Feds get involved in Mississippi prison crisis

Since late December, 15 inmates have died at prison facilities in Mississippi. The U.S. Department of Justice announced this week it had opened a civil rights investigation looking into the conditions in the state’s penal system.

What are investigators looking for? The probe will examine whether state corrections officials are protecting prisoners from physical harm. It will also look into whether prisons have adequate healthcare and suicide prevention services. The Justice Department said its civil rights division will mainly focus on conditions at four prisons, including the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman, where most of the deaths have occurred.

Dig deeper: Read Charissa Koh’s report in Compassion on the problems plaguing Mississippi’s correctional facilities.