Editor, Commonwealth:
Newly appointed Mississippi Corrections Commissioner Marshall Fisher deals with matters of violence and contraband by punishing everyone in the prison.
The canteen and visits are privileges, and inmates have no rights to privileges. But inmates do have a right to due process before they are punished, and Mr. Fisher’s actions blatantly violate that right.
But if the lawmakers in Jackson are going to let Mr. Fisher apply this means of dealing with problems, fine. Let’s do it then, but let’s do it right. Let’s be fair about it and apply it to everyone. The law is supposed to apply to everyone, right?
Now my question is, The next time some guard or member of the prison administration is caught doing something illegal, how much time will Mr. Fisher have to serve? Let’s not be hypocritical about this. The suggestion is no more outrageous than the tactics Mr. Fisher is using against inmates.
Yes, it would be wrong to punish Mr. Fisher for the actions of other officers. It is just as wrong to punish me for the actions of other inmates.
Roy Harper
Mississippi State Penitentiary
Parchman
