There are three state prisons facilities in Mississippi: Central Mississippi Correctional Facility (Includes Youthful Offender Unit) 3794 MS Highway 468. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. In an ironic twist, he was held in solitary confinement in a Tennessee correctional facility. At 77 years old, he was the oldest person executed since 1976 and, according to the Espy Files compiled by M. Watt Espy, the oldest person executed in the United States since Joe Lee in Virginia at the age of 83 on April 21, 1916. Last week, Reeves said that some inmates were transferred to nearby facilities through reclassification, the process of moving some inmates to minimum and medium-security prisons. inmate on the Mississippi Department of Corrections website. Four inmates housed in Unit 29 at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman spoke to CBS News in recent days, expressing frustration as they wait to be relocated from the state's oldest prison one of three state facilities at the center of a civil rights investigation by the Justice Department. The Mississippi Department of Corrections places a statewide system lockdown on facilities. A request for inmates' records is commonly referred to as a Penpak and includes such information as convictions, time sheets, indictments, sentencing orders and social admissions. O'Brien also said that such a disorder would not have stopped Nixon from knowing the difference between right and wrong at the time of the murder. " [A] delay of this length greatly reduces the deterrent effect of the death penalty.". They come from a variety of agencies, including law enforcement . Johnson wrote: We ask that you do everything in your power to help Mr. Knight. Between March 4 and July 8, 24 inmates have died in MDOC custody, six of whom were over the age of 65 and seven were chronically or terminally ill and required frequent hospitalizations, some with expensive specialized care. [3], Nixon's lawyers argued that since he was already 77, he would be little danger to society and should be able to live out the rest of his days in prison, where he had been for the last 19 years. All we do is sit in the cell 23 hours a day," another inmate said. Justin is an assistant managing editor at CBS News. 1996 - 2023 NewsHour Productions LLC. He rarely got his mail on time. In 1971, a civil rights lawyer named Roy Haber visited a convict at Parchman who was challenging his conviction. In 2002 and 2003, Winter and the ACLU pursued a series of cases on behalf of the death row inmates in the supermax unit, Unit 32. And Ward's nightmare, that she would lose her uncle to Parchman prison, became reality for Brooks' 19-year-old niece, Gloria Williams. Inmate Telephone. By 1852, A Brief History of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, Office of Communications and Constituent Services, Programs, Re-entry, Education & Vocational Rehabilitation, Many of the older units were closed and several new units were built, Some existing units were renovated The facilities at the penitentiary were required to be closer to each other, Trusty guards were replaced by correctional officers, All forms of corporal punishment were abolished, Inmates rules and regulations were established, Formal disciplinary procedures were adopted, Better contraband control measures were undertaken. Knight was leading a class-action suit against Piper, claiming discrimination of its employees. In 2016, Epps was sentenced to just under 20 years in prison. [3], Nixon was convicted by a jury of capital murder after a three-day trial and sentenced to death on April 2, 1986. Haber represented the inmates in a class action lawsuit against the prison in the now landmark case of Gates v. Collier. He was accused of collecting a $25,000 ransom from Marta's husband, then taking the woman to a wooded area in north Harrison County and shooting her in the back of the head. Why is it still open? The state began to build facilities with real cells and walls, ended the trusty system, and hired professional, often black, guards and administrative staff. The orchard was started at the prison in 2006 as a way to address inmate idleness and to teach inmates a trade skill in the blueberry industry. Inside the prison where inmates set each other on fire and gangs have Here you'll find record collections, history, and genealogy resources to help you trace your Mississippi ancestors. [2], On January 22, 1985, Nixon, his son, Henry Nixon, and Gilbert Jimenez arrived at the home of Thomas and Virginia Tucker. Mississippi Department of Corrections Inmate Search Knight continues to languish in the hospital in Greenville. Tate Reeves vetoed the bill July 8. Some of those records Nixon and his associates fled. InmateAid is a prison directory, an inmate locator & resource for sentencing laws - send your inmate money, letters, books, magazines - discount prison telephone service . You can make somebody work if theyre a prisoner. Convicts, sometimes including children under age 10, were whipped and beaten, underfed, and rarely given medical treatment. He was fired in May 2000. 1A Yard, Max, Female Family House, Post Office, Laundryand Central Kitchen. The Supreme Court in 1997 agreed, ruling life without parole as a sentencing option did not exist until July 1, 1994. Jordan was convicted of capital murder committed in the course of a kidnapping and was sentenced to death on four separate occasions. But Mr. Knight should have been released. Jordan was convicted of capital murder committed in the course of a kidnapping and was sentenced to death on four separate occasions in the case. Although the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility has a lot of rich history, it still houses over 3665 inmates of various custody levels from minimum security to death row. Mississippi State Prison in Parchman, Mississippi, has a long history as a penitentiary. He's also seeking a process to weed out corrupt or gang-affiliated guards. You can easily search for an Already riddled with numerous medical conditions, Knight, who was incarcerated at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman, was diagnosed with stomach cancer in February 2018. ("FCRA"), and does not supply consumer reports. And it features as a haunted setting in Jesmyn Ward's National Award-winning 2017 novel "Sing, Unburied . It is located on approximately 18,000 acres at Parchman in Sunflower County. They had roof problems for a while, and every time it rained, he had to move his bed. Jordan was convicted of capital murder committed in the course of a kidnapping and was sentenced to death on four separate occasions. The death comes less than a week after the Department of Justice announced its Civil Rights Division's Special Litigation Section is launching an investigation into conditions at four Mississippi prisons, including Parchman. Sometimes I think it done changed. Family and Friends of Inmates Corrections Guide . Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Instead, Knight ran into Paul Ferguson, manager of manufacturing, and Thomas Jones IV, a plant management official. The inmates claimed they've encountered three types of guards: ones who are scared, ones who are affiliated with gangs and those who don't take their jobs seriously. They complained of insect and rodent problems. Over 20,000 acres and 46 miles, it was intended to be self-sufficient and profitable for the state, and it was. Using that distinction, they were able to maintain a slave state within the prison. The Supreme Court in 1997 agreed, ruling life without parole as a sentencing option did not exist until July 1, 1994. Corrections is the agency in charge of inmates and facilities, and The Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) re-opened the facility in November 2021 and houses a capacity of 1,496 inmates. Its about 30 miles from where Emmett Till was murdered in 1955, and surrounded by uninhabitable swampland. A provision of the bill would have allowed inmates 65 or older and who have served not less than 10 years of their sentence or sentences to be eligible for parole with exceptions. Pearl, 39208. His wheelchair was held together with wire. The state began leasing the prisoners to wealthy contractors, who would further sublease them to companies. justice system. In the Reconstructionist south, states coffers were empty, prisons destroyed, and their former free labor supply was emancipated. Around 4 a.m. on Nov. 29, the prison chaplain called to say that Stafford Knight had died. I would write to him, and I had subscribed to several magazines for him. As of May 2003, all three state run prisons are ACA accredited., Between 1840 and 1860, there was a shift to the use of prison labor to manufacture course-cotton fabrics, bale rope and hemp, and cotton bagging for mechanical trades. Mississippi Inmate Search Guide. Then, chaos erupted. Mississippi Prisons are also charged with corruption cases from time to time. Betty Knight learned of the shooting by phone from a friend. Parchman holds a unique place in the prison system for reasons other than its age. This was the first major institutional facility to be located away from Parchman. Parchman Farm stayed this way, more or less, for the next 70 years. date, gender, weight, exact location, including their unit and each offense On February 8, 1971, the United States District Court of the Northern District of Mississippi intervened, in the landmark class action suit Gates vs. Collier. In response to an open records request, MDOC said there are 192 state inmates who are 70 years old or older still in custody. The Youthful Offender Unit (YOU) opened on Dec. 12, 2012, as a separate, independent facility to serve individuals under the age of 18. Its like a snake that sheds its skin. I know within my heart, and it hurts to acknowledge, that it was a son of mine and a Spanish friend and another man from Jackson. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. I do not believe Mr. Knight can receive the care he needs at Parchman (or anywhere else in the MDOC system), and I ask that you have him admitted to a hospital or released to his family., Hall responded on June 1: I understand Dr. Perry and Attorney Vincent have already provided an appropriate response. services. Alabama executes Walter Moody, the oldest inmate put to death in the Richard Gerald Jordan - Mississippi Death Row - Crime and Capital Their search tool Fax (601) 394-4897. While there, Haber heard accounts from other inmates and personally witnessed the conditions, which he described as the last legal vestiges of slavery. The plant manager wasnt in. allows you to search by name or ID number. As a society, that sort of vengeful thinking doesnt do us much good. The Mississippi State Penitentiary (MSP) is the state's oldest Institution, opening in 1901. "If I go two weeks without a shower, of course, I'm going to act out.". Walnut Grove is a small town in southern Leake County with a population of 1,675. The 44-year-old is a former inmate at Mississippi's crumbling state penitentiary at Parchman, part of a sprawling, century-old prison farm complex in the north of the state. The pride of Mississippi, however, is the Parchman Place, the article read. His family remains prepared to take over the effort and expense of caring for Mr. Knight., Perry responded five days later: There is adamant objection to conditional medical release for Mr. Knight. He went to tank school, officers candidate school, airborne school and ranger training.. In recent years, the state Legislature has squabbled over the continuing financial drain of incarcerating ill and aging inmates. Phone: (601) 932-2880. Former Army National Guard officer Edward Stafford Knight went away for life in prison in August 2001. I can only imagine what this must have cost the State of Mississippi. Located about 100 miles south of Memphis in the Mississippi River Delta, the birthplace of the blues, Mississippi State Prison in Parchman, Mississippi, has become as much a historical landmark as it is a penitentiary. Most of the inmates are at Parchman, which opened in 1901 and is the states oldest prison. Despite his familys pleas to let them take him home and pay for his care, the Mississippi Department of Corrections chose to let state taxpayers foot the more than $200,000 for his surgery and additional medical bills. Senate Bill 2123, called the Mississippi Correctional Safety and Rehabilitation Act of 2020, has passed the Legislature and made its way to the governors desk. CMCF is the first stop for individuals sentenced to the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC). The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Jesmyn Ward on the moment in Sing, Unburied, Sing that changes her character forever, Persist. Inmate Information - MS Mississippi Department of State prisoners were immediately moved to these sites. Some may also include the Inmates are assigned to the Greene County Road Crew and a mobile work crew. The Mississippi State Penitentiary (MSP) is the state's oldest penal institution. they provide inmate records as a search on their website. When I met him in 1961, he was with an airborne ranger unit in Alabama, Betty Knight says. Left: employee screening. person's weight, height, hair and eye color, scars, tattoos, defining marks, Using that distinction, they were able to maintain a slave state within the prison, Haber said. There are six state prisons in Mississippi. In 1911, The New York Times ran a sprawling spread in the Sunday edition which heaped praise on the prison. He is also the longest serving death row inmate at 37 years. Mr. Knight needs to eat 6-8 small meals each day, and he cannot eat dairy or milk-based products. The authorized capacity is 1,000 beds for medium custody adult male inmates. In 1961, Freedom Riders took a stand against segregation in the American South by . It offers a wide range of programs to include academic classes, vocational programs, mental health counseling, psychological and psychiatric services in a group and individual basis, alcohol and drug treatment, social services, religious and recreational services. Mississippi has three state It is located on approximately 18,000 acres at Parchman in Sunflower County. "These deaths are a direct result of Mississippi's utter disregard for the people it has incarcerated and their constitutional rights. Mississippi inmate records serve Some were legitimate, but many more were fabricated or embellished. Scroll below for information on each facility: Location: 3794 Highway 468Pearl, MS 39208(601) 932-2880Superintendent's Fax (601) 664-0782Records Dept. In a federal court, after an appeal by Nixon, the state prosecutors admitted that it could not ethically use the statutory rape charge as evidence of a prior violent felony, but the court held that error was harmless, as the jury found two other aggravating circumstances in the penalty phase. Reach him at: justin@cbsnews.com. [1] Nixon's record was surpassed by Walter Moody, who was executed on April 19, 2018, at the age of 83. In 1904, Mississippi elected a new governor James Kimble Vardaman who aimed to reform the system, in part to benefit the lower-class whites. In the 18 years he was there, I think I missed going five times, she says. inmates' names, ID, location, term, and offense. They couldnt understand why they would want to go against their own race and support us, Liggins, who is black, said. In 1901, four stockades were built at Parchman and state prisoners were moved there to begin clearing efforts for cultivation of crops at the sprawling delta farm. I couldnt believe it. SMCI sits on 360 acres at Leakesville in Greene County. They accused him of not doing his work when they gave him more to do than three people could handle, Betty Knight says. Female prisoners sewing at Parchman Penitentiary in the 1930s. Alabama executes Walter Moody, the oldest inmate put to death in the Hed battled the ACLU through the various lawsuits and ultimately elected to spearhead the changes to the penal system. He was accused of collecting a $25,000 ransom from Marta's husband, then taking the woman to a wooded area in north Harrison County and shooting her in the back of the head. Natchez was founded in 1716 and is the oldest city on the Mississippi River. Additionally, unlike the other two state prisons, MSP hasits own hospital. At 68, Richard Gerald Jordan is the oldest inmate on Mississippi's death row. Key Issues of Gates vs. Collier included: In 1972, Federal Judge William Keady ordered the state to devise a plan to remedy the situation at Parchman. RELATED: Justice Department launches probe into deadly conditions at 4 Mississippi prisons, The lawsuit claims: "The conditions of confinement at Parchman are so barbaric, the deprivation of health and mental health care so extreme, and the defects in security so severe, that the people confined at Parchman live a miserable and hopeless existence, confronted daily by imminent risk of substantial harm in violation of their rights under the U.S. Constitution.. Hed been carrying a gun since he started there.. Sending Mail to an Inmate . But in 2014, Epps was indicted on federal charges of bribery and kickbacks. Gov. Bacon.. The facility was expanded in 1996 and now includes 18 housing units and 10 support buildings to accommodate its current capacity of 4,131 offenders. The latest death at Parchman came on the same day Mississippi Gov. The program was designed to help offenders locate employment and also provide information regarding applications, interviews and successful workplace habits. It has 2,542 beds, 52 support buildings and seven different housing units, ranging in size from 56 beds at Unit 42, which is the hospital, to 856 beds at Unit 30. Mississippi State Prisons | StateRecords.org Jordan argued his attorneys at the 1988 sentencing didn't do a good job of protecting his rights. A 54-year-old inmate died this week at Mississippi's most notorious penitentiary, the 16th prisoner since late December to perish in the state's correctional facilities . When I thought about prison, thats the prison that came to mind, she said. The couples two grown sons often accompanied her. Asked to respond to the description of the prisons conditions, its medical care and the refusal to release Knight to his family, MDOC replied via email: Our primary mission at the Mississippi Department of Corrections is to ensure public safety while providing for our inmates well-being as they serve out their sentences. The initial capacity was 667. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. ", "I don't understand. Ferguson died of a bullet wound to the chest. Five prisoners that the NewsHour spoke with, along with attorneys from the Southern Poverty Law Center, say there are few educational or rehabilitative programs. We don't do anything now. Youthful offenders are housed in a separate facility. SMCI provides free inmate labor to Greene County and adjacent municipalities and assists other state agencies. A maximum security unit with a guard tower, fences, and gates housed individual cells, a gas chamber for executions, and a solitary confinement wing. Katrina Cooper-Robinson, Associate Warden. It's really no way to stop the rats.". Humphries reported on January 24, 1867, that the penitentiary had been leased under a $100,000 bond to J. W. Young and Company for 14 years. We needed temporary housing to get inmates out of the environment as we work toward a longer-term solution," Reeves said in a news conference this week. Health care is contracted throughVitalCore Health Strategies, which provides medical servicestwenty-four hours a day. Stafford and Betty Knight married in 1963 and had two sons. It has 2,542 beds, 52 support buildings and seven different housing units, ranging in size from 56 beds at Unit 42, which is the hospital, to 856 beds at Unit 30. The prosecutor refused. Holding aging, ill inmates in prison costly to Mississippi, By Billy Watkins Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting, Mississippi passes bill restricting electric ca, Council hears details on parks, paving bonds, Ex-wrestler pleads guilty again in Mississippi , Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting, MASSEY, Raymond Sep 4, 1939 - Mar 3, 2023, BARLOW, Margaret Aug 7, 1928 - Mar 1, 2023, WEATHERSBY, Minnie Aug 17, 1963 - Feb 27, 2023, HOPKINS, Amanda Jun 9, 1971 - Mar 1, 2023, Students celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday at MCM-Meridian, Police Department presents camera proposal, Southeast's size proves too much for Magee, Meridian High School sports complex construction to begin this summer, Council seeks more info on 22nd Ave bridge fix, Severe weather threat to reach Meridian Friday, No bond for Mississippi pastor accused of sexual battery, Mississippi passes bill restricting electric car dealerships, West Lauderdale trounces Enterprise on the road. Hannah Grabenstein. It was awful. Other than alcohol and drug education, the classes and groups cover relapse prevention, coping skills, life skills/re-entry and post release, interview skills, anger and stress management, depression management, anxiety management, communication, and relationship skills. similar to local jails to hold pretrial inmates and those serving short For many, TVs were their only real source of information. Featured Mississippi collections. Since returning from UMMC following his surgery, Mr. Knight has not received the diet ordered by Dr. Helling. Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman (1901 - ) - BlackPast.org He didnt go there to shoot anybody. . The couple talked on the phone every other day. It provides initial orientation and classification. He was in the same room twice with people who died. ", "That place is uninhabitable. The staffing crisis forces state facilities to frequently go on lockdown, leaving inmates in their cells for nearly 24-hours a day, the inmates and former guard said. The deal's already been made. And Ill say this: If someone treated a dog or a cat like Parchman treated my husband, they would be in jail for it.. Courtesy of the Archives and Records Services Division, Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Born in Midnight in Humphreys County, Mississippi, he was executed in 2005 by the U.S. state of Mississippi. one inmate told CBS News. He just lost it for a minute. Mr. Knight's family visited him this past weekend, and they report that he currently weighs 113 pounds., A final plea for Knights release was made on Oct. 29 in an email to Perry, Hall and Vincent: Mr.
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