A World Forgotten: The Lack Of Technology In U.S. Prisons

In December 2019, violence erupted at the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman, Mississippi, which resulted in the death of one inmate and injuries to many more. Since then, 28 inmates have died in the Mississippi prison system due to widespread violence, suicide and a lack of medical care. In the days following the initial riot, many prisoners attempted to use smuggled-in cell phones to reach outside prison walls and to upload videos and pictures depicting their current situation.

Once officials were notified of the leaks, the images and videos uploaded by the prisoners came to a halt. In response to concerns about the images being circulated to the general public, Parchman utilized a cell phone jamming system. In addition to ensuring that inmates are not able to access their cellular data, the Mississippi Department of Corrections is able to access cell phone detectors, wands, cell phone K-9s and netting. However, the department has struggled to keep cell phone contraband, and by extension social media access, under control while living conditions and proper staffing have suffered. […]

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