PARCHMAN, Miss. — A Mississippi inmate died and several others were injured in a fight Tuesday among prisoners at the State Penitentiary at Parchman, just days after a separate inmate’s killing led to an ongoing lockdown of dozens of correctional facilities statewide.
The fight broke out around 9 p.m. in one unit and soon spread to others around the facility, Sunflower County Coroner Heather Burton told news outlets. She was called to the scene after midnight where she found an inmate who had suffered multiple stab wounds, she said. Sunflower County Sheriff James Haywood also confirmed the fight to news outlets.
It’s the second fatality at a Mississippi prison this week. The Department of Corrections announced Tuesday that prisons across the state were placed under lockdown following a “major disturbance” Sunday at the South Mississippi Correctional Institution in Greene County. One inmate was killed and two others were hurt during that conflict. The inmate was identified as Terrandance Dobbins. An autopsy is being performed to determine the 40-year-old’s cause of death, corrections officials said.
The statewide lockdown remained in place as of Wednesday, corrections spokeswoman Grace Fisher confirmed. She said the situation was under control at the South Mississippi Correction Institution, but declined to provide further information citing an ongoing investigation.
Earlier Tuesday, the Department of Corrections’ Commissioner, Pelicia Hall, announced her resignation to take a job in the private sector.
