There is so much scrutiny when it comes to hip-hop stars and their lyrics but people don’t realize the power those voices have.
A lawsuit filed on behalf of inmates at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman was recently dropped, according to lawyers representing rappers Jay-Z and Yo Gotti.
Filed in 2020, the hip-hop gurus caught wind of the issues at the prison after the U.S. Justice Department opened an investigation. Within two years, officials found issues with broken toilets and moldy showers. Some inmates claimed certain cell doors didn’t lock, and rats and roaches ran rampant in the cell blocks.
Thanks to Team Roc Nation, conditions at the federal penitentiary have reportedly improved.
Air conditioning has been installed, bathrooms renovated, and the electrical, water, and sewer systems have been updated. Another noted improvement is the movement of inmates to other prisons for space purposes. Parchman had more than 3,000 inmates in December 2019 but now has close to 2,450 inmates this month.
However, according to The Jasmine Brand the lawsuit was dropped without prejudice, which means if conditions go down again, the suit is back on.
ABC News reports that the Justice Department issued a report saying Parchman violated
inmates’ constitutional rights. The department said the prison failed to protect inmates from violence, meet their mental health needs or take proper steps for suicide prevention, relying solely on long stays in solitary confinement.Gotti released a statement, pleased with the outcome.
“We’re pleased that Parchman has started to address the cruel and inhumane prison conditions after the Department of Justice’s investigation, but we aren’t satisfied with short-term improvements,” the Memphis rapper said in a statement. “The Mississippi Department of Corrections
has neglected these torturous living conditions for decades, so we will continue to hold them accountable and ensure they commit to creating long-lasting change that safely protects their incarcerated population.”Hopefully, Parchman keeps up the improvements as the state has a history of inhuman prison conditions and lack of security.
Just last year, ABC reports that the Justice Department found “gross understaffing” and “uncontrolled gang activity” within the prison system.