Inmate Deaths: DOJ Announces Probe On Suicides And Killings In Mississippi Prisons

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Wednesday that it will launch a probe on the multiple incidents of killings and suicides in prisons throughout Mississippi, including the state’s penitentiary at Parchman.

According to NPR, the civil rights probe into the state’s penitentiary system was announced following a series of inmate deaths that triggered debates on how the state is managing its prisons.

A statement from the DOJ noted that the probe’s focus will be on whether the Mississippi Department of Corrections is appropriately protecting its inmates and if the mental health programs are relevant to the needs of the inmates.

Among the biggest problems that experts unraveled in Mississippi’s penitentiary system is the rampant activities of gangs. Speaking with state lawmakers earlier this week, Jimmy Anthony of the Mississippi Association of Gang Investigators said several gangs are engaging in activities that indicate drugs.

Another issue is the alleged low pay that comes with working long hours as a prison guard. The state still has many positions that have yet to be filled despite Mississippi having the highest incarceration rates across the country.

Aside from violence and gang-related activities, another point of attention among penitentiary and law experts is the recent suicides that took place in Mississippi prisons.

CNN reported that several inmates said besides gangs overrunning lockups, the overall environment of state prisons were just dangerous and seemingly inhumane.

The prisoners, speaking on condition of anonymity, said violence abounded everywhere and there were times they didn’t have access to bathing time for up to several weeks. They added that cell floors were covered in raw sewage.

The conditions in Mississippi penitentiaries has led some authorities to question if there was adequate mental health assistance in the prisons, or if there were suicide prevention programs to help inmates cope with prison-life challenges.

Last month, an inmate was found hanging inside his Parchman one-man cell unit. The Sunflower County coroner said the inmate’s death was consistent with suicide by ligature hanging, CBS News reported.

At that time, the inmate’s apparent suicide was the eighth death reported at the Parchman penitentiary. The death also came just one day after two inmates were discovered inside their cells, beaten to death.

Through the financial assistance of rappers Yo Gotti and Jay-Z, 29 inmates filed a federal lawsuit last week against Mississippi regarding the poor living conditions at Parchman.