Mississippi Sued Over 'Hellish' Conditions in For-Profit Prison
Published on Friday, September 26, 2014
by Common Dreams
Mississippi Sued Over 'Hellish' Conditions in For-Profit Prison
Lawyers say incarcerated men with severe psychiatric disorders face medical neglect, insufficient food, solitary confinement, and abuse at "special needs" facility
by Sarah Lazare, staff writer
Denial of food and medical care. Cells and floors soiled with blood, urine, and feces. Excessive force by prison guards. Weeks, months, and years in solitary confinement.
These are the conditions found at a "special needs" for-profit prison, the East Mississippi Correctional Facility, which is tasked by the state's department of corrections with incarcerating 1,200 people, approximately 1,000 of whom have severe psychiatric disorders, according to a legal motion filed Friday.
The Southern Poverty Law Center, American Civil Liberties Union, Law Office of Elizabeth Alexander, and Covington & Burling LLP filed the motion in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, asking the federal court to approve a 2013 complaint as a class-action suit against the state officials in charge of the East Mississippi Correctional Facility (EMCF). They say they hope this move will help protect all of the people who are subject to the facility's "inhumane" and "torturous" conditions.
Formerly run by private prison company GEO Group, the EMCF is now operated by the Utah-based Management and Training Corporation, with its health services provided by the Mississippi-based Health Assurance, LLC. Both companies won lucrative contracts with the Mississippi Department of Corrections.
More:
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/09/26/mississippi-sued-over-hellish-conditions-profit-prison
= new reply since forum marked as read
The only good thing about this story is that is a public institution where groups trying to preven this can get access and stop it. Private care homes don't let anyone in, hiding behind religion or private propeity rights, but are paid by tax money. Most of which goes to enrich a few pockets. Their motive is always to do the least to make more profit.
You can't get into these hell holes until the morgue comes to get them, or when a whistleblower rats them out. Then the cases are sealed in court and the public never knows what is going on, so all looks good ot the public.
