List of Mississippi state prisons
Encyclopedia
The Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) is a state agency of Mississippi
that operates prisons. It has its headquarters in Jackson
.
became Mississippi's first state prison; it is located where the Capitol of Mississippi currently resides. As a result of the U.S. Civil War, the Jackson prison was destroyed, and the state had no prison. Prisoners were leased to third parties, which held custody of the inmates. After December 31, 1894, prisoners sentenced by the State of Mississippi could no longer be hired or leased by third parties. After the convict leasing system ended, the State of Mississippi began to acquire property to build its own correctional facilities. The state bought the Rankin Farm in Rankin County
, 12 miles (19.3 km) away from Jackson, in 1895. Afterwards the state purchased the Oakley Farm, located in Hinds County
, 25 miles (40.2 km) from Jackson. The state government purchased land in Sunflower County
in January 1901, leading to the establishment of the Parchman Farm (now Mississippi State Penitentiary
).
The Department of Corrections opened in 1976 to oversee the existing Mississippi state prisons.
By 2011 MDOC operated below capacity due to methods used to reduce the prison population, such as increased use of house arrest and conditional medical release. As of 2011 the state prisons are over 2,000 spaces below capacity. With private prisons included, that is about 4,000 beds below capacity.
(CMCF) to be classified according to behavior level and assessed for treatment. The classification process takes around 30 days.
Most Male inmates who are sentenced to MDOC by the courts or who are returned to MDOC as parole violators, probation violators, intensive supervision program (ISP) (house arrest
) violators, earned release supervision (ERS) violators, and suspension violators are placed at R&C. All women inmates who are sentenced to MDOC by the courts or who are returned to MDOC as parole violators, probation violators, ISP violators, ERS violators, and suspension violators are placed in 1A or 2B at CMCF. Male death row inmates transferred from county jails immediately go to the Mississippi State Penitentiary
, the location of the male death row.
Each prisoner receives a security classification. The classifications are:
, headquartered in Green Tree, Pennsylvania
, near Pittsburgh
. Wexford provides medical services to inmates at state-operated facilities. Each privately-operated facility has its own contracted medical services provider.
Wexford was awarded the $95 million MDOC contract in 2006. Previously MDOC contracted with Correctional Medical Services
(CMS), headquartered in Creve Coeur, Missouri
, near St. Louis
. CMS's contract was scheduled to begin on July 1, 2003.
program.
. Male death row offenders are housed in the Mississippi State Penitentiary, while female death row offenders are housed in the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility
.
s:
Reception and Classification Center inmates wear yellow jumpsuits. Condemned prisoners are required to wear red jumpsuits.
, the state prison system of New Jersey
, established the "Be Smart Choose Freedom" television advertisement campaign in 2005. The State of New Jersey produced 30-60 second public service announcement
s to warn state residents against going to prison. MDOC decided to start its own "Be Smart Choose Freedom" campaign and use the commercials that aired in New Jersey.
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
that operates prisons. It has its headquarters in Jackson
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
.
History
In 1843 a penitentiary in four city squares in central JacksonJackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
became Mississippi's first state prison; it is located where the Capitol of Mississippi currently resides. As a result of the U.S. Civil War, the Jackson prison was destroyed, and the state had no prison. Prisoners were leased to third parties, which held custody of the inmates. After December 31, 1894, prisoners sentenced by the State of Mississippi could no longer be hired or leased by third parties. After the convict leasing system ended, the State of Mississippi began to acquire property to build its own correctional facilities. The state bought the Rankin Farm in Rankin County
Rankin County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 115,327 people, 42,089 households, and 31,145 families residing in the county. The population density was 149 people per square mile . There were 45,070 housing units at an average density of 58 per square mile...
, 12 miles (19.3 km) away from Jackson, in 1895. Afterwards the state purchased the Oakley Farm, located in Hinds County
Hinds County, Mississippi
As of the census of 2000, there were 250,800 people, 91,030 households, and 62,355 families residing in the county. The population density was 288 people per square mile . There were 100,287 housing units at an average density of 115 per square mile...
, 25 miles (40.2 km) from Jackson. The state government purchased land in Sunflower County
Sunflower County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 34,369 people, 9,637 households, and 7,314 families residing in the county. The population density was 50 people per square mile . There were 10,338 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile...
in January 1901, leading to the establishment of the Parchman Farm (now Mississippi State Penitentiary
Mississippi State Penitentiary
Mississippi State Penitentiary , also known as Parchman Farm, is the oldest prison and the only maximum security prison for men in the state of Mississippi, USA....
).
The Department of Corrections opened in 1976 to oversee the existing Mississippi state prisons.
By 2011 MDOC operated below capacity due to methods used to reduce the prison population, such as increased use of house arrest and conditional medical release. As of 2011 the state prisons are over 2,000 spaces below capacity. With private prisons included, that is about 4,000 beds below capacity.
Divisions
- Division of Institutions: Operates prisons
- Agricultural Enterprises: Oversees agricultural operations at the Mississippi State PenitentiaryMississippi State PenitentiaryMississippi State Penitentiary , also known as Parchman Farm, is the oldest prison and the only maximum security prison for men in the state of Mississippi, USA....
(MSP) and South Mississippi Correctional InstitutionSouth Mississippi Correctional InstitutionSouth Mississippi Correctional Institution is a Mississippi Department of Corrections prison for men located in unincorporated Greene County, near Leakesville...
(SMCI). The majority of MDOC's farming occurs at MSP. - Division of Classification & Offender Services: Assigns prisoners to security classifications
- Agricultural Enterprises: Oversees agricultural operations at the Mississippi State Penitentiary
- Community Corrections Division: Supervises parole and probation
Operations
Before going to their assigned facilities and after their transfer from county jails, most prison inmates are sent to the Reception & Classification Center (R&C) in the Central Mississippi Correctional FacilityCentral Mississippi Correctional Facility
The Central Mississippi Correctional Facility is a Mississippi Department of Corrections prison for men and women located in unincorporated Rankin County, Mississippi, near Pearl. The prison is the only state prison to hold female prisoners in Mississippi, in addition to minimum and medium...
(CMCF) to be classified according to behavior level and assessed for treatment. The classification process takes around 30 days.
Most Male inmates who are sentenced to MDOC by the courts or who are returned to MDOC as parole violators, probation violators, intensive supervision program (ISP) (house arrest
House arrest
In justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...
) violators, earned release supervision (ERS) violators, and suspension violators are placed at R&C. All women inmates who are sentenced to MDOC by the courts or who are returned to MDOC as parole violators, probation violators, ISP violators, ERS violators, and suspension violators are placed in 1A or 2B at CMCF. Male death row inmates transferred from county jails immediately go to the Mississippi State Penitentiary
Mississippi State Penitentiary
Mississippi State Penitentiary , also known as Parchman Farm, is the oldest prison and the only maximum security prison for men in the state of Mississippi, USA....
, the location of the male death row.
Each prisoner receives a security classification. The classifications are:
- Minimum (Community)
- Minimum (Non-Community)
- Medium
- Close
- Death RowDeath rowDeath row signifies the place, often a section of a prison, that houses individuals awaiting execution. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of awaiting execution , even in places where no special facility or separate unit for condemned inmates exists.After individuals are found...
Health care
MDOC contracts with Wexford Health Sources, Inc.Wexford Health Sources
Wexford Health Sources, Inc. is a healthcare services company headquartered in Foster Plaza Two in Green Tree, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh.The Mississippi Department of Corrections contracts with Wexford, and Wexford provides medical services to inmates at state-operated facilities...
, headquartered in Green Tree, Pennsylvania
Green Tree, Pennsylvania
Green Tree is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and a suburb of Pittsburgh. The population was 4,432 at the 2010 census.The town is the birthplace of U.S...
, near Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. Wexford provides medical services to inmates at state-operated facilities. Each privately-operated facility has its own contracted medical services provider.
Wexford was awarded the $95 million MDOC contract in 2006. Previously MDOC contracted with Correctional Medical Services
Correctional Medical Services
Correctional Medical Services, Inc. is a health care provider headquartered in Creve Coeur, Missouri,The Maine Department of Corrections selected CMS as a party to begin a contract with in early April 2003....
(CMS), headquartered in Creve Coeur, Missouri
Creve Coeur, Missouri
Creve Coeur, derived from French for "heartbreak" , is a second-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in west St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The city derives its name from Creve Coeur Lake, which is shaped like a broken heart. The population was 17,833 at the 2010 census...
, near St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. CMS's contract was scheduled to begin on July 1, 2003.
Intensive Supervision Program
MDOC's Intensive Supervision Program (ISP) is the authority's house arrestHouse arrest
In justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...
program.
Death row
MDOC performs executions at the Mississippi State PenitentiaryMississippi State Penitentiary
Mississippi State Penitentiary , also known as Parchman Farm, is the oldest prison and the only maximum security prison for men in the state of Mississippi, USA....
. Male death row offenders are housed in the Mississippi State Penitentiary, while female death row offenders are housed in the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility
Central Mississippi Correctional Facility
The Central Mississippi Correctional Facility is a Mississippi Department of Corrections prison for men and women located in unincorporated Rankin County, Mississippi, near Pearl. The prison is the only state prison to hold female prisoners in Mississippi, in addition to minimum and medium...
.
Demographics
As of September 1, 2008 the Mississippi Department of Corrections has 26,274 inmates in its custody. 17,677 (67.28%) are Black, 8,269 (31.47%) are White, 236 (.9%) are Hispanic, 43 (.16%) are Asian, 27 (.1%) are Native American, and 22 (.06%) have that data unavailable. Of the 23,692 male inmates, 16,366 (69.08%) are Black, 7,030 (29.67%) are White, 222 (.94%) are Hispanic, 35 (.15%) are Asian, 23 (.1%) are Native American, and 16 (.07%) have that data unavailable. Of the 2,582 female inmates, 1,311 (50.77%) are Black, 1,239 (47.99%) are White, 14 (.54%) are Hispanic, 8 (.31%) are Asian, 4 (.15%) are Native American, and 6 (.23%) have that data unavailable.State prisons
All state prisons are in unincorporated areaUnincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
s:
- Central Mississippi Correctional FacilityCentral Mississippi Correctional FacilityThe Central Mississippi Correctional Facility is a Mississippi Department of Corrections prison for men and women located in unincorporated Rankin County, Mississippi, near Pearl. The prison is the only state prison to hold female prisoners in Mississippi, in addition to minimum and medium...
(Rankin CountyRankin County, Mississippi-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 115,327 people, 42,089 households, and 31,145 families residing in the county. The population density was 149 people per square mile . There were 45,070 housing units at an average density of 58 per square mile...
) - Mississippi State PenitentiaryMississippi State PenitentiaryMississippi State Penitentiary , also known as Parchman Farm, is the oldest prison and the only maximum security prison for men in the state of Mississippi, USA....
(Sunflower CountySunflower County, Mississippi-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 34,369 people, 9,637 households, and 7,314 families residing in the county. The population density was 50 people per square mile . There were 10,338 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile...
, formerly Parchman Farm) - South Mississippi Correctional InstitutionSouth Mississippi Correctional InstitutionSouth Mississippi Correctional Institution is a Mississippi Department of Corrections prison for men located in unincorporated Greene County, near Leakesville...
(Greene CountyGreene County, Mississippi-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 13,299 people, 4,148 households, and 3,152 families residing in the county. The population density was 19 people per square mile . There were 4,947 housing units at an average density of 7 per square mile...
)
Joint county/regional prisons
- Bolivar County Correctional Facility
- Carroll-Montgomery County/Regional Correctional Facility
- George-Greene County/Regional Correctional Facility
- Holmes-Humphreys County/Regional Correctional Facility
- Issaquena County Correctional Facility
- Jefferson-Franklin County/Regional Correctional Facility
- Kemper-Neshoba County/Regional Correctional Facility
- Leake County Correctional Facility
- Marion-Walthall County/Regional Correctional Facility
- Stone County Correctional Facility
- Winston-Choctaw County/Regional Correctional Facility
Private prisons
- Delta Correctional Facility (GreenwoodGreenwood, MississippiGreenwood is a city in and the county seat of Leflore County, Mississippi, United States, located at the eastern edge of the Mississippi Delta approximately 96 miles north of Jackson, Mississippi, and 130 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee. The population was 15,205 at the 2010 census. It is the...
) - Operated by Corrections Corporation of AmericaCorrections Corporation of AmericaCorrections Corporation of America is a company that owns and manages private prisons and detention centers and operates others on a concession basis. The company is the largest private corrections company in the United States and manages more than 60 facilities with a designed capacity of 90,000... - East Mississippi Correctional FacilityEast Mississippi Correctional FacilityEast Mississippi Correctional Facility is a prison for men located in unincorporated Lauderdale County, Mississippi, near Meridian. It is operated by the GEO Group on behalf of the Mississippi Department of Corrections . The East Mississippi Correctional Facility Authority authorizes the facility...
(unincorporatedUnincorporated areaIn law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
Lauderdale CountyLauderdale County, Mississippi-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 78,161 people, 29,990 households, and 20,573 families residing in the county. The population density was 111 people per square mile . There were 33,418 housing units at an average density of 48 per square mile...
) - Operated by GEO GroupGEO GroupThe GEO Group, Inc. is a company headquartered in One Park Place, Boca Raton, Florida. GEO is a multi-national provider of governmental services specializing in the management of correctional, detention and mental health and residential treatment in North America, Australia, South Africa and the...
- East Mississippi is the state's main "special needs" facility.
- Marshall County Correctional Facility
- Tallahatchie County Correctional FacilityTallahatchie County Correctional FacilityTallahatchie County Correctional Facility is a private prison for men, authorized by the Tallahatchie County Correctional Authority and operated by the Corrections Corporation of America on behalf of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. The facility is located in unincorporated Tallahatchie...
(unincorporated Tallahatchie CountyTallahatchie County, Mississippi-National protected areas:*Coldwater River National Wildlife Refuge *Tallahatchie National Wildlife Refuge -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 14,903 people, 5,263 households, and 3,826 families residing in the county. The population density was 23 people per square mile...
) - Operated by Corrections Corporation of America - Walnut Grove Youth Correctional FacilityWalnut Grove Youth Correctional FacilityWalnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility is a private prison for men operated by GEO Group on behalf of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, located in Walnut Grove, Mississippi. The prison houses juvenile prisoners who had been convicted of felonies and sentenced as adults...
(Walnut GroveWalnut Grove, MississippiWalnut Grove is a town in Leake County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 488 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Walnut Grove is located at ....
) - Operated by GEO GroupGEO GroupThe GEO Group, Inc. is a company headquartered in One Park Place, Boca Raton, Florida. GEO is a multi-national provider of governmental services specializing in the management of correctional, detention and mental health and residential treatment in North America, Australia, South Africa and the... - Wilkinson County Correctional Center
Prisoner rules
Men may have hair that is not more than 3 inches (76.2 mm) in length. Men may have beards and goatees up to 0.5 inches (12.7 mm) in length.Prisoner uniforms
Most prisoner outfits are striped. As of 1997, green stripes indicate lower security prisoners, black stripes indicate prisoners with a level higher than the ones with green stripes, and red stripes indicate high security prisoners.Reception and Classification Center inmates wear yellow jumpsuits. Condemned prisoners are required to wear red jumpsuits.
Fallen officers
Since the establishment of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, 6 officers have died in the line of duty.Media campaigns
The New Jersey Department of CorrectionsNew Jersey Department of Corrections
The New Jersey Department of Corrections is responsible for operations and management of prison facilities in the U.S. state of New Jersey...
, the state prison system of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, established the "Be Smart Choose Freedom" television advertisement campaign in 2005. The State of New Jersey produced 30-60 second public service announcement
Public service announcement
A public service announcement or public service ad is a type of advertisement featured on television, radio, print or other media...
s to warn state residents against going to prison. MDOC decided to start its own "Be Smart Choose Freedom" campaign and use the commercials that aired in New Jersey.
See also
- List of law enforcement agencies in Mississippi
- List of United States state correction agencies
- List of U.S. state prisons
- PrisonPrisonA prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...