Justice Department finds problems with violence, gangs and poor conditions in 3 Mississippi prisons

— Gangs, violence and sexual assaults are a problem in three Mississippi prisons because the facilities are short-staffed and inmates are sometimes left unsupervised, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a report Wednesday. “Gangs operate in the void left by staff and use violence to control people and traffic contraband.” The department investigated Central Mississippi Correctional Facility, South Mississippi Correctional Institution and Wilkinson County Correctional Facility. “While we disagree with the findings, we will work with the DOJ to identify possible resolutions to enhance inmate safety and continue ongoing efforts to improve operations at MDOC.” The new Justice Department report says “appalling conditions” in restrictive housing practices at the Central Mississippi and Wilkinson prisons cause “substantial risk of serious harm.” “Restrictive housing units are unsanitary, hazardous, and chaotic, with little supervision,” the Justice Department said. “The mismatch between the size of the incarcerated population and the number of security staff means that gangs dominate much of prison life, and contraband and violence, including sexual violence, proliferate,” the Justice Department said. “Prison officials rely on ineffective and overly harsh restrictive housing practices for control.” Clarke said that because of “poor door security” and lack of supervision in Central Mississippi Correctional Facility, multiple incarcerated men were able to enter a women’s housing unit.