Beyonce’s husband makes the claim on behalf of 29 inmates who accuse the violence experienced and who claimed the life of 5 inmates.
Rapper Jay-Z sued two Mississippi prison officials on Tuesday on behalf of 29 inmates who say authorities did nothing to stop the violence that killed five prisoners in the past two weeks.
The lawsuit, filed by Jay-Z’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, at the United States District Court in Greenville, Mississippi, says that “these deaths are the direct result of Mississippi’s absolute contempt for the people he has imprisoned and their constitutional rights, ”Reuters reports.
Spiro, on behalf of Jay-Z and hip-hop artist Yo Gotti, wrote a letter to Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant and DOC Commissioner Pelicia Hall dated January 9 saying they were “prepared to look for all possible paths to get relief for people living in Mississippi prisons and their families, ”according to NBC News.
The letter added that the deaths were the result of years of staff shortage and negligence in Mississippi prisons.
The lawsuit, filed against the head of the Mississippi Department of Corrections and the director of the state penitentiary in Parchman, seeks damages for the prisoners and an order that forces the department to address the health problems that the inmates have in that center.