MDOC – Mississippi State Penitentiary

MDOC – Mississippi State Penitentiary basic information to help guide you through what you can do for your inmate while they are incarcerated. The facility's direct contact number: 662-745-6611

This facility is for adult inmates.

The inmates housed at Mississippi State Penitentiary located at PO Box 1057 – Hwy 49 West in Parchman, MS are placed according to their custody level (determined by a number of factors including the past criminal history and the length of their sentence). There are ample educational and vocational training programs for all inmates, especially ones that show a willingness to learn new things that will prepare them for a better life when they are released. The mission is to promote and prepare the offender to leave in better shape than when they arrived, giving them the best chance to never come back and thus lower the state's recidivism rate.

It is the mission of the Mississippi State Penitentiary to provide public safety by maintaining the confinement of offenders within a safe, secure humane and cost-effective environment while providing meaningful work and other self-improvement opportunities to assist them in becoming productive law-abiding citizens upon their release.

The Mississippi State Penitentiary (MSP) is located in Parchman MS and is the state’s oldest Institution, opening in 1901. It is located on approximately 18,000 acres at Parchman, Mississippi in Sunflower County. MSP has a capacity of approximately 3,590 beds, which consist of fifty-eight (58) support buildings and seven (7) different housing units, ranging in size from fifty-six (56) beds at Unit 42 (Hospital) to 1,568 beds at Unit 29, (Unit 29 is MSP primary farming support unit).

This farming unit is responsible for providing food to three State prisons. Mississippi State Penitentiary consists of 58 support buildings and seven housing units. Inmates can take vocational courses in agriculture, auto body repair, automotive/diesel mechanics, communications, HVAC, welding, carpentry, electrical, culinary arts and marine maintenance. In addition, inmates can earn a GED and adult basic education. Offenders who need to are encouraged to take substance abuse treatment programs, pre-release programs, and various faith-based programs.

MSP houses all male offenders who are classified as Protective Custody, Administrative Segregation, Administrative Long-Term Segregation, and Death Row. MSP custody levels consist of minimum, medium, and close.

All male Death Row offenders are housed at MSP, Unit 29, and all female offenders sentenced to Death are housed at Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Rankin County.

MSP offenders provide more than 100,000 hours of free offender labor each year to adjacent municipalities and counties, as well as assisting other state agencies.

There are approximately 832 (filled/vacant security and non-security) employees at MSP.

MSP is divided into three (3) separate areas:

AREA	WARDENS, DEPUTY WARDENS & ASSOCIATE WARDENS	UNITS
Area I	*Timothy Morris, Warden *Brenda S. Cox, Deputy Warden *Verlena Flagg, Deputy Warden *Marylen Sturdivant, Associate Warden	Unit 29, (Division One house MPIC workers, Faith-Based Initiative (FBI), Field Operation workers) & (Division Two house, High-Risk Initiative Program, Administrative Long-Term Segregation, Protective Custody, Transit Offenders, Death Row, and Administrative Segregation)
Area II	*Sonja Stanciel, Warden *Lee Simon, Deputy Warden *Jewel Morris, Interim Associate Warden	Unit 25 Pre-Release & Processing, Unit 26 Agriculture, MPIC, Processing & Institution Workers, Unit 28 MPIC & Processing Unit 30 Drug & Alcohol Programs & Vocational School, Unit 31 Disability Offenders and Unit 42 hospital for all MDOC offenders.
Administrative & Support	*Sequcia Wren, Commander	Transportation, Emergency Operation Center, Visitation, Post Office, Central Laundry, Front Vocational School & MPIC.

The majority of the farming activity involving Mississippi Prison Agricultural Enterprises takes place at MSP. MPAE supplies food to the 3 State Institutions, 10 Community Work Centers and 4 Restitution Centers.

During FY 2016, inmates worked a total of 270,000 hours in the agricultural program.
MPAE planted approximately 912 acres of vegetables, 97 acres of rice, 4,738 acres of soybeans.
During FY 2016, 1,152,786 pounds of vegetables were harvested ($475,070 cash value).

Programs offered at MSP include:
Therapeutic Recreation
Religious Programs
Independent Study and Tutorial Programs
Pre-Release
Faith-Based Program
Alcohol & Drug Program
ABE/GED Programs
Administrative Remedy Program (ARP)
PACT

Vocational Skills:

• Agri-Business
• Auto Body & Fender
• Auto Mechanics
• Carpentry
• Diesel Mechanics
• Communications Systems Installer
• Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration
• Industrial Electricity
• Marine Maintenance
• Welding
• Culinary Arts

Mississippi Prison Industries operates a work program at the MSP and utilizes more than 296,400 offender’s man-hours in its textile and metal fabrication. On a monthly average, 190 offenders work in these shops.

All MDOC facilities and grounds including Mississippi State Penitentiary became tobacco-free. The use or possession of tobacco (cigarettes, loose tobacco, cigar, snuff, chewing tobacco and any preparation of tobacco, (tobacco substitutes), smoking paraphernalia (matches, lighter, cigarette papers), and packaging material (snuff or cigarette containers) is prohibited. These items are considered and will no longer be permitted by inmates, staff or visitors. Any possession of these items will result in appropriate administrative action.

Effective September 27, 2012, MDOC no longer provide Family Visitation offered for married offenders and their immediate family members.
Effective February 1, 2014, MDOC no longer provides Conjugal Visitation between legally married offenders and their spouses.

All offender executions are carried out at Mississippi State Penitentiary at Unit 17 by Lethal Injection.

MDOC – Mississippi State Penitentiary – Visitation
MDOC – Mississippi State Penitentiary – Inmate Handbook
MDOC – Mississippi State Penitentiary – Inmate Family Information

visitation Info

MDOC – Mississippi State Penitentiary – Visitation

VISITING AN INMATE AT MSP

MSP Visitation Department is open 7 days of the week. 

Medium & Minimum Custody Offenders – Saturday or Sunday, 0900 – 1400 hours.  Each unit has its own assigned visitation days. 

SPECIAL TREATMENT UNITS –  

Protective Custody Offenders – *PC Minimum Custody – every Monday, (except 5th)

*PC Medium Custody – 2nd & 4th Monday; *PC Closed Custody –3rd Monday non-contact. 

Closed Custody Offenders – Unit 29 – 2nd or 4th Tuesday; 2nd, 3rd or 4th Wednesday; 2nd Thursday.

Death Row Offenders – 1st & 3rd Tuesdays.

Long-Term Administrative Segregation Status – One (1) hour non-contact visit on the 1st Wednesday..

• Each offender is allowed to fill out a visitation list with ten (10) visitors.  The list should be created at Receiving & Classification.
• A visitor cannot be on two offender's list unless they are immediate family.  Documentation is required.
• Each visitor must have a valid state or federal ID.

Visitors will not be permitted entrance to any unit in the institution without photographic identification.  The Superintendent or designee will approve any exception. Identification required will be Federal or State-issued photograph identification.

Visitors with infants may have one (1) diaper bag with up to four (4) diapers, two (2) bottles, one (1) change of baby clothes a, one (1) pacifier and diaper wipes in a zip lock bag and any necessary medication for the infant.

• Visitors are scanned by the scanner and searched by staff before departing the visitation center.
• Visitors will be processed through the Visitation Center between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
• Visitors are bused to the units and the last bus leaves at 1:30 p.m.

CANTEEN VISITATION BAG PROCEDURE

• The offender will be the only one allowed to purchase the canteen bag.
• The offender will purchase the canteen bag the week of the family scheduled visit. (Limit of three)
• He will do so by using his code on the same call he purchases his weekly canteen order. 
• The family will be limited to 3 bags and will not be allowed to bring in any currency.
• The family will follow the visitation rules and regulations before advancing to the Canteen window.

DRESS CODE FOR MALE VISITORS:

• Shirts must be worn
• No tank tops or bare midriffs or sleeveless tops
• Shorts may not be above the knee
• No cut-off shorts, jogging shorts, or biking shorts
• Shoes must be worn (no house or shower shoes)
• Underwear must be worn
• No pants pulled below the hip line
• No hats or head covering of any kind
• Hats, caps, and bandanas will not be permitted
• medical alert bracelet 

DRESS CODE FOR FEMALE VISITORS:

• Shorts at knee level or below
• No hip huggers, cut-offs, jogging shorts or biking shorts
• Skirts and dresses shall not be above the knee
• Slits shall not extend above the knee when seated
• No see-through clothing
• No tank tops or bare midriffs or sleeveless tops
• Shoes must be worn (no house or shower shoes)
• Underwear and bra must be worn
• Hats, caps and bandanas will not be permitted
• No jewelry except wedding ring, a religious medallion, and a medical  alert bracelet
• Dress code applies to children also.
• Visitors departing units are not allowed to bring anything from units except canteen purchases.

UNAPPROVED VISITORS

Individuals who are convicted felons will be prohibited from visiting offenders except in those cases where immediate family relations can be established.  In such cases, the superintendent will grant permission in writing.  Visitors must show this written authorization each time they visit.

VISITORS UNDER 14 YEARS OLD

All visitors 14 years of age or older must have a picture ID and be on the offender's approved list. The ID must display their date of birth. All children under 14 years of age will bring a legible birth certificate.

SUSPENSION OF VISITS

Visiting privileges may be suspended temporarily or permanently for any of the following reasons:

• If a visitor possesses money or any negotiable instruments while on the grounds of the institution.
• If a visitor possesses tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs or drug paraphernalia while on the grounds of the institution.
• If a visitor possesses a knife, firearm, explosives or explosive material while on the grounds of the institution.
• If a visitor engages in any behavior which may be designated inappropriate by the Superintendent or designee.