On New Year’s Day, 2020, a fight broke out in Parchman Prison. An anonymous source who was involved in the riots says that the fights were not due to gang violence, but due to the mistreatment of the prisoners and their unhealthy living conditions.

On Jan. 1, 2020, while in the anonymous source’s cell, the source stated that his bunkmate let someone else in. Before he could move, the person jumped on him and tried to take his life. 

The source does not know exactly why he was targeted that day, but did say, “I probably deserved it because I’ve done so much wrong in my life. To live that lifestyle behind bars, no one would ever understand. I fought for my life every day and night. So whatever happened to me behind [the] walls, it was supposed to happen.”

Injured but still alive, the source claims that when he asked for medical attention, security guards mistreated him. He informed the guards to call his family, but they refused. 

According to the source, everyone who had the power to do something to help him mistreated him, leaving him to handle the situation himself.

“Where I’m from, it’s a life for a life,” The source said.“I lost something that was valuable to me so [the person who stabbed me] had to die.”

There is a need for change and better construction in the prison, the source said. He also believes that the guards should be replaced with people who care for the prisoners and respect them as humans. 

“I witnessed dead bodies hanging in cells,” the source said. He also stated that the bodies would often be left to rot for days at a time before guards removed them.

“I witnessed stabbings and murders,” he went on. “I found myself having to murder someone to save my own [life]. Now that I am free, I’m not going back because that’s not a place to live or be.”

The source said he has video evidence of bodies hanging in cells, but due to privacy and content concerns, he would not share them.