Last inmates being moved out of Unit 29, Reeves says
Last inmates being moved out of Unit 29, Reeves says
The last of the inmates are being transferred from the notorious Unit 29 at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman, Gov.
Tate Reeves said.
CURRENT ON THE LIEUTENANTCOLONEL BEING HERE.WE DO HAVE NEW TO REPORT WITHRESPECT TO UNIT 29.SINCE THE START OF OURADMINISTRATION WE HAVE BEENWORKING TO RESTORE ORDER TO OURPRISON SYSTEM.WE’VE SAID REPEATEDLY THAT THETIP OF THAT SPEAR IS IN FACTPARCHMENTS UNIT 29 TODAY EARLIERTHIS MORNING.WE STARTED THE PROCESS OF MOVINGTHE LAST INMATES OUT OF UNIT 29SMAJOR HOUSING FACILITIES.WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO MOVE MINITHROUGH RECLASSIFICATION SENDINGTHEM TO MEDIUM OR EVEN MINIMUMSECURITY FACILITIES BECAUSE THATWORK HAD BEEN IGNORED FOR TOOLONG.THIS LARGER TRANSFER IS TO FINDA TEMPORARY HOUSING SOLUTION FORTHOSE WHO WE COULD NOTRECLASSIFY OR SWAP FOR LOWERCUSTODY LEVEL INMATES.THIS MAJOR TRANSFER REQUIRED ATREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK.AND CONSIDERATIO WE NEED ATEMPORARY HOUSING TO GET INMATESOUT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AS WEWORK TOWARDS A LONGER-TERMSOLUTION.WE DETERMINED THAT THE ONLYTEMPORARY LOCATION TO SAFELYHOUSE THOSE PRISONERS IS THETALLAHATCHIE COUNTY CORRECTIONALFACILITY.THAT IS THE NEARBY PRIVATEPRISON WHERE GOVERNOR BRYANT’SAND INMATES DURING THE INITIALVIOLENCE.IT’S JUST A FEW MILES DOWN THEROAD AND THE ONLY ONE EQUIPPEDFOR CLOSED CUSTODY PRISONERS.I JUST LEFT A BRIEFING WITHLEADERSHIP OF THE LEGISLATUREAFTER HAVING MET WITH SPEAKERGUNN AS WELL AS LIEUTENANTGOVERNOR HOSEMANN EARLIER IN THEDAY TO ALERT THEM TO THEDECISIONS AND THE ACTUALTRANSFERS THAT ARE ON OURONGOING.YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT WE HAVERENEGOTIATE THE PRICE TO SAFELYGET THE BEST POSSIBLE DEAL FORMISSISSIPPI TAXPAYERS.IT’S NEARLY A FIVE PERCENTREDUCTION IN COST FROM THEORIGINAL CONTRACT.SO FROM $65 A DAY PER PRISONERDOWN TO SIXTY TWO DOLLARS ANDFIFTY CENTS PER PRISONER THAT’SIN LINE WITH THE MARKET RATE FORTHESE CLOSED CUSTODY PRISONERSPEOPLE WHO REQUIRE A SINGLE CELLOR ONE ROOMMATE RATHER THAN ANBEN BAY ENVIRONMENT NOW FORTHOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE COVEREDTHE LEGISLATURE FOR THE LASTEIGHT YEARS, YOU KNOW, I’M ABUDGET HAWK.THESE ARE THE PRISONERS WHO POSETHE GREATEST RISK OF VIOLENCE IFIT WERE MEDIUM OR MINIMUMSECURITY THE PRICE COULD BELOWER IF IT WERE A LONG-TERMHOUSING CONTRACT THE PRICE COULDBE EVEN LOWER.BUT FOR TEMPORARY HOUSING FOR OFOUR MOST DANGEROUS PRISONERS,THIS IS A PRICE THAT WE FEELCONFIDENT IN.AS I MENTIONED EARLIER ANDEARLIER IN THE DAY WAS SPEAKERGUNN LIEUTENANT.GOVERNOR HOSEMANN SPEAKER PROTEM, WHITE AND PRESIDENT PRO TEMCURBING.WE MET WITH ADDITIONAL KEYLEGISLATORS THROUGHOUT THE DAYWE BRIEFED THEM ON THIS DEAL ANDOUR ONGOING EFFORTS FROM THEEXECUTIVE BRANCH.IT WAS VERY PRODUCTIVE MEETINGSAND I AM GRATEFU FOR THEIRCONTINUED COOPERATION ANDSUPPORT IN DEALING WITH THIS.WE CANNOT GO IT ALONE.FOR SECURITY REASONS, WE CANNOTDISCLOSE TOO MUCH ABOUT THEMOVEMENTS.IN THE TRANSFER PROCESS WE HAVETO BE VERY SENSITIVE AND WHAT WESAY PUBLICLY BECAUSE THERE ARETHESE ARE THE PRISONERS WHOOFTEN HAVE SOPHISTICATED GANGCONNECTIONS BOTH INSIDE ANDOUTSIDE.WE CANNOT COMPROMISE THE SAFETYOF THE INMATES NOR CAN WECOMPROMISE THE SAFETY OF OURSTAFF?REMOVING THEM IN SMALL GROUPSOVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXTSEVERAL WEEKS.GIVE YOU A SENSE OF JUST ONEELEMENT OF THE COMPLEX NATURE OFTHIS OPERATION THE FIRST GROUPTHAT WE TRANSFER TODAY ATTEMPTEDTO BRING SEVEN SHANKS 10 ILLEGALCELL PHONES AND A BAG OFMARIJUANA WITH THEM.THAT WAS NOT A SUCCESSFUL EFFORTON THEIR PART.I WANT TO THANK COMMISSIONERTAYLOR AS WELL AS COLONELGILLARD AND STAFF FOR THEIRTHOROUGH WORK TO MAKE SU THISPROCESS IS SAFE FOR ALLINVOLVED.IT’S A LARGE-SCALE OPERATION ANDI’M GRATEFUL FOR THEIRLEADERSHIP TO GET IT, RIGHT.WHAT’S OUR TRANSFERS ARECOMPLETE THE ONLY PARTS OF UNIT29 THAT WILL BE IN OPERATION,WHICH WILL BE DEATH ROW.WHICH IS OF COURSE REQUIRED BYSTATE STATUTE TO BE AT PARCHMENTAND A SUPPORT SERVICES BUILDINGTHAT HELPS MAINTAIN THE REST OFTHE PRISON.NOTORIOUS PARTS OF THE UNIT WILLBE CLOSED AND OUR PROMISE
