The Justice Department has opened a civil rights investigation into the Mississippi prison system after a string of inmate deaths in the last few months, officials said Wednesday.
Federal prosecutors are looking into the conditions at four state prisons following the
deaths of at least 15 inmates since December. The investigation is examining whether state corrections officials are adequately protecting prisoners from physical harm and will also look into whether there are adequate healthcare and suicide prevention services.
The investigation, by the Justice Department's civil rights division, will specifically focus on conditions at the
Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman, Southern Mississippi Correctional Institute, Central Mississippi Correctional Facility and the Wilkinson County Correctional Facility, the Justice Department said.
The use of such investigations examining the patterns and practices of law enforcement agencies has been curtailed under the Trump administration compared with their use during the Obama administration.
Some of the inmate deaths in recent weeks happened during confrontations between inmates. Some were suicides.
Violence is a recurring problem in Mississippi prisons, where many jobs for guards are unfilled. Officials with the state Department of Corrections have said for years that it's difficult to find people to work as guards because of low pay, long hours and dangerous conditions.
Federal prosecutors are looking into the conditions at four state lockups following the deaths of at least 15 inmates since December.
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