History
In 1843 a penitentiary in four city squares in central Jackson became Mississippi's first state prison; it is located where the Capitol of Mississippi currently resides. As a result of the U.S. Civil War, the Jackson prison was destroyed, and the state had no prison. Prisoners were leased to third parties, which held custody of the inmates. After December 31, 1894, prisoners sentenced by the State of Mississippi could no longer be hired or leased by third parties. After the convict leasing system ended, the State of Mississippi began to acquire property to build its own correctional facilities. The state bought the Rankin Farm in Rankin County, 12 miles (19 km) away from Jackson, in 1895. Afterwards the state purchased the Oakley Farm, located in Hinds County, 25 miles (40 km) from Jackson. The state government purchased land in Sunflower County in January 1901, leading to the establishment of the Parchman Farm (now Mississippi State Penitentiary).
The Department of Corrections opened in 1976 to oversee the existing Mississippi state prisons.
By 2011 MDOC operated below capacity due to methods used to reduce the prison population, such as increased use of house arrest and conditional medical release. As of 2011 the state prisons are over 2,000 spaces below capacity. With private prisons included, that is about 4,000 beds below capacity.
Read more about this topic: Mississippi Department Of Corrections
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