Jay-Z & Yo Gotti Help 150 Inmates At Mississippi's Parchman Prison

Source: Lester Cohen / Getty

Jay Z, Yo Gotti and the philanthropic arm of Roc Nation Team Roc are continuing to make a difference in the Mississippi Prison system.

After already exposing one of the worst institutions, Parchman Prison, for inhumane conditions including rampant inmate violence, rodent and roach infestations and lack of medical care, Team Roc is filing a lawsuit.

Team Roc’s lawsuit is on behalf of 152 inmates who say that they are under “constant peril” at Parchman and that the environment is “so barbaric, the deprivation of health and mental health care so extreme, and the defects in security so severe, that the people confined at Parchman live a miserable and hopeless existence confronted daily by imminent risk of substantial harm in violation of their rights under the U.S. Constitution” according to NBC News.

The lawsuit also alleges that prison guards have turned a blind eye to the deplorable conditions and are putting inmate safety at risk.

“Plaintiffs have resorted to tying their cell doors closed at night to prevent guards from allowing other inmates to enter and assault them,” the suit says.

The plaintiffs are asking the Corrections Department to take immediate action within 90 days. It also seeks for the court to retain full jurisdiction of the prison until the department has “fully remedied the situation and ensured a safe, livable environment.”

A lawsuit was previously filed in January with Jay Z’s help on behalf of 29 inmates and the Justice Department previously announced a civil rights investigation. The DOJ is exploring whether prison officials have done enough to protect inmates from one another and the quality of mental health care and suicide prevention efforts.

Since Dec. 29, at least 18 people have died in Mississippi state prisons.

Shoutout to Team Roc for continuing to apply pressure on behalf of the inmates! They’ve even released a PSA video.