Schema: Article + FAQPage
Internal links (5): Mississippi inmate search, send money to Mississippi inmates, Mississippi reentry resources, Staying Connected hub, how prison works hub
Voice: Formerly-incarcerated narrator. Plain, direct, honest. Written to the family member on the outside.
META BLOCK:
Family Rights and Advocacy in Mississippi | InmateAid
In February 2024, the United States Department of Justice published a 60-page report detailing 8th and 14th Amendment violations at Mississippi's Walnut Grove Correctional Facility and other state prisons. This followed years of federal litigation over conditions at Parchman (Mississippi State Penitentiary), East Mississippi Correctional Facility, and other facilities -- litigation fought by the ACLU, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the Mississippi Center for Justice. This is not background context. It is the operating reality for families of people inside Mississippi's prisons.
Mississippi MDOC has a Constituent Services division for family and public inquiries: **601-359-5600** (Central Office, 301 N. Lamar Street, Jackson, MS 39201). General contact form at mdoc.ms.gov/contact. The form goes to the Central Administrative Office in Jackson, not to facilities.
Phone: **GTL/ViaPath (ConnectNetwork)** for MDOC state prisons. Set up at ConnectNetwork.com. Calls are outbound only from the prison.
Visiting: a privilege, not a right, per MDOC policy. The Friends and Family Guide was suspended while being updated as of research -- verify current status at mdoc.ms.gov/family-friends. All visitors must follow visiting rules or risk losing privileges.
What Families Are Facing in Mississippi
Mississippi MDOC operates major state correctional facilities across the state, with significant geography -- from the Mississippi Delta in the north to the Gulf Coast area in the south.
**Major state facilities:**
- **Mississippi State Penitentiary (MSP / Parchman Farm)** -- MS Hwy 49 W, Parchman, Sunflower County (Mississippi Delta; about 130 miles north of Jackson; remote); Records: **662-745-6611 ext. 2321**; maximum security; Mississippi's oldest and most notorious facility; execution facility (lethal injection, Unit 17); formerly a prison farm on a former plantation
- **Central Mississippi Correctional Facility (CMCF)** -- Pearl, Rankin County (near Jackson; most accessible facility); Records: **601-932-2880 ext. 6243**
- **South Mississippi Correctional Institution (SMCI)** -- Leakesville, Greene County (southeastern Mississippi near the Alabama border; remote); Records: **601-394-5600 ext. 1209**
- **East Mississippi Correctional Facility (EMCF)** -- Meridian, Lauderdale County (eastern Mississippi); privately operated; designed for prisoners with serious psychiatric disabilities; 80% of population estimated to have serious mental illness; subject of extensive ACLU/SPLC litigation (Dockery v. Epps, 2013-2021); deaths continued post-lawsuit including July 2024
- **Marshall County Correctional Facility (MCCF)** -- Holly Springs, Marshall County (northern Mississippi); privately run until MDOC takeover September 2021
- **Walnut Grove Correctional Facility (WCCF)** -- Walnut Grove, Leake County; DOJ documented 8th and 14th Amendment violations in February 2024 report
Parchman in Sunflower County is the most historically significant and geographically difficult. The Mississippi Delta is rural -- no public transportation, limited lodging nearby. For Jackson-area families, Parchman is about 2.5 hours north.
On conditions: the conditions documented across Mississippi's prison system are severe. The SPLC named the underlying causes in 2020: "chronic understaffing, underpaying corrections officers, and the failure to protect incarcerated individuals from harm." The DOJ's 2024 report confirmed the constitutional violations continue. This is the system families are navigating.
On phone: GTL/ViaPath (ConnectNetwork) for MDOC state prisons. Set up at ConnectNetwork.com. Post-FCC rate caps apply; verify current rates.
On mail: physical mail to facility address. No known system-wide digital mail scanning at MDOC. Verify current mail policy with the specific facility. No page limit for MDOC letters per available information.
On money: MoneyGram is a recommended option for MDOC. Verify current options at mdoc.ms.gov.
Your Rights as a Family Member in Mississippi
Visitation rights
Mississippi MDOC states explicitly that visitation is a privilege, not a right, for both inmates and visitors. Visiting rules must be followed or privileges can be revoked.
**MSP (Parchman) visiting hours:**
- General Population units: Saturday or Sunday, 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM (each unit has its own assigned day)
- Special Treatment Units (STU): 1st Saturday or 3rd Sunday, 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
- Maximum Security ("C" Custody): 1st Saturday and 3rd Sunday, 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM -- non-contact visits only
Arrive at least 15 minutes before scheduled visits. Government-issued photo ID required.
For other facilities: contact the facility directly for visiting hours and procedures. Visit information at mdoc.ms.gov/family-friends. The Friends and Family Guide was suspended while being updated -- verify availability.
Active protective order between visitor and incarcerated person: visitation is prohibited.
Communication rights
Phone: GTL/ViaPath (ConnectNetwork). Calls outbound only. Set up account at ConnectNetwork.com. Your loved one must add your number to their approved call list. All calls recorded except legal calls.
Money for commissary: MoneyGram is the recommended option for MDOC. Verify current options at mdoc.ms.gov.
No incoming calls to facilities -- your loved one calls you.
Notification rights
MDOC is not required to notify family of transfers. Use the MDOC inmate locator at mdoc.ms.gov to track current location. MDOC notifies next of kin for serious medical emergencies and deaths -- designated by the incarcerated person.
VINELink (vinelink.com) is available for notifications.
Grievance rights
Internal MDOC grievances must be filed by the incarcerated person. Family members cannot file internal grievances directly.
External pathways for families:
- MDOC Constituent Services: 601-359-5600 | contact form at mdoc.ms.gov/contact
- Mississippi Center for Justice (MCJ): mscenterforjustice.org
- ACLU of Mississippi: aclu-ms.org
- Southern Poverty Law Center: splcenter.org
- DOJ Civil Rights Division: justice.gov/crt
- Your Mississippi state legislators at legislature.ms.gov
MDOC Constituent Services and Key Contacts
**MDOC Central Office Constituent Services**
301 N. Lamar Street, Jackson, MS 39201
Phone: **601-359-5600**
General contact form: mdoc.ms.gov/contact
Note: email through the contact form goes to the Central Administrative Office in Jackson, NOT to facilities. Messages are reviewed during business hours (weekdays only; closed after 5 PM, weekends, and state/federal holidays). Response times can be delayed when constituent services staff are assigned other duties.
**Central Office Records**: 601-933-2889 | MDOCRecordsDepartment@mdoc.state.ms.us
**State Parole Board**: 239 N. Lamar Street, Suite 501, Jackson, MS 39202 | 601-576-3520 | MSStateParoleBoard@mdoc.state.ms.us
**PREA (sexual abuse or harassment in custody)**: confidential hotline through the MS Coalition Against Sexual Assault; 601-359-5628 | 1-866-522-4087 | victimservices@mdoc.state.ms.us
**Facility records contacts:**
- MSP (Parchman): 662-745-6611 ext. 2321
- CMCF (Pearl): 601-932-2880 ext. 6243
- SMCI (Leakesville): 601-394-5600 ext. 1209
Mississippi Advocacy Organizations
Mississippi Center for Justice (MCJ)
mscenterforjustice.org
Jackson, MS
MCJ is a public service law firm that fights discrimination, economic, and social injustice through legal representation, policy advocacy, and community education. Active as of July 2025. MCJ has litigated against MDOC on COVID-19 response failures (with ACLU of Mississippi) and challenges unconstitutional state laws. Their President and CEO was named a Woman of Influence in July 2025 -- an active and current organization.
For families dealing with documented civil rights violations in Mississippi prisons, the Mississippi Center for Justice is the in-state legal advocacy contact.
ACLU of Mississippi
aclu-ms.org
P.O. Box 2242, Jackson, MS 39225-2242
Phone: 601-354-3408
The ACLU of Mississippi is the primary civil rights legal organization in the state. Active prisoner rights work includes:
- Co-litigation on COVID-19 MDOC response with MCJ
- The Dockery v. Epps/Hall case on EMCF conditions (with SPLC; 2013-2021)
- Walnut Grove youth facility (with SPLC; consent decree)
- Parchman conditions
- DOJ investigation requests following 2020 Parchman crisis
Does not take individual grievance cases routinely. Contact for systemic conditions issues, constitutional violations, or documented patterns of abuse.
Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)
splcenter.org
400 Washington Ave., Montgomery, AL 36104 (Jackson, MS office also active)
The SPLC has been one of the most active prisoner rights litigators in Mississippi for decades. SPLC named chronic understaffing and underpay as the root conditions of Mississippi's prison violence in 2020. They co-litigated the EMCF case and the Walnut Grove youth case. For systemic conditions litigation in Mississippi: the SPLC is the major external legal force.
Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM)
famm.org
FAMM made formal requests to the DOJ to investigate Mississippi prisons. For families with loved ones serving excessive mandatory sentences in Mississippi.
Human Rights Defense Center (HRDC)
humanrightsdefensecenter.org
Phone (for family members): 561-360-2523
HRDC advocates on phone costs, publications access, and communications rights in prisons. Mississippi uses GTL/ViaPath for state prisons -- HRDC monitors GTL practices nationally. For communications cost issues or wrongful restriction of publications, family members can contact HRDC directly.
Prisoner Rights Organizations Families Can Contact on Their Loved One's Behalf
Mississippi Center for Justice (MCJ)
mscenterforjustice.org | Jackson, MS
Active public interest law firm. For civil rights violations, discriminatory treatment, and conditions of confinement litigation in Mississippi. Confirmed active July 2025.
ACLU of Mississippi
aclu-ms.org | 601-354-3408
Active prisoner rights litigation. For constitutional conditions violations, abuse, and systemic issues. Does not take individual grievance cases routinely.
Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)
splcenter.org
Active Mississippi prison litigation. For class-action-level systemic conditions issues.
Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project (MVLP)
mvlp.net
Phone: 601-944-1975
Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project provides free civil legal services through volunteer attorneys. May be able to assist with civil matters related to incarceration.
Southeast Mississippi Legal Services
seniorla.org (Southern MS)
Phone: 601-544-6818
Free civil legal services for low-income Mississippi residents in the southeastern part of the state. For families in the SMCI area.
Mississippi Legal Services
Mississippi has multiple regional legal aid organizations. For the appropriate contact by county: lawhelpmississippi.org.
Parchman: What Families Need to Know
Parchman -- officially Mississippi State Penitentiary (MSP) -- is the defining institution of Mississippi's criminal justice history. It is built on a plantation in the Mississippi Delta, in Sunflower County, one of the poorest counties in one of the poorest states in the country.
For families:
- Parchman is 130 miles north of Jackson through rural Delta roads. No public transportation.
- Visiting hours: weekends 8 AM to 2 PM for general population; 4-5 PM on designated days for maximum security (non-contact only).
- Phone: 662-745-6611 ext. 2321 for records.
- The prison is a tobacco-free facility. Tobacco, substitutes, and smoking paraphernalia are prohibited.
- Execution facility: lethal injection in Unit 17. If your loved one is on death row, the ACLU of Mississippi and the Mississippi Center for Justice are the legal contacts.
- Unit 32, which was declared unconstitutional and closed, was reopened during the 2020 crisis. The 2020 crisis resulted in multiple deaths, DOJ investigation requests, and lawsuits funded by Yo Gotti and Jay-Z's Team Roc on behalf of incarcerated people.
The SPLC said of Parchman and Mississippi's system in 2020: "They have had these men living in inhumane conditions and treated worse than animals and when they are treated as if their life doesn't matter how can anyone expect them to have consideration for another person's life?"
That language is documented. It was said by a lawyer who had been inside and had the evidence. Families deserve to know what the people fighting for their loved ones have documented.
How to File a Complaint on Your Loved One's Behalf
Step 1: Document everything specific
Date, facility, staff name if known, what happened. For medical issues: document what care was requested, when, what response was given, and any observable deterioration.
Step 2: MDOC Constituent Services
601-359-5600 | contact form at mdoc.ms.gov/contact. Note response time limitations (business hours only, staff sometimes unavailable).
Step 3: Contact the facility directly
For immediate safety concerns: call the facility records office. MSP: 662-745-6611. CMCF: 601-932-2880. SMCI: 601-394-5600.
Step 4: Mississippi Center for Justice and ACLU of Mississippi
mscenterforjustice.org | aclu-ms.org (601-354-3408). For civil rights violations, documented abuse, unconstitutional conditions, or medical care failures.
Step 5: Southern Poverty Law Center
splcenter.org. For class-action-level systemic issues, particularly at EMCF or Parchman where they have existing case history.
Step 6: Contact your Mississippi state legislators
State senator and state representative at legislature.ms.gov.
Step 7: Federal escalation
DOJ Civil Rights Division (justice.gov/crt). DOJ has already produced a report on Mississippi prison conditions. For federal facilities in Mississippi: BOP South Central Region.
What families cannot compel: You cannot file an internal MDOC grievance for your loved one. You cannot override MDOC administrative decisions. External organizations can investigate and litigate but cannot guarantee outcomes.
Staying Connected: The Practical Guide for Mississippi Families
Phone
GTL/ViaPath (ConnectNetwork) for all MDOC state prisons.
- Set up account at ConnectNetwork.com
- MDOC main for confirmation: 601-359-5600
- Calls outbound only; your loved one must add your number to their approved list
- All calls recorded except legal calls
- Post-FCC rate caps apply; verify current rates
Physical mail to facility address. No known system-wide digital mail scanning. No page limit for letters. Screened for contraband.
Facility mailing addresses:
- MSP (Parchman): MS Hwy 49 W, Parchman, MS 38738
- CMCF (Pearl): 3794 Highway 468 West, Pearl, MS 39208
- SMCI (Leakesville): 23209 Highway 15 South, Leakesville, MS 39451
Include the incarcerated person's full name and MDOC number on the envelope.
Sending money
MoneyGram is a recommended option for MDOC. Verify current deposit options at mdoc.ms.gov or the InmateAid Mississippi send money page.
Visitation
Privilege, not a right. Must be on approved visitor list. Government-issued photo ID required. Arrive 15 minutes early. See specific facility hours above and at mdoc.ms.gov/family-friends.
Locating your loved one
MDOC Inmate Locator: mdoc.ms.gov
Central Office Records: 601-933-2889
VINELink (vinelink.com) for notifications
InmateAid Mississippi inmate search: [internal link]
Supporting Yourself While Supporting Them
Mississippi's prison system is operating under documented constitutional violations with two federal legal organizations -- the ACLU and the SPLC -- actively litigating. The DOJ published a 60-page report in 2024. This is not a system where conditions have been quietly addressed. It is a system under active legal challenge.
The Mississippi Center for Justice (mscenterforjustice.org) is the in-state legal contact. Active as of July 2025. If your loved one is experiencing medical neglect, documented abuse, or conditions that rise to the level of constitutional violations: MCJ and the ACLU of Mississippi are the organizations fighting these cases.
FAMM (famm.org) connects Mississippi families dealing with mandatory minimum sentences to advocacy networks.
For families dealing specifically with conditions at EMCF -- the mental health facility in Meridian -- the ACLU and SPLC have extensive case history on that facility. Deaths continued there through July 2024.
Dial **211** for local community resource referrals in your Mississippi county.
Frequently asked questions
What is Parchman and why does it matter?
Parchman -- Mississippi State Penitentiary (MSP) -- is Mississippi's maximum-security prison farm, built on an 18,000-acre former plantation in Sunflower County in the Mississippi Delta. It has been the subject of federal litigation since at least the 1970s (Gates v. Collier). In 2020, a wave of violence resulted in multiple deaths, DOJ investigation requests from Congressman Bennie Thompson, the SPLC, and the ACLU, and lawsuits funded by musicians Yo Gotti and Jay-Z on behalf of incarcerated people. The DOJ published a report on Mississippi prison constitutional violations in February 2024. Phone: 662-745-6611. Visiting hours: weekends 8 AM to 2 PM (general population).
What phone system does Mississippi MDOC use?
GTL/ViaPath (ConnectNetwork) for MDOC state prisons. Set up a prepaid account at ConnectNetwork.com. Calls are outbound only -- your loved one places calls to you; you cannot call in. All calls recorded except legal calls.
Who are the primary legal organizations fighting for Mississippi prisoners?
The ACLU of Mississippi (aclu-ms.org; 601-354-3408), the Mississippi Center for Justice (mscenterforjustice.org), and the Southern Poverty Law Center (splcenter.org) are the primary organizations. They have litigated conditions at Parchman, EMCF, WCCF, and other facilities over multiple decades. The DOJ has been petitioned to investigate Mississippi prison conditions. For families with documented constitutional violations: these organizations are the legal contacts.
What is East Mississippi Correctional Facility (EMCF)?
A privately operated facility in Meridian, designed for prisoners with serious psychiatric disabilities. Approximately 80% of EMCF's population has serious mental illness. The ACLU and SPLC litigated conditions there from 2013 to 2021 (Dockery v. Epps); the case documented the facility as "hyper-violent, grotesquely filthy and dangerous." Deaths continued post-lawsuit, including three inmates who died there in July 2024.
Is visitation a right in Mississippi?
No. Mississippi MDOC explicitly states that visitation is a privilege, not a right, for both inmates and visitors. Visiting privileges can be revoked for violation of rules and regulations.
How do I contact MDOC Constituent Services?
Phone: 601-359-5600. General contact form at mdoc.ms.gov/contact. Note: the contact form goes to the Central Administrative Office in Jackson, not to facilities. Messages are reviewed during business hours (weekdays, closed after 5 PM and on weekends). Response times vary. For immediate safety concerns, call the facility records office directly.
Is there a confidential way to report sexual abuse in a Mississippi prison?
Yes. The MDOC has a confidential sexual abuse/harassment reporting line through the MS Coalition Against Sexual Assault: 601-359-5628 | 1-866-522-4087 | victimservices@mdoc.state.ms.us. This reporting line is specifically for people who were or are being sexually abused or harassed while in MDOC custody or supervision. --- [SPEC NOTE: Series folder 1intOvghBAhj6-_YzDsYllOy4scUOeEGh. Internal CTAs: Mississippi inmate search, send money to Mississippi inmates, Mississippi reentry resources, Staying Connected hub, how prison works hub. SOURCING: mdoc.ms.gov/contact (Constituent Services essential information inmate concerns issues general public legislators advocacy groups family members friends; general contact form not received any facility email directed MDOC Central Administrative Office downtown Jackson closed after 5 pm weekdays weekends state some federal holidays; messages reviewed next business day order received; constituent services strives respond as quickly as possible; personnel reviews emails occasionally assigned duties temporarily takes away checking email resulting longer response times; Box 24388 Jackson MS 39225 601-933-2889 MDOCRecordsDepartment@mdoc.state.ms.us Records Department; 239 North Lamar Street Suite 501 Jackson MS 39202 601-576-3520 MSStateParoleBoard@mdoc.state.ms.us State Parole Board; 601-359-5628 1-866-522-4087 victimservices@mdoc.state.ms.us PREA reporting confidential MS Coalition Against Sexual Assault; 601-359-5701 MDOCOfficeOfCommunications@mdoc.state.ms.us Office Communications; 301 N Lamar Street Jackson MS 39201 601-359-5600); mdoc.ms.gov/family-friends (recognizes importance visitation maintaining inmate relationships family loved ones; visitation integral part each institution; Friends Family Guide temporarily suspended process updating; visitation privilege not right both inmate visitor; all visitors must follow rules visitation may continue see loved ones; visitation privileges revoked inmates visitors violation rules regulations; information provided applies MDOC state facilities); inmateaid.com Mississippi State Penitentiary MSP (visiting hours General Population Units Saturday or Sunday 0800-1400 hours each unit own assigned visitation days; Special Treatment Units STU first Saturday third Sunday 1600-1700 hours; Maximum Security C Custody 1st Saturday 3rd Sunday 1600-1700 hours non-contact visits only; 662-745-6611; GTL ConnectNetwork phone; tobacco-free facility; Unit 17 lethal injection; agribusiness auto mechanics carpentry diesel mechanics communications systems HVAC industrial electricity marine maintenance welding culinary arts vocational); jaildata.com Mississippi (Central Office 301 North Lamar Street Jackson Mississippi 39201 601-359-5600; Central Office Records 601-933-2889; MSP Parchman Records 662-745-6611 ext 2321; CMCF Records 601-932-2880 ext 6243; SMCI Records 601-394-5600 ext 1209; media inquiries Communications 601-359-5608; Gates v. Collier 1987 class action racial segregation corporal punishment cruel unusual punishment medical care contraband); inmateaid.com MDOC (phone carrier Global Tel Link GTL ConnectNetwork; MoneyGram recommended money transfer); coxwelllaw.com May 2025 (DOJ February 2024 published 60-page report detailing 8th and 14th Amendment violations WCCF other Mississippi prisons; Dockery v Epps et al 2013 ACLU SPLC class action unconstitutional conditions confinement did not end until August 2021; deaths inmate assaults continued still occur; July 2024 three inmates died EMCF; Marshall County Correctional Facility Holly Springs MDOC took control September 2021); theappeal.org 2020 (Bennie Thompson SPLC ACLU Mississippi advocacy leaders asked DOJ investigate systemic inarguably egregious flagrant civil rights violations Mississippi prisons; FAMM two similar requests; Unit 32 closed decade settlement ACLU MDOC unconstitutional conditions reopened 2020 crisis; ACLU National Prison Project attorney Margaret Winter Unit 32 truly wretched place; five men sleeping on cell floor; chronic understaffing underpaying corrections officers failure protect incarcerated individuals harm abominable conditions SPLC Lisa Graybill; inhumane conditions treated worse than animals Ashley Lukens runs support group for prisoners families); aclu.org EMCF (EMCF Meridian 80 percent serious mental illness; hyper-violent grotesquely filthy dangerous; Dockery v Epps May 2013; 120 suicidal people solitary more three months abject filth darkness; ACLU SPLC Law Offices Elizabeth Alexander Covington Burling; MDOC known conditions years failed protect health safety prisoners); mscenterforjustice.org (Mississippi Center Justice public service law firm fights discrimination economic social injustice legal representation policy advocacy community education; President CEO Woman of Influence July 1 2025; ACLU Mississippi Partners File Lawsuit Challenging Constitutionality Anti-DEI Law HB 1193 June 9 2025; Paloma Wu Rob McDuff MCJ Joshua Tom ACLU Mississippi COVID lawsuit); aclu-ms.org P.O. Box 2242 Jackson MS 39225-2242 601-354-3408; splcenter.org 400 Washington Ave Montgomery AL 36104; famm.org; humanrightsdefensecenter.org 561-360-2523; mvlp.net 601-944-1975; lawhelpmississippi.org; legislature.ms.gov; justice.gov/crt; 211 Mississippi; ConnectNetwork.com; vinelink.com; mdoc.ms.gov. NOTE for Poorwa: CRITICAL -- verify GTL ConnectNetwork still Mississippi MDOC phone vendor (confirmed multiple sources); verify MoneyGram still recommended MDOC money transfer (confirm at mdoc.ms.gov); verify MDOC Constituent Services 601-359-5600 and contact form at mdoc.ms.gov/contact current; verify MSP 662-745-6611 ext 2321 current; verify CMCF 601-932-2880 ext 6243 current; verify SMCI 601-394-5600 ext 1209 current; verify MDOC inmate locator at mdoc.ms.gov current; verify VINELink available Mississippi; verify Friends Family Guide at mdoc.ms.gov/family-friends -- is it still suspended or has it been updated?; verify Mississippi MDOC mail policy -- no digital mail scanning at state prisons?; verify current visiting hours for MSP CMCF SMCI (confirmed above from inmateaid.com March 2026 and mdoc.ms.gov); verify ACLU Mississippi 601-354-3408 aclu-ms.org current; verify Mississippi Center Justice mscenterforjustice.org current (confirmed active July 2025); verify SPLC splcenter.org Jackson MS office current; verify PREA reporting 601-359-5628 1-866-522-4087 victimservices@mdoc.state.ms.us current; verify State Parole Board 601-576-3520 MSStateParoleBoard@mdoc.state.ms.us current; verify FCC rate caps apply to GTL Mississippi; verify Mississippi Legal Services lawhelpmississippi.org current; len/char check before publish.]
Stay Connected with InmateAid
Reach Your Loved One in Mississippi
InmateAid helps families stay in touch. Set up discounted calls, send letters and photos, add money, or send approved magazines - all in one place.