The Mississippi Department of Corrections has had dozens of deaths inside its prisons. So far, more than 60 people inside have died since December of last year, and nobody seems to be as concerned as they should.
People locked inside are taking drastic measures.
The Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman recently made headlines for all of the abuse and neglect people suffer inside. It’s gotten so bad, people are threatening self-harm and setting fires just to get help!
That’s not the only way they’re being tortured.
People are denied food or given food that’s undercooked, covered in rat feces, or has bugs. The treatment of the people imprisoned there is less than human. The disaster got so bad, it caught the attention of rappers Jay-Z and Yo Gotti.
Things still are getting even worse – thanks to another issue.
The pandemic is making a disgusting situation even more tortuous. Keep in mind that Parchman Prison was modeled after a slave plantation. It represents everything that shows how twisted the US prison system is and how white supremacy shaped it. This explains the neglect.
Parchman Prison and others in Mississippi show why we have to fight against the idea that prisons are helping us. Locking a bunch of Black people in a dilapidated facility and torturing them is NOT rehabilitating anyone OR serving our community! We can do better than this.