JACKSON — Mississippi Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps has taken action to prevent further violence at the maximum security Unit 32 at the state prison at Parchman, but is it enough?
Gang leaders and the severely mentally ill prisoners were ordered transferred to other institutions last week after one inmate was stabbed to death — about a week after a .380 caliber semi-auto pistol was discovered in a cell. Other handmade weapons were found after a search of the unit, Epps said.
Among other changes at the notorious unit — home to death row and many of the state’s most violent offenders — were continuing indefinite lockdown and suspending exercise periods and visitation, except for attorney-client consultations.
Epps has also ordered future changes, including the “hardening” of cells by replacing bars with metal doors to prevent inmates from throwing things at corrections officers and other inmates, strengthening exercise pens and installing a new metal detector, with an emphasis placed on video surveillance and intelligence gathering.
Unit 32 has been the subject of lawsuits by the American Civil Liberties Union, which has called the unit that houses about 1,000 inmates an “inhumane” place.
“Sometimes I think the public is led to believe that these convicted felons are innocent victims,” Epps, a former prison guard himself, has said. “But, I know the taxpayers of Mississippi are smarter than that.” And he’s right. These are the absolute worst of the locked-up criminals that Mississippi has to offer. But, the ACLU has a point, as well, as hard as it may be for some to fathom.
First, as inhumane as may be some of the inmates housed in Unit 32, civilized society cannot sink to the same level. The ACLU is right that the mentally ill must have treatment and conditions must not constitute torture. Unit 32 is no picnic, for inmates or the guards who watch them.
That said, Mississippi must also be prepared to pay for housing inmates, if its “lock-’em-up-and throw-away-the-key” mentality prevails - especially the “85 percent rule” that mandates stiff terms for even small fry drug offenders to cram the prisons and spiral costs. We’ve tried “tough on crime” by housing ever more people, but haven’t tried “smart on crime” by offering more alternatives to warehousing prisoners and spending more where it can do the most good. As House Corrections Committee Vice Chairman John Mayo, D-Clarksdale, has said about Unit 32: “I believe we’re going to have to pay the correctional officers combat pay for working in 32, rotate them out more often, and provide them with better ’psychological’ training.”
Editorials
Unit 32: Tax money is not being properly spent
- Editorials
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Escalating cost of higher ed a problem
By The Greenwood Commonwealth:
Here are some distressing figures for people paying for a college education at one of Mississippi’s public universities: Inflation has increased by 28 percent over the last decade. But the average full-time tuition at Mississippi’s universities is up by a whopping 65 percent over the same time period. -
Seat belt laws should be enforceable
By The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune:
The Legislature is close to fixing ambiguity in Louisiana’s seat belt laws that has prompted some judges to throw out tickets issued to SUV drivers or occupants. Lawmakers are close to fixing Louisiana seatbelt laws so tickets to SUV drivers are held up in court. -
Danger from disrespectful remarks depends on their source
By The (Jackson) Clarion-Ledger:
North Carolina’s governor took a shot at Mississippi recently on the heels of what she saw as an embarrassing victory at the polls of a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman in her state. -
Life not same after Katrina
By The (Baton Rouge, La.) Advocate:
In the 200th anniversary year of Louisiana’s statehood, we are in a significant era of change for the Bayou State: the post-Katrina era. ... -
New laws affect everyday life
People in Mississippi will be able to buy stronger beer and get quicker access to marriage licenses. Residents might have to show a photo ID before voting. Students will pay more to earn a university degree.
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ATV regs needed to curb deaths
By The (Biloxi) Sun Herald: In March, a 13-year-old operating an ATV with three other children aboard drove it onto a road in Lee County where it collided with a truck. One of the four children on the all-terrain vehicle, a 2-year-old girl, was killed.
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How will Reeves use his power?
By The (McComb) Enterprise-Journal:
Mississippi Republicans spoke of how much they accomplished during the recent legislative session. For the most part, that’s true. But there’s one area where they’re far apart — $125 million, to be exact — and that is how much money the state should borrow during the coming year. -
Bill limiting AG’s power court bound
By The (Tupelo) Northeast Miss Daily Journal
Gov. Phil Bryant is almost certain to sign a bill intended to crimp the attorney general’s power to hire outside counsel — private-sector lawyers — to handle litigation on the state’s behalf on a fee contingency basis (a share of any money damages awarded the state). -
Youth too fat, too uneducated to serve nation
By The (Pascagoula) Mississippi Press: Most young people in Mississippi are too uneducated and/or too fat to serve their country in the armed forces, according to Mission: Readiness, a group of more than 300 retired generals and admirals.
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Profiting from good policy is still corruption
By The (Baton Rouge) Advocate: Although his lawyers are considering a long-shot appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, one of Louisiana’s most prominent former public officials is heading for prison. Former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, was ordered to begin serving a 13-year bribery sentence by a judge in Alexandria, Va.
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