Jay-Z And Yo Gotti Demand Strict COVID-19 Testing In Mississippi Prison

Jay-Z, Yo Gotti

Jay-Z And Yo Gotti Demanding Strict COVID-19 Testing In Mississippi Prison

As we previously reported, Jay-Z, Yo Gotti, and their organization Team Roc are claiming that The Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman is not doing enough to protect its inmates from the coronavirus pandemic, and have the statistics to prove it.

Team Roc’s lawyers have filed documents this week, accusing the prison of failing to properly test its inmates amidst reports of a coronavirus outbreak among a small sample of inmates. According to reports of July 30, only 132 Parchman prisoners of more than 2,000 had been tested for COVID-19, and among those 132, 33 percent tested positive. These stats show that there is indeed a coronavirus crisis hitting the prison population. Team Roc is claiming that cases are continuing to rise and one inmate died last week as a result of the virus.

The prison is allegedly failing to isolate inmates that are infected with the virus. Team Roc claims 3 prisoners who had tests pending were recklessly moved to different units with no precautions, their results came back positive. Roc also claims the prison staff also comes up short on its screening process for visitors and says staff members don’t universally wear PPE, which brings up concerns that attorneys and outsiders have been exposed to the virus.

Team Roc’s attorney Marcy Croft stated,

“It’s a travesty that Parchman continues to neglect the lives of the people in their prisons and expose them to the deadly COVID-19 virus.”

The recent news comes as Yo Gotti and Jay-Z first initiated the lawsuits on behalf of inmates inside of Parchman. The lawsuit claims that the environment at the facility is terrifying and infringes on the inmates’ rights outlined in the constitution. They said the number of employees is “dangerously deficient” and the facility isn’t even “suitable for animals.”

They claimed the food is polluted and tainted, and there is a major lack when it comes to mental health resources.Team Roc has demanded the prison to,

“immediately address the barbaric prison conditions at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman and develop a plan that will eliminate the health and safety risks for inmates within 90 days.”

The lawsuits against the prisons sparked after a series of violence that went on for more than a week. While MDOC said people died because of gang fights, others say it was because of budget cuts, not enough staff and other alleged shortcomings.

Yo Gotti previously said in a statement amid the first lawsuit,

“To see this happen so close to my hometown of Memphis is truly devastating. That’s why we’re calling on Mississippi state leaders to take immediate action and rectify this issue. If they don’t right this wrong, we’re prepared to take legal action to provide relief for those that are incarcerated and their families.”

What are your thoughts on Yo Gotti and Jay-Z calling out the Mississippi prison for not protecting its inmates from COVID-19? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.