An inmate at East Mississippi Correctional Facility has died, Management and Training Corporation, a private prison company that manages the facility, confirmed Thursday.
MTC Director of Communications Emily Lawhead said in an email the cause of the inmate’s death is still under investigation pending an autopsy. The initial investigation, however, does not support claims made on social media that the death was related to the heat, she said.
“One resident from the East Mississippi Correctional Facility passed away on July 8, but the cause of death is still under investigation, pending an autopsy,” she said. “The initial investigation shows the cause of death is not heat-related.”
No initial cause of death has been released.
Efforts to repair broken air conditioning systems first reported by Mississippi Today on July 5 are moving forward with cooling systems restored in some areas of the facility, Lawhead said. The facility is waiting on parts to finish repairing the rest of the AC units, she said.
In the meantime, swamp coolers are operating in areas without working air conditioning and cool water, towels and fans are available if needed, Lawhead said. The facility is also providing Gatorade for both the facility’s staff and inmates to help them stay hydrated, she said.
The Mississippi Department of Corrections referred questions to MTC.