Mississippi Edition

Public Health officials report record hospitalizations and describe a system strained of resources.

Then, how new Corrections Commissioner Burl Cain plans to repair Parchman and rehabilitate inmates.

Plus, after a Southern Remedy Health Minute, a University of Southern Mississippi student from Oxford is using an online platform to encourage Conversations for Change.

Segment 1:

Mississippi's hospitals are caring for more COVID-19 patients than at any prior point during the coronavirus pandemic - this is according to the latest data from the Mississippi Department of Health. During a briefing yesterday, State Health Officer Thomas Dobbs said the strain the virus is having on hospitals means certain counties will have to suspend elective procedures because beds are in short supply.

The stress to the system is a result of a two week period of record case numbers. Previously, Dobbs indicated the rise was caused by widespread community transmission - mainly among 18-29 year olds. He says now those cases are making their way up the age ladder.  

Segment 2:

Parchman State Penitentiary has long been a target of admonishment for those seeking comprehensive prison reform in Mississippi. The facility has buildings with reportedly inadequate water supplies and no electricity prompting reform advocates to call for its closing. But new Department of Corrections Commissioner Burl Cain wants to keep Parchman open. In part two of his conversation with our Desare Frazier, Cain lays out his plans for Parchman and rehabilitation.

Segment 3:

Southern Remedy Health Minute

Segment 4:

In the wake of the May 25th death of George Floyd, a freshman psychology major and Honors College student at the University of Southern Mississippi felt compelled, like many of her peers, to seek solutions to better her community. So Klaria Holmes, at home in Oxford, organized an online platform with panelists to facilitate a discussion, with input from local residents, on the issues of racial injustice and its intersection with policing. Holmes joins us to share how the events in Minneapolis inspired her to start Conversations for Change.