Mississippi prisons to be among first state prisons to vaccinate inmates

JACKSON, Miss. (WCBI)- Mississippi prisons will be among the first state prisons in the United States to begin mass vaccinations.

There are over 17,000 inmates within our state.

Mississippi Corrections started with Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Pearl.

The MDOC’s medical staff completed a little over 3,000 inmate vaccinations.

So far, only 3,500 doses in total were given by the Mississippi Department of Health of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine.

MDOC says Mississippi State Prison at Parchman will be vaccinated next week and South Mississippi Correctional the following week.

By protecting inmates with the vaccines family visitations can reopen as soon as the second shots are given.

” We talked to the guys and ladies upfront and let them know, ‘Hey if y’all want to get back to normal and get activities going, visitations, increase our religious, academic and vocational programs, let’s do this. And we let them know we got the vaccinations ourselves and told them, ‘Hey guys we took the vaccinations ourselves and everything’s working out fine.’ We want everybody to take the vaccination,” said Superintendent of Central Mississippi Correctional Facility, Ronald King.

Vaccinations are not mandatory.