Why Mississippi Will Reopen Prison Homicide Cases Dating Back to 2015

This text is a part of a collaborative investigation into Mississippi’s Lethal Prisons.

The Mississippi Division of Corrections will evaluate greater than two dozen unprosecuted homicides inside its prisons, in addition to deaths the place causes had been dominated as “undetermined,” following an investigation by a number of information websites, together with The Marshall Challenge – Jackson and Mississippi Right now.

“All of the deaths that we’ve had since 2015, we’re going again to revisit,” Corrections Commissioner Burl Cain instructed the reporting crew. “There isn’t any statute of limitations, as you recognize, on murder.”

Cain’s feedback comply with an investigation by a crew of Mississippi reporters that exposed a minimum of 43 folks died by murder inside Mississippi prisons since 2015. Complete homicide convictions in these circumstances? Eight, together with two responsible pleas that got here after the information tales had been printed.

The jail murder investigation concerned reporters and editors from The Marshall Challenge – Jackson, Mississippi Right now, The Clarion Ledger, Hattiesburg American and The Mississippi Hyperlink.

A prisoner advocacy group mentioned revisiting previous homicides received’t deal with the important thing causes for the deaths within the first place — power understaffing of safety officers.

Revisiting previous homicides is “form of closing the door after the horse has left the barn,” mentioned David Fathi, director of the ACLU Nationwide Jail Challenge. “What the commissioner additionally must do is work out why that is occurring and what to do to cease it.”

Deaths formally categorized as homicides this yr seem to have reached their highest degree since 2020, when a gang battle pushed that yr’s complete to a minimum of 9 killings.

Forty-one-year-old Aaron Harrison turned the sixth particular person killed in a state jail this yr when he died on July 3. A health worker later dominated that Harrison, incarcerated at East Mississippi Correctional Facility, was killed by blunt pressure trauma.

A nurse practitioner on the jail seen bruising on Harrison whereas treating him for a attainable drug overdose earlier than he died, in accordance with an incident report obtained by the information reporting crew. Courtroom data present that nobody has been charged in Harrison’s loss of life, however it isn’t uncommon for murder investigations to take as much as a yr.

State Rep. Becky Currie, who chairs the Home Corrections Committee, requested a legislative committee final month — because the reporting crew was about to publish its investigation — to look into all jail deaths for the previous 5 years.

The Joint Legislative Committee on Efficiency Analysis and Expenditure Assessment analyzes state company packages and operations and might concern suggestions.

Even with latest deaths, she’s discovered that little info is shared with the households, the general public and lawmakers when an incarcerated particular person dies.

“How will you say you will hold folks secure if you do not know what they’re dying of?” Currie requested.

Inside Investigations

The corrections division has its personal prison investigations unit and might refer circumstances to county prosecutors for additional motion.

Cain mentioned the company’s Felony Investigations Division is now inspecting every loss of life that was not referred to a district legal professional’s workplace. About 25 folks work for CID, which has been rebuilt since he took over corrections in 2020, he mentioned.

“We’ve introduced much more professionalism,” Cain mentioned.

Every jail has an investigator who can reply shortly, and extra investigators work out of the central workplace than earlier than, he mentioned. “That manner we are able to hold the integrity and know what’s happening.”

He in contrast the investigators’ work on these homicides to engaged on chilly circumstances. “They’re searching for solutions.”

“We’re going again to go to all that to ensure that we haven’t left any stone unturned,” Cain mentioned. “Each crime that’s dedicated within the jail, irrespective of how small,” will probably be referred to a county prosecutor. “If he desires to throw it within the trash and never prosecute, that’s as much as him.”

Prior to now decade, prosecutors indicted folks in 16 of the 43 homicides, with eight responsible pleas. One case was dropped as a result of the accused particular person died by suicide earlier than his day in courtroom. One other was dropped in mild of proof that supported the accused particular person’s declare of self-defense. The remaining six indictments, handed up between 2022 and June 2025, are pending trial.

The commissioner shared comparable feedback throughout a Sept. 24 legislative funds listening to, however lawmakers didn’t ask him follow-up questions in regards to the investigations. Amongst these in attendance had been Home Speaker Jason White and Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann.

When reached by the reporting crew, the places of work of Hosemann and White, together with the state auditor’s workplace, declined to remark.

The state Senate Corrections Committee chairman, Sen. Juan Barnett, didn’t reply to requests for remark in regards to the crew’s findings and Cain’s remarks.

Along with the 43 homicides, one other 21 prisoner deaths since 2015 have been dominated “undetermined” by the state health worker’s workplace. Meaning medical experts weren’t in a position to come to a conclusive reply about how an individual died. An undetermined loss of life might be a murder, suicide, unintentional, or a pure loss of life.

For instance, Richard Weems’ 2022 loss of life was dominated undetermined, however medical experts famous his physique confirmed indicators of blunt pressure trauma. An incarcerated particular person instructed the Mississippi Free Press in 2023 that he noticed Weems being overwhelmed.

Requested if MDOC deliberate to evaluate deaths marked as undetermined, Cain replied, “We’re going to have a look at all of them.”

Cain mentioned jail safety has been improved in recent times with extra video cameras, six narcotic detection canines, a drone detecting system and enhanced video on the prisons’ fences to cease medicine from being thrown over or dropped by drones. Based on the U.S. Division of Justice, the abundance of unlawful medicine in MDOC amenities has led to extortion and violence, the division’s 2024 investigation discovered.

Staffing Shortages Result in Violence, Advocates Say

One of many key issues the information investigation recognized is the power understaffing that leaves incarcerated folks weak to violence.

Fathi known as the staffing ranges in Mississippi prisons “a five-alarm emergency.”

Corrections spokesperson Kate Head mentioned in a press release that staffing “is central to security and safety.” The division continues to deal with the shortages and strengthen workers accountability, she instructed the information crew.

Since Cain took the helm in 2020, the beginning wage for a correctional officer elevated by about $13,000, starting at $40,392. Nonetheless, it’s onerous to rent and retain workers for such harmful jobs.

About 30% of the funded corrections officer positions had been vacant, Deputy Commissioner Nathan Blevins instructed lawmakers on the funds listening to in September.

“No jail can function safely with that sort of staffing,” Fathi mentioned, “It’s not secure for the incarcerated folks, it’s not secure for the workers… it’s not secure for anyone.”

Homicides within the prisons usually occurred when corrections officers weren’t watching.

As an example, Ronnie Graham was killed at Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Rankin County in 2021, however his battered physique was not found by a corrections officer for a minimum of 5 hours. In one other case, Jonathan Havard was strangled to loss of life earlier this yr at Wilkinson County Correctional Facility. Nevertheless, his physique was solely found after an unidentified mum or dad known as to inform the jail officers that he had been killed, in accordance with jail data.

Compounding the staffing issues is the rising jail inhabitants. Since December 2021, the variety of state prisoners has elevated from about 16,800 to 19,300, returning to pre-pandemic ranges. Cain mentioned the rise is basically attributable to excessive charges of recidivism.

About 47% of individuals launched in fiscal yr 2021 returned to jail inside three years, in accordance with state corrections information.

“If we do a greater job of getting them employable, then that’s the entire key to recidivism and never coming again,” Cain mentioned within the legislative listening to. “Recidivism is killing us.”

Cain’s promise of latest investigations into unsolved homicides sparked hope for a mom who misplaced a son.

Janice Wilkins, the mom of Denorris Howell, who was killed within the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman in 2020, mentioned she is grateful that her son’s case will probably be reviewed.

“It means a complete lot to me,” she mentioned. “As soon as they evaluate every thing, they need to transfer ahead.”