Listen to this article
Download AudioParchman Farm Prison Unit 29 Incarcerated Writings Firsthand Accounts Systemic Racism
Unmasking Injustice: Echoes from Parchman Prison
By Darius Spearman (africanelements)
Support African Elements at patreon.com/africanelements and hear recent news in a single playlist. Additionally, you can gain early access to ad-free video content.
The Mississippi State Penitentiary, known as Parchman Farm, is more than just a prison. It’s a chilling reminder of America’s dark past and continuing struggle with racial injustice. *Unit 29: Writings from Parchman Prison* gives voice to those locked inside its walls, revealing experiences of suffering and resilience (EXCERPTS – Unit 29: Writing from Parchman Prison).
Moreover, these firsthand accounts from over 30 incarcerated individuals offer a raw, unfiltered look into the brutal realities of life within one of America’s most notorious prisons (Voices From Solitary: Dispatches from Unit 29 at Parchman Prison). These stories transport us beyond the statistics, showing the human toll of systemic issues.
Mississippi State Penitentiary Stories: A Legacy of Brutality
Parchman was built in 1901 on a former slave plantation. The early days of Parchman were deeply rooted in the racial injustices of the post-Civil War South (Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman (1901 – ) | BlackPast.org). Black Codes and vagrancy laws were used to target African Americans. These individuals were swept into the prison system, creating a workforce that mirrored the exploitative conditions of slavery.
In the prison’s early years, an astonishing 85% of its population was Black, a direct reflection of systemic targeting (A Look Into Parchman – How Plantation Prisons Present Themselves). The prison enforced strict racial segregation; consequently, Black inmates faced harsher work quotas, lived in worse conditions, and were subjected to more violence (Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman (1901 – ) | BlackPast.org). Today, the legacy of this targeted injustice continues. Black Mississippians make up 70% of Parchman’s population despite representing only 37% of the state’s population (The Lasting Legacy of Parchman Farm, the Prison Modeled After a Slave Plantation).
Parchman Prison Writings: Voices from Inside
The book *Unit 29: Writings from Parchman Prison* gives us something invaluable. It contains the voices of those experiencing Parchman’s brutality firsthand. These writings, published in December 2024, vividly describe life in Unit 29. Unit 29, a section known for harsh conditions, includes stories of long-term solitary confinement, substance abuse, violence, and suicide attempts.
These narratives expose the psychological impact of incarceration. One example is Christopher Smith’s grief over his mother’s death while he was detained (EXCERPTS – Unit 29: Writing from Parchman Prison). The collected writings showcase examples of systemic violence. For instance, inmates detail the “shit shake”—a horrific feces-throwing conflict. Additionally, near-fatal altercations between inmates illuminate the constant dangers within(EXCERPTS – Unit 29: Writing from Parchman Prison). The collection even includes Istanbul Borum’s powerful words on maintaining inner freedom: “Prison don’t have any / Real chains on me” (Voices From Solitary: Dispatches from Unit 29 at Parchman Prison).
Plantation Prison Conditions: Legal Battles and Lasting Scars
Parchman’s horrific conditions have drawn legal scrutiny for decades. A 1972 lawsuit confirmed the prison’s segregationist policies. The evidence included overcrowding and disproportionate discipline for Black prisoners (Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman (1901 – ) | BlackPast.org).
In the same year, Federal courts issued an injunction. This injunction noted that Black inmates were forced to endure double the number of people in the same space as white inmates (Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman (1901 – ) | BlackPast.org). More recently, in 2020, a lawsuit led to a Department of Justice investigation, exposing unconstitutional conditions (Voices From Solitary: Dispatches from Unit 29 at Parchman Prison). While some reforms followed, resulting in the partial closure of Unit 29, the struggle for justice is far from over; moreover, 34 death row inmates still remain there.
Racial Disparity at Parchman Prison
(State Population)
(Parchman Population)
Black Codes: Reinforcing Systemic Racism
The Black Codes were laws passed in Southern states after the Civil War. They were explicitly designed to limit the freedom of African Americans and ensure their availability as a cheap labor force after slavery was abolished (Black Codes (1865) – The National Constitution Center). Further, these codes restricted almost every aspect of Black life.
These laws criminalized things like owning a gun, marrying a white person, or even being unemployed. Vagrancy laws were a key part of this, allowing authorities to arrest freedpeople who couldn’t prove they had a job, forcing them into often unpaid labor (Black Codes (1865) – The National Constitution Center). Mississippi’s code, in particular, allowed authorities to arrest Black people who left their jobs early, forcing them back to their “legal employer” (Black Codes (1865) – The National Constitution Center). These actions were systemic racism in action, creating a legal framework to maintain white dominance and exploit Black labor.
Understanding Systemic Racism
Systemic Racism: Policies and practices in institutions that disadvantage certain groups. Unlike personal prejudice, it exists within social, economic, and political systems around us. Recognizing this form of racism is key to addressing the root causes of racial inequalities in policing and other areas.
Vagrancy & Loitering Laws: Tools of Control
After Emancipation, vagrancy and loitering laws became key weapons to reimpose control over Black labor. These weren’t about public safety; they criminalized joblessness and movement. This system was consequently echoing the control of the slavery era.
Mississippi’s 1865 vagrancy law stated that freedpeople without proof of employment were considered vagrants. Therefore, they were subject to arrest and forced labor (Black Codes – Britannica). South Carolina took it a step further, banning Black people from owning firearms. Consequently, this action reinforced social control through fear (Black Codes (1865) – The National Constitution Center). These laws fueled the convict lease system; under this system, arrested individuals faced involuntary labor, basically maintaining slavery by another name (Black Codes (United States) – Wikipedia).
Black Codes Impact and Enforcement
Firearm Possession
Impact
Black individuals were prohibited from owning firearms, limiting their ability to defend themselves and reinforcing white dominance.
Interracial Marriage
Impact
Marriages between Black and white individuals were banned, reinforcing racial segregation and social hierarchy.
Unemployment
Impact
Freedpeople without lawful employment were deemed vagrants, subject to arrest and forced labor, effectively re-enslaving them.
Key provisions from the Black Codes illustrate the systemic restrictions placed on African Americans. Source: Black Codes (1865) – The National Constitution Center
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Darius Spearman is a professor of Black Studies at San Diego City College, where he has been teaching since 2007. He is the author of several books, including Between The Color Lines: A History of African Americans on the California Frontier Through 1890. You can visit Darius online at africanelements.org.
