Mississippi

Contact:
Tripp Laino, 202-999-4273
tlaino@famm.org

FAMM, Mississippi Dreams Prisoner Family Support Urge Mississippi Legislature to Close Parchman

Mississippi prison system is in dire need of broad reform

BRANDON, MISSISSIPPI – FAMM President Kevin Ring and Mississippi Dreams Prisoner Family Support Director Amanda Hamilton released the following statement in response to the ongoing crisis at Mississippi State Prison, also known as “Parchman Farm.”

“Parchman’s horrendous reputation goes back more than a century — it’s a place of hopelessness,” Ring said. “This recent spate of deaths is sadly nothing new in the prison’s legacy of despair. The time has come to end that legacy, and close Parchman forever.”

In addition to closing Parchman, Mississippi must address the growing number of problems in many of the prisons across the state. Mississippi has the third largest prison population in the nation. The prisons are overcrowded and understaffed. State legislators should enact critical sentencing reforms to address the growing prison population, and create an independent oversight body to make sure these issues are addressed.

“Our loved ones deserve to live in a safe, humane environment – not one with walls crumbling down around them,” Hamilton said. “The photos, the violence, and stories that come through the walls of Parchman and other prisons have us worried about our fathers, brothers, sons, cousins and friends.”

For nearly three decades, FAMM has united the voices of affected families, the formerly incarcerated, and a range of stakeholders and advocates to fight for a more fair and effective justice system. FAMM’s focus on ending a one-size-fits-all punishment structure has led to reforms to sentencing and prison policies in 6 states and is paving the way to programs that support rehabilitation for the 94% of all prisoners who will return to our neighborhoods one day.

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FAMM is a national nonpartisan advocacy organization that promotes fair and effective criminal justice policies that safeguard taxpayer dollars and keep our communities safe. Founded in 1991, FAMM is helping transform America’s criminal justice system by uniting the voices of impacted families and individuals and elevating the issues all across the country.