Rappers Jay-Z and Yo Gotti funded a lawsuit on behalf of prisoners in Mississippi to complain about squalid conditions in the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman. However, after the lawsuit was filed and a Justice Department inquiry happened, improvements were made, and the rappers' legal counsel dropped the lawsuit.

The rappers hired attorneys on behalf of the prisoners in 2020, who in turn filed two lawsuits against Mississippi State Pen, which had been having problems with the living conditions inside the prison. State health inspectors found repeated health problems inside, including broken toilets and moldy showers. Rats and cockroaches were also a common sight and some cell doors did not lock.

According to the Associated Press, the lawsuits were dropped on January 13 after the lawyers and the state Department of Corrections saw that improvements were made during the last three years. These include the installation of air conditioning, as well as the renovation of bathrooms, and updating of the prison's water and sewer systems.

Jay-Z and Yo Gotti Lawyers Promise to Return if the Conditions Go Back to Before

While conditions have mostly improved inside the prison also known as Parchman Farm, and renovations continue to be made, Jay-Z and Yo Gotti's legal counsel at Team Roc reminded the prison system that they will be back to make sure these improvements stay.

The lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice, with TMZ pointing out that it could be refiled at any moment. Team Roc's representative did say that they are pleased with the new additions but are continuing to monitor the prison in case it goes back to the squalid conditions that made inmates call it "Horror Camp."

Team Roc previously visited the prison with a film crew last week. They said that they will be turning over the footage to the Department of Justice for further review soon.

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Riot Led to Jay-Z and Yo Gotti to Fund Lawsuit, Justice Department Investigation

Team Roc is the social justice arm of Jay-Z's entertainment company, and it first filed the lawsuit in early 2020 on behalf of over 200 prisoners at Parchman Farms. A string of fatal stabbings occurred inside, as well as several prison riots, and this caught the attention of the rappers.

Protests then happened outside the Mississippi State Capitol, complaining of the revolting conditions inside the prison. Among them include rat feces, cockroaches, and bird droppings contaminating their meals, according to NBC News.

A second suit from the rappers' attorneys followed a month later, stating that the prison was not only violent but also a "rat-infested place where inmates lived in abhorrent conditions and their medical needs were routinely ignored."

The accusations got the Department of Justice to finally act with its Civil Rights Division launching a formal investigation around the same time the rappers' lawyers filed their lawsuits.

Roc Nation previously released a YouTube video around the time of the lawsuit's filing, and it revealed the disturbing scenes inside.

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Written by: Rick Martin

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