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Jay-Z has filed a lawsuit against a Mississippi jail over “dire” living conditions.
The rapper has teamed up with Yo Gotti, and Team ROC on behalf of 227 inmates at Parchman prison.
The lawsuit calls for the Department of Corrections Commissioner Nathan Burl Cain to address allegedly subpar living conditions and a lack of COVID-19 testing protocol including a lack of social distancing and PPE at the penitentiary, reports Pitchfork.
“The situation in Parchman is dire,” Yo Gotti said. He continued: “More and more of the incarcerated population are reaching out for help and pleading for immediate medical attention, especially as the coronavirus threatens their lives.
“Mississippi Governor Reeves, Commissioner Burl Cain and Centene – as the parent company of Parchman’s healthcare provider Centurion – can’t continue to neglect this tragedy and let the death toll rise. We will hold them accountable and fight for the rights of the incarcerated.
The complaint goes on to allege that Parchman Prison has been “understaffed and underfunded for decades,” which has resulted in inadequate healthcare (physical and mental), the overuse of isolation, and “constant violence.”
The lawsuit also cites multiple alleged hygiene issues within Parchman Prison, including a portable water system contaminated with human faeces, the presence of black mold, vermin and inmates’ limited access to showers.
The court order is calling for a plan to address current conditions at the jail within 90 days.
The suit comes after Jay-Z recently published an open letter calling for police in Milwaukee to prosecute and fire a police officer who has reportedly shot and killed three men over the last five years.
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