead
Government
Jim Hood leaves office with no regrets
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Hood, who ran unsuccessfully as the Democratic nominee for governor, plans to do some leisure reading and start a private law practice in downtown Houston
Justice
Bound by statute: In Mississippi, Jim Crow era laws result in a high rate of black kids charged as adults
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The actions of police, prosecutors and judges in Mississippi ultimately end the childhood of black kids far more often – and with far greater severity.
Justice
Remember the guy who escaped from Parchman? It was actually a different guy. Now the misidentified man’s mother fears retaliation
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Corrections agency employees took nearly 90 minutes to figure out who was missing, during which they repeatedly misidentified the escapee, according to an incident report. The report details a lack of communication between employees, who failed to correctly identify the missing person during recounts.
Law and Order
Locked Down: Inside the prison where inmates set each other on fire and gangs have more power than guards
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South Mississippi Correctional Institution, known as SMCI, now has an inmate-to-correctional officer ratio of 23 to 1, far higher than that of other states or the federal prison system.
Government
No water, no lights and broken toilets: Parchman health inspection uncovers hundreds of problems, many repeat violations
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Black mold, mildew, exposed wiring, raw sewage as well as inoperable showers and ice machines were also among the deficiencies health inspectors found during an annual review of the state’s oldest prison