Photo: Moment RF
A bombshell investigation found that guards at a Mississippi jail have been using inmates as enforcers, encouraging them to help carry out violent assaults against fellow prisoners.
The investigation, conducted by Mississippi Today and the New York Times, centers around jail culture in Rankin County, where dozens of former inmates and guards said violence was routine and often occurred in blind spots where cameras couldn't record. According to the informants, guards regularly ordered a group of trusted inmates, known as trusties, to beat others for minor infractions such as talking back or possessing contraband.
Former trusties said they were expected to “back up” guards during confrontations or attack other inmates so guards wouldn’t have to. In return, the group would receive special privileges, including unlocked cells, freer movement, outside work, food, and cigarettes. The most senior trusties, identifiable by blue jumpsuits, were known inside the jail as the “Blue Wave," according to the investigation.
Morgan Curtis, a former trusty, said guards’ instructions to attack inmates were “like a command to a pack of dogs.” Nine former trusties acknowledged participating in violence at the guards’ direction.
Four former guards confirmed that beatings involving trusties usually occurred weekly. Dozens of people said guards deliberately dragged people into camera-free corners before assaults.
Reporters reviewed 69 alleged incidents from 2012 to 2024, including cases where trusties or guards left inmates with broken bones, bloody wounds, or lasting injuries. In 2020, former trusty Brock Reed said a guard told trusties to give an inmate who had flooded his cell “a sample," or a beating carried out in an area with no surveillance.
Trusties themselves could also face violence. In one 2019 incident, four former inmates said trusties watched as a deputy choked a trusty who had briefly escaped, then saw guards and trusties drag him into a camera-free room for a beating. The department did not produce reports of the event.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is reviewing the findings. Despite years of complaints and lawsuits describing assaults by trusties and guards, records show many grievances were dismissed with little inquiry.
The Rankin County Sheriff’s Department has denied the allegations. Attorney Jason Dare called the reporting “baseless” and said the jail “is one of the cleanest and best-run” in the state.
The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.