Pressure on Prisons - Timeline

Since December 29, 2019, 18 inmates have died in the Mississippi Prison System.

At 6 on wtva 9 news ."

((intro music)) since late december 18 inmates have died in state prisons across mississippi.

That was only 7 weeks ago.

So tonight we kick off a weekly series -- diving deep into our prisons.

From the climbing inmate death toll, to underfunding, understaffing, overpopulation, gang violence, lawsuits and the horrendous living conditions, we'll break it all down.

And that's a lot to break down.

It started on december 29th.

Terrandance dobbins died in what the mississippi department of corrections called a major disturbance at the south mississippi correntional institution.

Two days later mdoc commissioner pelicia hall announced she was leaving the agency in mid january.

The next day new year's day a fight broke out in unit 29 at parchman.

25 year old walter gates died after someone stabbed him several times.

On january 2nd - two more inmates died in fights.

26 year old gregory emary died during a gang fight in chickasaw county.

32 year old roosevelt holliman died from multiple stabwounds during a gang riot in unit 29 at parchman.

The next day 36 year old dennoris howell died after a fight in his cell at parchman.

Howell died from neck injuries.

On january 4th - two inmates escape from parchman.

42 year old david may and 27 year old dillion williams. may was captured on the 5th.

Williams was captured on the 6th.

Then on january 8th - 42 year old a-d mills a parchman inmate died of natural causes at a hospital in clarksdale.

Five days later jerry williams -- the second in command at the department of corrections said he was retiring.

Soon after mississippi got a new governor.

Tate reeves was sworn into office on january 14th.

That same day jay z and yo gotti filed a lawsuit.

They claimed inmates are dying because the state failed to fund its prisons.

Two days later governor reeves named tommy taylor as the interim commissioner of mdoc.

But more deaths keep happening.

On january 18 31 year old gabriel carmen was found hanging in his cell at parchman.

On january 20 two more parchmkan inmates died.

35 year old timothy hudspeth and 36 year old james talley both died of what appeared to be blunt force injuries after a fight.

On january 22 guards found thomas lee dead in his parchman cell from an apparent suicide.

The next day guards found 26 year old joshua norman dead from an apparent suicide.

That's two men dead -- two days in a row.

On january 25-guards found 38 year old jermaine tyler cold to the touch in the marshall county correctional faciltiy.

On january 28th - 28 year old limarion reaves collapsed when he was talking on the phone with his family.

Reaves later died.

Then another death in marshall county.

52 year old nora ducksworth died of apparent natural causes.

Official cause of death is pending autopsy.

A new month brings a new death to add to the list.

39-year-old jesus garcia died in his wilkinson county cell... prison officials said there were no obvious signs of assault... a few days later on february 10th - m-d-o-c officials confirmed the death of 54-year-old james brown at the hospital at parchman... the county coroner said she did suspect foul play.

Then just last weekend: another death from natural causes.

54-year-old bobby lewis vance died at a jackson hospital on saturday... and then on sunday david lee may was found unresponsive in his cell in parchman.

That name should sound familiar.

May was one of the inmates who escaped back on january 4th.

So that gets us to today.

And where do we go from here?

Over the next several weeks, we'll look at what's happening in and out of the mississippi prison system.

We'll talk about the history of parchman, the conditions, the lawsuits, and we'll talk to former inmates.

Pressure on prisons will air everyday wed night at 6 on wtva 9 news.

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