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Prison death raises red flags about prison safety

Video Credit: WAPT - Duration: 02:58s - Published
Prison death raises red flags about prison safety

Prison death raises red flags about prison safety

A Parchman inmate found dead, the latest in a situation raising red flags about the safety of all state prisons.

THE INMATE THAT DIED TODAY IS 49YEAR OLD THOMAS LEE...HE WAS SERVING A LIFE SENTENCEFOR CAPTIALMURDER...MDOC SAYS STATE TROOPERS FOUNDLEE,HANGING IN HIS CELL, INPARCHMAN'S UNIT 29 JUST AFTER 10AM THIS MORNING...LEE IS REPORTEDLY THE 6TH INMATETO DIE APARCHMAN IN JUST THE LAST FEWWEEKS...ANDSEVERAL GROUPS CALLING FORCHANGE,SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH... IT'S DEVISTATING TO KNOW THATMEAND WOMEN, INSIDE THESE WALLSARE IN THE CUSTODY...UMEANING THEY'RE IN THE CARE OFTHE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, ARELOOSING THIER LIVES AT SUCH ANALARMING RATECJ LAWRENCE IS WITH BLACK NOCHASER...ONEOF SEVERAL GROUPS THAT ARE PARTOF THEMISSISSIPPI PRISON REFORMCOALITION...AT LEAST 10 PEOPLE HAVE DIED INMDOCFACILITIES...THE LATEST, THOMASLEE... ACCORDING TO A STATEMENTFROM MDOC,THEY SAY LEE WAS FOUND DEADWEDNESDAY, BY APPARENTSUICIDE...GRAPHIC:LAWRENCE IS QUESTIONING THENARATIVE AROUND THESE DEATHS...WHAT TYPE OF CONDITIONS MUSTSOMEONE BE LIVING IN THAT,UH...THEY WOULD CHOOSE TO BEHERE, NO MORE?

UH, THAN TOCONTINUE TO BE LIVING IN THEMANNER THOSE MEN AREEXPERIENCING IN PARCHMAN RIGHTNOWBUT, FORMER GOVERNOR PHIL BRYAON THE EVE OF LEAVING OFFFICESAID THIS.THE INMATES.

THE INMATES ARE THEONES WHO TAKE EACH OTHER'SLIVES, THE INMATES ARE THE ONESWHO FASHION WEAPONS OUR OFMETAL.BUTT THESE SOTS TOGETHERYOU CAN'T PASS THIS OFF ON THEPEOPLE THAT AREINSIDE...SUFFERINGUNDER THE CONDITIONS THAT YOU'VECREATEDBUTT THESE SOTS TOGETHERTHAT SENTENCE SHOULDN'T BECOMPOUNDED WITH UM, YOUKNOW...TORTURETHAT'S WHY LAWRENCE SAYS THEMISSISSIPPIPRISON REFORM COALITION, ANDOTHERGROUPS ARE PREPARING TO RALLY ATTHE STATECAPITOL ON FRIDAY...THEY ARE CALLING FOR HUMANETREATMENT OFTHOSE INCARCERATED IN MDOCFACILITIES TOIMMEDIATLEY RECIEVE FOOD, SAFESHELTER,AND MENTAL HEALTHCARE, AS WELLASTHE RELEASE OF SOME NON-VIOLENT,AND DRUGOFFENDERS.OUR DESIRE ULTIMATLEY IS TOREALLY TRANSFORM THISSYSTEMAND THEIR ACTIVISM IS GAININGCELEBRITYSUPPORT FROM MUSIC MOGUL JAY Z,ANDRAPPER YO GOTTI...WHO AREALOREADY SUINGTHE STATE OVER INHUMANECONDITIONS'AT MDOC.IT MEANS A GREAT DEAL TO HAVEUMAAH, ARTISTS LIKE JAY Z, AND YOGOTTI AH, SPEAKING OUT OWHAT'S HAPPENING INMISSISSIPPI...JUST FROM THESTANDPOINT THAT IT MEANS THAT WEHERE IN MISSISSIPPI HAVE BEENDOIN' OUR JOB IN MAKINGSURE THAT THE STORY GET OUTTHERE THAT RALLY IS SET FOR 11AM ATTHE CAPITALGROUNDS...LAWRENCE TELLS US THIS IS ABI-PARTISAN,HUMAN ISSUE...EVERYONE IS INVITED TOPARTICIPATE...AND HESAYS BEYOND THE RALLY, THECOALITION WILL BETAKING THE REFORM FIGHT TO EVERYBRANCHOF STATE GOVERNMENT.TROY JOHNSON, 16 WAPT NEWS AT10... BOND HAS BEEN SET FOR A RANKINCOUN




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