Despite Justice Department scrutiny of the state penitentiary in Parchman, some housed in Unit 29 say conditions are worsening because of the extreme heat.

Despite Justice Department scrutiny of the state penitentiary in Parchman, some housed in Unit 29 say conditions are worsening because of the extreme heat.

Inside the sole unit without air conditioning at Mississippi’s largest prison, inmates hang wet sheets from their cell ceilings to dampen the air and lay drenched towels strategically across their bodies.

A temporary reprieve comes from scoops of ice handed out twice a day.

As punishing heat spreads across the Deep South this summer, inmates in Unit 29 at Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman say they are sweltering inside cells where temperatures can easily climb into the triple digits.

The issue drew the scrutiny of the U.S. Justice Department four years ago, but despite efforts to upgrade the only maximum-security prison for men in the state, inmates say the situation has not improved.