A recent Department of Justice report has revealed that three prisons in Mississippi, which collectively house approximately 7,200 individuals, are under the control of gangs and plagued by pervasive violence.
This situation represents a significant breach of the constitutional rights of the incarcerated population across all three facilities.
Prolonged Violence and Gang Control in Mississippi Prisons
According to the report, instances of violence, gang dominance, and contraband trafficking have persisted within the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility, South Mississippi Correctional Institution, and Wilkinson County Correctional Facility for an extended period.
Investigators have determined that the Mississippi Department of Corrections has failed in its duty to safeguard inmates from physical harm and adequately supervise their confinement.
Furthermore, the report, released on Wednesday, highlights the department’s reliance on solitary confinement as a response, which has only exacerbated the harm experienced by inmates.
The prisons suffer from severe understaffing, leading to a situation where gangs exert significant influence over prison life, resulting in widespread proliferation of contraband and violence, including instances of sexual violence.
According to the Chief CID investigator at Central Mississippi, it is estimated that between 20% and 40% of the prison population at Central Mississippi has affiliations with gangs.
Failure to Act: Mississippi Corrections and Prison Violence
Despite being aware of the widespread violence within the Central Mississippi, South Mississippi, and Wilkinson facilities, the Mississippi Department of Corrections fails to implement reasonable measures to mitigate this issue, as stated in the report.
According to the report, incidents of assaults and violence are frequent occurrences within these facilities. For instance, the Central Mississippi facility documented an assault nearly every other day over a span of almost two years.
Similarly, South Mississippi reported nearly 100 assaults or fights between June 2020 and June 2022, with approximately 40 resulting in outside hospitalization.
Furthermore, due to ongoing violence, most inmates at Wilkinson prison are confined to their cells for 23 hours a day.
The report provides detailed accounts of numerous incidents of unchecked violence, such as a gang altercation involving 34 inmates at Central Mississippi, who employed makeshift weapons like broomsticks, crutches, shanks, and even a microwave.
Additionally, instances of inmates repeatedly punching victims, using mop and broom handles for beatings, and employing shanks and other homemade weapons for stabbings were documented.
Moreover, the report highlights various incidents of sexual violence, often occurring without intervention from security or correctional staff.