Mississippi State Penitentiary

Mississippi State Penitentiary, widely known as Parchman Farm or simply Parchman, is a maximum-security state prison operated by the Mississippi Department of Corrections, located in Sunflower County in the heart of the Mississippi Delta. Parchman has operated as a working prison farm since its founding in 1901 on land that was previously a cotton plantation. It is one of the oldest continuously operating prisons in the United States and one of the most historically significant correctional facilities in American history, having held a wide range of individuals from civil rights activists to some of the state's most serious offenders. The facility occupies a large rural tract in an agricultural part of the Delta.

Communication at Parchman operates through Mississippi DOC provider contracts. JPay handles electronic messaging, photo sharing, and money transfers. Families create a JPay account and add the inmate using their Mississippi DOC number to begin correspondence. Securus Technologies manages phone calls and video visitation at Parchman under the MDOC contract. Setting up a Securus prepaid account allows families to receive inmate-initiated calls. Video visits through Securus are available and are a practical option given how remote the facility is — Parchman is more than two hours north of Jackson in a rural area without major nearby towns.

The conditions and operations at Parchman have been the subject of ongoing legal and reform proceedings, and conditions can change more rapidly here than at more stable facilities. Communication access may be affected by facility lockdowns, population movement, or administrative changes. Families whose loved one has recently arrived at Parchman should confirm current communication availability directly with the facility or through MDOC before counting on a specific communication schedule. The Mississippi DOC offers an inmate search tool that can help confirm current housing assignment within the large facility.