Photo credit – Lester Cohen/Getty Images for NARAS
Team Roc, the philanthropic division of Roc Nation, has released graphic video footage depicting the inhumane conditions within Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman.
The footage is to be included within the lawsuit filed by Team Roc and Yo Gotti earlier this month on behalf of inmates within the prison system, we covered the story. The lawsuit comes after five recent inmate deaths in three different Mississippi state prisons. The deaths were allegedly attributed to the prisons being underfunded and understaffed.
Photos and videos depict injured prisoners, fights, as well as the dirt and grime filled cells- including black mold, contaminated water, and eroded facilities. Gotti and Team Roc have moved to add these photos as evidence to an emergency protective order filed in federal court on behalf of the inmates.
While Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves previously released a statement attributing the violence to the use of contraband phones, it is now clear that inmates are using these phones to their advantage to receive help and improve conditions.
Take a look at the conditions Mississippi inmates are currently living in: