This text is a part of a collaborative investigation into Mississippi’s Lethal Prisons.
The Mississippi Division of Corrections will evaluation greater than two dozen unprosecuted homicides inside its prisons, in addition to deaths the place causes had been dominated as “undetermined,” following an investigation by a number of information websites, together with The Marshall Venture – Jackson and Mississippi In the present day.
“All of the deaths that we’ve had since 2015, we’re going again to revisit,” Corrections Commissioner Burl Cain advised the reporting workforce. “There isn’t a statute of limitations, as , on murder.”
Cain’s feedback observe an investigation by a workforce of Mississippi reporters that exposed at the very least 43 folks died by murder inside Mississippi prisons since 2015. Complete homicide convictions in these instances? Eight, together with two responsible pleas that got here after the information tales had been revealed.
The jail murder investigation concerned reporters and editors from The Marshall Venture – Jackson, Mississippi In the present day, The Clarion Ledger, Hattiesburg American and The Mississippi Hyperlink.
A prisoner advocacy group stated revisiting previous homicides received’t tackle the important thing causes for the deaths within the first place — persistent understaffing of safety officers.
Revisiting previous homicides is “type of closing the door after the horse has left the barn,” stated David Fathi, director of the ACLU Nationwide Jail Venture. “What the commissioner additionally must do is determine why that is occurring and what to do to cease it.”
Deaths formally categorized as homicides this yr seem to have reached their highest stage since 2020, when a gang struggle pushed that yr’s whole to at the very least 9 killings.
Forty-one-year-old Aaron Harrison grew to become the sixth individual killed in a state jail this yr when he died on July 3. A medical expert later dominated that Harrison, incarcerated at East Mississippi Correctional Facility, was killed by blunt power trauma.
A nurse practitioner on the jail seen bruising on Harrison whereas treating him for a potential drug overdose earlier than he died, in accordance with an incident report obtained by the information reporting workforce. Court docket data present that nobody has been charged in Harrison’s dying, however it’s not uncommon for murder investigations to take as much as a yr.
State Rep. Becky Currie, who chairs the Home Corrections Committee, requested a legislative committee final month — because the reporting workforce was about to publish its investigation — to look into all jail deaths for the previous 5 years.
The Joint Legislative Committee on Efficiency Analysis and Expenditure Evaluate analyzes state company applications and operations and may difficulty suggestions.
Even with current deaths, she’s discovered that little data is shared with the households, the general public and lawmakers when an incarcerated individual dies.
“How are you going to say you will maintain folks secure if you do not know what they’re dying of?” Currie requested.
Inner Investigations
The corrections division has its personal prison investigations unit and may refer instances to county prosecutors for additional motion.
Cain stated the company’s Prison Investigations Division is now inspecting every dying that was not referred to a district legal professional’s workplace. About 25 folks work for CID, which has been rebuilt since he took over corrections in 2020, he stated.
“We’ve introduced much more professionalism,” Cain stated.
Every jail has an investigator who can reply rapidly, and extra investigators work out of the central workplace than earlier than, he stated. “That means we will maintain the integrity and know what’s happening.”
He in contrast the investigators’ work on these homicides to engaged on chilly instances. “They’re in search of solutions.”
“We’re going again to go to all that to make sure that we haven’t left any stone unturned,” Cain stated. “Each crime that’s dedicated within the jail, regardless of how small,” shall be referred to a county prosecutor. “If he desires to throw it within the trash and never prosecute, that’s as much as him.”
Prior to now decade, prosecutors indicted folks in 16 of the 43 homicides, with eight responsible pleas. One case was dropped as a result of the accused individual died by suicide earlier than his day in courtroom. One other was dropped in mild of proof that supported the accused individual’s declare of self-defense. The remaining six indictments, handed up between 2022 and June 2025, are pending trial.
The commissioner shared related feedback throughout a Sept. 24 legislative price range listening to, however lawmakers didn’t ask him follow-up questions concerning the investigations. Amongst these in attendance had been Home Speaker Jason White and Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann.
When reached by the reporting workforce, the workplaces of Hosemann and White, together with the state auditor’s workplace, declined to remark.
The state Senate Corrections Committee chairman, Sen. Juan Barnett, didn’t reply to requests for remark concerning the workforce’s findings and Cain’s remarks.
Along with the 43 homicides, one other 21 prisoner deaths since 2015 have been dominated “undetermined” by the state medical expert’s workplace. Meaning medical experts weren’t capable of come to a conclusive reply about how an individual died. An undetermined dying may very well be a murder, suicide, unintended, or a pure dying.
For instance, Richard Weems’ 2022 dying was dominated undetermined, however medical experts famous his physique confirmed indicators of blunt power trauma. An incarcerated individual advised the Mississippi Free Press in 2023 that he noticed Weems being crushed.
Requested if MDOC deliberate to evaluation deaths marked as undetermined, Cain replied, “We’re going to take a look at all of them.”
Cain stated jail safety has been improved in recent times with extra video cameras, six narcotic detection canine, a drone detecting system and enhanced video on the prisons’ fences to cease medication from being thrown over or dropped by drones. Based on the U.S. Division of Justice, the abundance of unlawful medication in MDOC amenities has led to extortion and violence, the division’s 2024 investigation discovered.
Staffing Shortages Result in Violence, Advocates Say
One of many key issues the information investigation recognized is the persistent understaffing that leaves incarcerated folks susceptible to violence.
Fathi known as the staffing ranges in Mississippi prisons “a five-alarm emergency.”
Corrections spokesperson Kate Head stated in an announcement that staffing “is central to security and safety.” The division continues to deal with the shortages and strengthen workers accountability, she advised the information workforce.
Since Cain took the helm in 2020, the beginning wage for a correctional officer elevated by about $13,000, starting at $40,392. Nonetheless, it’s laborious to rent and retain workers for such harmful jobs.
About 30% of the funded corrections officer positions had been vacant, Deputy Commissioner Nathan Blevins advised lawmakers on the price range listening to in September.
“No jail can function safely with that sort of staffing,” Fathi stated, “It’s not secure for the incarcerated folks, it’s not secure for the workers… it’s not secure for anyone.”
Homicides within the prisons usually occurred when corrections officers weren’t watching.
For example, Ronnie Graham was killed at Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Rankin County in 2021, however his battered physique was not found by a corrections officer for at the very least 5 hours. In one other case, Jonathan Havard was strangled to dying earlier this yr at Wilkinson County Correctional Facility. Nonetheless, his physique was solely found after an unidentified mother or father known as to inform the jail officers that he had been killed, in accordance with jail data.
Compounding the staffing issues is the rising jail inhabitants. Since December 2021, the variety of state prisoners has elevated from about 16,800 to 19,300, returning to pre-pandemic ranges. Cain stated the rise is basically resulting from excessive charges of recidivism.
About 47% of individuals launched in fiscal yr 2021 returned to jail inside three years, in accordance with state corrections information.
“If we do a greater job of getting them employable, then that’s the entire key to recidivism and never coming again,” Cain stated within the legislative listening to. “Recidivism is killing us.”
Cain’s promise of recent investigations into unsolved homicides sparked hope for a mom who misplaced a son.
Janice Wilkins, the mom of Denorris Howell, who was killed within the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman in 2020, stated she is grateful that her son’s case shall be reviewed.
“It means an entire lot to me,” she stated. “As soon as they evaluation all the things, they need to transfer ahead.”
