According to MTC, a private company that operates three state facilities, officers responded to an altercation in Wilkinson County Correctional Facility’s cell between two inmates on Monday. Nija Syvallus Bonhomme (24 years old) was tried by medical personnel, but they were unsuccessful. Bonhomme was sentenced to 20 years in 2016 for residential burglary and armed robbery. John Luttrell (67) was also pronounced dead at Merit Health Rankin in Brandon that day, Rankin County coroner David Ruth reported to news outlets. Luttrell was 32 years old and serving a sentence for attempted murder and possession by a weapon of a felon. He was transferred to Central Mississippi Correctional Facility, Pearl, on Aug. 10, according to the Clarion Ledger. Grace Fisher, spokesperson for the Mississippi Department of Corrections, said that these deaths brought the total prisoner deaths to 10. The three state-managed main prisons were the only ones that reported any other deaths. Many of the inmates were younger than 40 years old and many were serving non-violent sentences. Officials claim that the deaths were not related and that investigations and autopsies are ongoing.
According to records kept by the Department of Corrections, more deaths occurred at Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman over the past five years than at any other Mississippi state facility. Parchman, which is the largest prison in the state, had a higher death rate than the general population in 2017. In 2016, the State Department of Health made public data that showed the overall Mississippi mortality rate was 1,063.6 per 100,000. This compares to the 1,337 deaths per 100 at Parchman. According to Pelicia Hall, corrections commissioner, most of the deaths in August were due to natural causes. This is based on the information available at the time. Hall stated that the MDOC takes all deaths in custody very seriously and investigates them all to determine if foul play was involved. Sampson Jackson II (D-Preston), Senate Corrections Committee Chairman, stated that the deaths were brought to his attention. He said that he will meet with Hall this week “to try to understand what’s happening.” Jackson stated that he was concerned about “if there’s anything we could have done (to prevent the deaths)” in an interview with Mississippi Today. A backlog at Mississippi’s crime laboratory that has been plagued by problems for five years, due to severe understaffing has left the families of the prisoner without answers. Greene County coroner Ladd Puliam stated that it could take months for certified reports to be provided on any of the three South Mississippi Correctional Institution prisoners who died in Leakesville. Willie Hollinghead (36), was one of those who died on August 4. Mississippi Today was told by family members that Hollinghead, who was eight-months into a decade-long sentence in Wayne County for selling cocaine, was healthy when he entered prison. Teresa Bennett, Hollinghead’s grandmother, stated that officials had told her Hollinghead was dead and found him in his bunk. Bennett stated that they don’t know the circumstances surrounding his death. Bennett said that they would like to know the truth, even if it was for the sakes of children. Willie…he was a good person who stayed in jail and out. He was kind and generous; he would do anything for anyone he could.” “Something is going on in that jail and nobody can find any answers.” The little information we have about Daniel Vasquez from California, who has previously worked on cases involving death in custody, concerns Daniel Vasquez. The Ledger reported on Aug. 11 that Pearl inmate Ricky Martin claimed he couldn’t breathe. Witnesses said that Martin was being held by a guard who went to bed while Martin and other prisoners called out for help. The newspaper reported that a defibrillator failed to work hours later. Vasquez stated that it was a management problem and a medical contract issue. “Defibrillators should be checked frequently and charged. They shouldn’t be left uncharged until you need them in an emergency. Since 2015, MDOC has contracted Centurion to provide healthcare services. Matthew Naidow is a former East Mississippi Correctional Facility corrections officer. He said that there are many factors at work when a prison like Mississippi experiences a sudden number of inmate deaths within a short time. The conditions at the prison, which is privately run, were the subject of an earlier year lawsuit. He said that problems such as underpaid guards and poor medical care and a mentality towards prisoners that amounts to Naidow calling “lock them up, throw away the key”, create a storm. Naidow stated that the prison system is old and in need of improvement. In this world, money is a must. According to a state audit, MDOC spent $69.4 millions on health care contracts, special health care needs, and security for inmates. Pew Charitable Trusts reports that Mississippi spent $3770 per inmate on health care in 2015. This is seven percent less than in 2010 and ranks tenth among the 49 states surveyed. Concerns were raised about the availability of funds for the department to meet the needs of the nearly 20,000 MDOC prisoners. In the past four weeks, eleven Mississippi prisoners died in custody. Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Pearl: Mississippi State Penitentiary. Parchman: South Mississippi Correctional Facility. Support this work today and make a regular donation to celebrate our Spring Member Drive.