Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Justice Dept: Gangs Run Mississippi Prisons

 The Justice Department issued the following statement and report. 

The Justice Department announced today its findings that conditions of confinement at three Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) facilities violate the 8th and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

The Department’s 60-page report details its findings from a thorough investigation of the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility, South Mississippi Correctional Institution, and Wilkinson County Correctional Facility. These three prisons currently house about 7,200 people.

The report concludes that MDOC routinely violates the constitutional rights of people incarcerated at all three facilities by failing to protect them from widespread physical violence. The state does not adequately supervise the incarcerated population, control the flow of contraband, adequately investigate incidents of serious harm, or provide adequate living conditions. These problems are exacerbated by chronic understaffing that has allowed gangs to exert improper influence inside the prisons.

The report also concludes that Mississippi unconstitutionally subjects persons at Central Mississippi Correctional Facility and Wilkinson County Correctional Facility to prolonged restrictive housing under harsh conditions that places them at substantial risk of serious physical and psychological harm.

“People living in prisons and jails have a constitutional right to safe and adequate living conditions,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “Our investigation uncovered that people in these three facilities were subjected to violent and unsafe conditions, in violation of the Constitution. We look forward to working with Mississippi officials to remedy these violations and improve safety and living standards for people incarcerated in the state of Mississippi.”

“Every state is constitutionally obligated to protect the people it incarcerates from known, pervasive and deliberately unchecked violence, and to house people in conditions that do not pose a serious risk of physical and psychological harm,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Our investigation uncovered chronic, systemic deficiencies that create and perpetuate violent and unsafe environments for people incarcerated at these three Mississippi facilities. The unconstitutional conditions in Mississippi’s prisons have existed for far too long, and we hope that this announcement marks a turning point towards implementing sound, evidence-based solutions to these entrenched problems. The Justice Department stands ready to enforce the dictates of the Constitution that protect the safety and human dignity of all people housed at state prison facilities. Our work makes clear that people do not abandon their civil and constitutional rights at the jailhouse door.”

“Ensuring constitutional and humane conditions of confinement in our prisons is a key part of public safety,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner for the Northern District of Mississippi. “By allowing physical violence, illegal gang activity, and contraband to run rampant, Mississippi not only violates the rights of people incarcerated at these facilities, but also compromises the legitimacy of law enforcement efforts to protect our communities. Our office remains committed to upholding the rights of all our district’s residents. We look forward to working with the Mississippi Department of Corrections to protect the constitutional and civil rights of those incarcerated at these three Mississippi prison facilities.”

“The conclusion of the investigation and the issuance of findings is only the start of the work necessary to ensure that the state of Mississippi and the Mississippi Department of Corrections fulfill their constitutional obligations to the people it incarcerates,” said U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee for the Southern District of Mississippi. “The minimum remedial measures outlined in this report create the framework for what the state must do to reasonably protect people in these facilities from violence and prevent deprivation of fundamental physical and psychological needs. While this report makes clear that there is much work for the state to do, we are committed to working with state officials to ensure that Mississippi abides by its constitutional obligations.”

Today’s announcement follows the Department’s April 2022 report finding that conditions at the Mississippi State Penitentiary (known as Parchman) violated the constitutional rights of persons incarcerated there by subjecting them to violence, failing to provide adequate care for serious mental health needs, or adequate suicide prevention measures and using prolonged restrictive housing in a manner that poses a risk of serious harm.

The Justice Department launched its investigation of Parchman, Central Mississippi Correctional Facility, South Mississippi Correctional Institution, and Wilkinson County Correctional Facility in February 2020, under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA). As required by CRIPA, the department provided the State of Mississippi with written notice of the supporting facts for its conclusions and the minimum remedial measures necessary to address the alleged violations.

The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi conducted the investigation.

For more information about the Civil Rights Division and the Special Litigation Section, please visit www.justice.gov/crt/special-litigation-section. You can also report civil rights violations to the section by completing the complaint form available at civilrights.justice.gov/. To provide information related to the Department’s investigation of the four Mississippi prisons, please call 1-833-591-0288 or email the department at Community.MSDoc@usdoj.gov.

 

 

33 comments:

Anonymous said...

At least MDOC started a tiny house building program for the Jackson homeless.

Anonymous said...

Here's an idea. Assimilate into the county's society and quit committing crimes THEN you won't end up in an old meany prison.

Can't Do the Time - Don't Do the Crime said...

The MDOC should provide living conditions similar to a Top Golf or Disney World.

I worked in county jail for a few short years in another state, but back in the day. We appointed what were called "tank judges." They would be inmates who could kick ass if needed. They would be given extra privileges for their duties of keeping order, etc.

It was a great system, until the feds stepped in and said no! Party poopers.

Anonymous said...

Ironic since gangs are for the most part a result of federal policies.

Anonymous said...

When presented with this groundbreaking Justice Dept info, 10 out of 10 Mississippi residents replied, "Duh."

Anonymous said...

When I worked for Dept of Revenue I worked with someone that came over from DOC and told me it was a shitshow and to not work there. I think he was talking about IT but I guess it was about the whole place.

Anonymous said...

Gangs runs the prisons, and they run the streets of Jackson.

Wherever there is a vacuum of police presence, gangs will fill it.

Steve said...

All correctional facilities have some sort of gang structure. Most of the inmates had gang affiliation before incarceration. No way to stop it on the inside.

Kingfish said...

Remember that CCJ kidnapping story that JJ covered a couple of years ago. Well, investigators tried to tell MDOC officials that it was because of a ring run out of prison, tried to provide evidence. MDOC could not be bothered.

Kingfish said...

Remember that CCJ kidnapping story that JJ covered a couple of years ago. Well, investigators tried to tell MDOC officials that it was because of a ring run out of prison,

Anonymous said...



You will never be able to satisfy the Briben DOJ

Anonymous said...

@11:56 AM - Wrong! His Lordship Mayor Chowke has explicitly stated that there are no gangs in Jackson. So there.

Anonymous said...

Well, the Justice Dept. is gang-run, along with a goodly portion of the rest of the Federal Govt.

Captain said...

What we have here is a failure to communicate.

Anonymous said...

The DOJ and the ACLU have ruined this country.

Anonymous said...

I certainly have no fear of bad treatment in the prisons. I abide by the rules -- it's very simple.

Anonymous said...

The capital city water takeover is working so well, the feds have their sights set on taking over the prison system. This should be interesting.

Just wait until 3 million more illegal hispanics suddenly find their way into the prison systems of this country. You ain't seen gang-shit yet.

Anonymous said...

Wait it's not just Hinds County who can't operate a jail? You mean our republican-led department of corrections is just as bad? hmmm

Anonymous said...

February 28, 2024 at 2:06 PM, we are all just a legislated act from being a criminal. They are going after the squatted trucks, no of us are safe. The climate change cult will outlaw breathing, then what will we do?

Yes, the gangs run the prisons, and not just in Mississippi. If you aren't affiliated with a gang before you enter, you will be pressured to join. The need for protection usually pushes the inmate one way, or the other.

Anonymous said...

Let us never forget that prisoners have more rights than their victims.

Anonymous said...

Our friend Mardis should fit in well. He likes to beat up people

Anonymous said...

Well, now show of hands: Who's surprised a state run by hicks and y'all-ligarchs has no functioning prison system?

Anonymous said...


Third Party DOC commissioner in 3, 2, 1...

YGTBSM said...

A CO corporal is only required to have an 8th grade education!!!! For a captain....HS or GED.

Mississippi is an expert at lowering the bar.

Anonymous said...

Damn. Does Ron Welch have an offspring that needs a lifelong job? Surely he is too old to continue his scam of 'monitoring' the conditions at Parchman, something he did for a lifetime while playing banjo during his free time, thanks to former Federal Judge buddy in the Delta. Sounds like this is where the DOJ is heading.

If Welch has no offspring, and his retirement is now safe, can I apply for that 'monitoring' position; I can measure the amount of square feet each crook is allowed to occupy as good as he did.

Anonymous said...

February 28, 2024 at 6:46 PM
As opposed to the gangs and Lords of Crime in Jacktown?

Anonymous said...

How much money did this cost the tax payers to find out something that everyone already knows.

Anonymous said...

Wow...No Shit!

Anonymous said...

The day is coming — and it isn’t far away either — when gangs won’t rule just the prisons but your neighborhood, town, or city.

Anonymous said...

Close Parchman, problem mostly solved - of wait, the legislature is proposing the closure. Let 'em loose, but lock and load.

Anonymous said...

@11:12

so yalls solution to the problem of gangs was to appoint your own gang leader lol ?

Cool Hand Luke said...

Bring back the chain gangs.

Anonymous said...

Burl Cain said he has eliminated gangs from pri, is he lieing? Where is all of the money going to for MDOC? So the 100's of inmates that he made Chaplin's is BS?


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