Department of Justice Announces Investigation into Mississippi Prisons

The Justice Department announced an investigation into four Mississippi prisons. In just over a month, nine inmates have died at the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman. They called the place a “death trap” in which lack of funds, under-staffing, and hazardous and inhumane conditions fostered a violent atmosphere. In particular, overflowing raw sewage covers cell floors and infrequent access to showers for weeks on end. Most inmates have died as a result of gang violence but multiple suicides committed in one cell alone has forced the Mississippi Department of Corrections to temporarily shut it down. Singers like Jay-Z and Yo Gotti have come out in support of lawsuits filed by former inmates of the prisons. They’ve written impassioned letters and even provided them with legal representation in their cases. They claim these deaths were “easily preventable” and unnecessary.