UPDATE: As of August 30, 2018, two more prisoners have died. The governor has called for an investigation. We are monitoring this situation very closely.
Twelve people have died this month under the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. According to reports, five prisoners died at Central Mississippi Correction Facility, three died at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman, three died at South Mississippi Correction Institute, and one died at Wilkinson County Correction Facility. Their names are Albert McGee, Charles R. McCullough, Willie Hollinghead, Robert Joseph, Jack Glisson, Ricky Martin, Lucious Bolton, James Myrick, Nija Bonhomme, John Luttrell, Nicole Rathman, and Troy Pittman. Below is our response to this sudden uptick of disturbing deaths:
"The ACLU of Mississippi is very concerned about the seemingly sudden rash of deaths of persons who are in the custody of the MS Department of Corrections. Our hearts go out to the families of those who have passed away. While reports of these deaths have not provided details as to the causes, we know that certain conditions can pose grave risks to prison health and safety. The ACLU of Mississippi will continue to monitor the situation to ensure health and safety of the incarcerated are a priority."
