There has been an influx of inmate deaths reported at prisons in Mississippi, calling for prison reform advocates to inquire about conditions behind bars. Some people have alleged that prisoners are living in inhumane conditions, while elected officials state that it's the inmates' violent behaviors that result in fatalities.
There have been a handful of celebrities who have taken to social media to speak out about what they consider to be a crisis in America's prisons, but Yo Gotti may take legal action if necessary. The "Rake It Up" hitmaker reportedly penned a letter to Mississippi's Governor Phil Bryant to tell him if the state doesn't take the proper precautions to ensure inmate safety, then he, along with Roc Nation, will take legal action. He cites that conditions are in violation of the Eighth Amendment regarding cruel and unusual punishment.
According to TMZ, what set Gotti off was news about two deaths that occurred at a prison known as Parchman Farm not far from the rapper's hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. The outlet states that Gotti's letter says inmates are "forced to live in squalor, with rats that crawl over them as they sleep on the floor, having been denied even a mattress for a cot."
Complex received a statement from Gotti regarding the controversy that reads: "The conditions in the prisons operated by the Mississippi Department of Corrections are absolutely inhumane and unconstitutional. To see this happen so close to my hometown of Memphis is truly devastating. That’s why we’re calling on Mississippi state leaders to take immediate action and rectify this issue. If they don’t right this wrong, we’re prepared to take legal action to provide relief for those that are incarcerated and their families."
