Parchman Prison Tour

Delta Writers Association Hosts Parchman Prison Tour

The Mississippi Writers Guild presents the spring writers retreat here in Clarksdale, Mississippi on May 30th, 2009. Part of the weekend’s events will include a free tour of the local Parchman Penitentiary, located about forty miles from Clarksdale in Sunflower County. The writers have received special permission for a guided tour through the prison on Friday, May 29th from 10 am to 1 pm. Parchman Penitentiary is the oldest prison in the State of Mississippi, being in existence since 1901. It is also the only maximum security prison for men in the state and houses nearly 5,000 prisoners including the male prisoners on death row.

The prison has been the subject of many articles, books and songs. The experience at Parchman became a symbol of many African- Americans in the Delta through the Blues music. Bukka White, who served time at the facility in 1939, wrote the legendary tale of despair in the song “Parchman Farm Blues”. Prisoners kept rhythm on the chain gang, during farming and to the guards with a cadence melody often called ‘chain gang songs”.

The “White Chief”, the then Governor of Mississippi, James K. Vardaman, was determined to run the newly developed Parchman Prison Farm, "like an efficient slave plantation." This way of prison slavery was expressed in the songs and writings of the Delta. The famous song “Midnight Special” would tell about the train that ran between Parchman and Jackson, Mississippi every Saturday night carrying wives and lovers to visit the convicts.

Parchman was also known for its execution methods, sometimes being very inefficient. By 1940s executioner Jimmy Thompson appeared and was contracted out by Parchman to use the “killing machine”, an electric chair mounted on the back a pick up truck. Sunflower County did not want the stigma of ‘Death County’ so they voted on this portable execution “show” to take place in the prisoner’s residing county. This mobile electric chair was used until 1955.

Later as segregation was implemented and whites and blacks were no longer housed separately, riots and racially activated gang activities became a major problem. Even the Freedom Riders, James Farmer and Stokley Carmichael, were temporarily housed at Parchman.

Later the institution was revised partially due to action by a federal judge, William Keady. Rehabilitation through business and farming are still the main focus at Parchman Penitentiary, however, the prison as in all Mississippi State Prisons, are under National and State Prison guidelines.

Parchman Penitentiary is an icon in the Delta and a very big part of the history and music of the South. If you would like to learn more or register for the tour, you must have a valid identification and sign a waver. There are a list of rules and regulations on the DWA blog at http://deltawritersassociation.blogspot.com/ or call Virginia Schafer at 1 800 381 2306. Only the first thirty five people that register will be accepted for the tour so get your reservations in early if you are interested.