The lawsuits were dismissed on Jan. 13 after the inmates’ attorneys and the state Department of Corrections said improvements have been made during the past three years, including installing air conditioning in most of the prison, renovating some bathrooms, and updating the electrical, water, and sewer systems.
In April, the U.S. Justice Department issued a report that said Parchman had violated inmates’ constitutional rights. The department said the prison failed to protect inmates from violence, meet their mental health needs, or take adequate steps for suicide prevention, and that the prison had relied too much on prolonged solitary confinement.
The Justice Department spent two years investigating Parchman. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said in April that Mississippi Department of Corrections officials cooperated with the investigation and pledged to resolve problems. Read more
