JACKSON, Miss. – Riots, arson, and gang activity, those are just some of the things that have happened at the Hinds County jail in the past, and a Hinds County grand jury wants Sheriff Tyrone Lewis to no longer have responsibility over the jail. The jury says there are not enough guards, the guards are under-trained, and inmates are living in less than ideal conditions.
Tyrone Lewis said at a press conference in Jackson Friday that his department is doing all they can to move forward to resolve the issues.
“My job is to run the facilities on a day to day basis. There are multiple components when it comes to running the facilities, and I want to stress that,” said Lewis. “There is a criminal justice component and a board of supervisors’ component.”
Lewis says his department has a great relationship with the board of supervisors, but said little about having a relationship with the criminal justice system in Hinds County.
“We need to move these individuals out of these facilities and quit treating the Hinds County detention facility like a prison. A prison is designed for long term stay. These facilities are not designed for prison makeup. When you keep them here over their length of time, they have all day and all night to think of all kid of ways to destruct this facility. We are not moving these people through the system”
“The criminal justice system is very broken, if it were not I wouldn’t’ have individual sitting here for seven years that haven’t had trail. I’ve only been here for two and a half years. “
