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U.S. NEWS Friday 17 January 2020
Mississippi governor: Prison

violence was a 'catastrophe'

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS Reeves said he is appoint- Reeves served the past
Associated Press ing an interim commission- eight years as lieutenant
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mis- er of corrections. Tommy governor and was inaugu-
sissippi's new governor said Taylor is mayor of the small rated as governor on Tues-
Thursday that the state town of Boyle, and is a for- day. He is replacing some
will conduct a nationwide mer state lawmaker with state agency directors and
search for a new commis- experience in law enforce- keeping others.
sioner to lead a state pris- ment. Pelicia Hall had been com-
on system that's reckoning The group searching for a missioner of the Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves reacts to a question during a
with what he called a "ca- long-term commissioner will Department of Corrections news conference regarding his establishing a diverse group of
tastrophe" — a recent out- be led by Vicksburg Mayor since 2017. She announced experienced Mississippians to help with a nationwide search
burst of deadly violence George Flaggs, another Dec. 31 that she would for a new Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC)
and longstanding prob- former state lawmaker. leave the job in mid-Janu- commissioner, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020. Associated Press
lems with vacant jobs and At different times, Flaggs ary, which coincides with
damaged facilities. and Taylor each served the transition from former day, saying understaffed hundreds of prisoners were
Republican Gov. Tate as chairman of the state Republican Gov. Phil Bry- prisons are "plagued by moved from one unit at the
Reeves also said the Mis- House committee with ant to Reeves. violence" and inmates are Parchman to another unit
sissippi Bureau of Investi- oversight of prisons. Between Dec. 29 and Jan. forced to live in decrepit there that closed years ago
gation will assign an offi- Others on the search group 3, five inmates were killed and dangerous conditions. because of decrepit con-
cer to the Mississippi State are two district attorneys, a and an undisclosed num- All of the plaintiffs have ditions. The state then en-
Penitentiary at Parchman judge, a former state Pa- ber of others were injured in been inmates at Parch- tered an emergency con-
to uncover any criminal role Board member, a cur- violence inside the prisons. man. tract to move 375 of those
activity connected to the rent sheriff and a retired More than two dozen in- Because of damage inmates to a private prison
violence. sheriff. mates sued the state Tues- caused during the unrest, nearby.q
"As a husband, as a fa- One of the district attor-
ther and as governor, it is neys, Jody Owens of Hinds
my duty to protect your County, previously worked
loved ones just as I would for Southern Poverty Law
my wife, Elee, and our Center, a group that has
three girls," Reeves said at questioned harsh living
a news conference. "We conditions in the prisons.
have all seen the catastro- The retired sheriff, Greg
phe that the current state Waggoner of Leake Coun-
of our prison system has al- ty, helped federal authori-
lowed for. There will always ties investigate a corrup-
be bad people in the world tion case against a former
who wish to inflict pain on Mississippi corrections com-
others. ... We will never fully missioner who was arrested
eradicate evil, but we can in 2014 and is now in fed-
do better than this." eral prison.

FBI arrests 3 white supremacists
ahead of pro-gun rally

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN
and MIKE BALSAMO
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP)
— FBI agents on Thurs-
day arrested a former
Canadian Armed Forces
reservist and two other
men who are linked to a
violent white suprema-
cist group and were be-
lieved to be heading to a
pro-gun rally next week in
Virginia's capital.
The three men are mem- This undated photo provided
bers of The Base and by the Royal Canadian
were arrested on fed- Mounted Police shows Patrik
eral charges in a crimi- Mathews.
nal complaint unsealed Associated Press
in Maryland, according Mathews, 27, and Brian
to a Justice Department Mark Lemley Jr., 33, of Elk-
news release. ton, Maryland, with trans-
Tuesday's complaint porting a firearm and
charges Canadian na- ammunition with intent to
tional Patrik Jordan commit a felony. q