Mississippi's governor says his administration will work closely with the U.S. Department of Justice in its investigation of the state's prison system, which has been rocked by deadly violence. MPB's Desare Frazier reports.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced its investigating four Mississippi prisons. The Civil Rights Division will examine conditions at Parchman Penitentiary, Southern Mississippi Correctional Institute, the Central Mississippi and Wilkinson County Correctional Facilities. Mississippi 2nd District Congressman Bennie Thompson requested the investigation after recent violence and the deaths of at least 15 inmates most of them at Parchman.
"Anytime you have as many people their lives in the custody of the department something's wrong. When you find facilities that don't meet health and safety standards it's a problem. And obviously when you have a legislature that refuses to provide resources to correct those problems, this is just something that had been predicted by a lot of people," said Thompson.
Reports of dilapidated conditions at Parchman included cells without electricity and plumbing that doesn't work. Governor Tate Reeves says they're are in the process of closing Unit 29 where most of the violence took place. Nearly five hundred inmates have been moved to other facilities. Reeves said he welcomes the investigation.
"We'll work closely with them and provide the information they need and they want. I feel certain the department of justice wants the same thing that I want and that is to ensure that we have the dignity of every person looked at and we're taking the necessary steps to ensure that that is the case," said Reeves.
Legislators are meeting about ways to reform the system. But they say it will take time.