JACKSON, Miss. — A federal judge is considering whether to approve a lawsuit agreement that would move juvenile offenders out of a privately run prison that has been hounded by allegations of abuse.
Six young inmates from Walnut Grove Correctional Facility attended a hearing Thursday in Jackson. They urged U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves to approve the settlement between civil rights advocates and the state.
The advocates sued in 2010, claiming guards smuggled drugs to inmates, had sex with them and denied medical treatment.
A proposed settlement reached in February requires youth to be moved to a facility governed by juvenile justice standards. State lawmakers have worked on legislation to allow juveniles to be moved to the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Pearl.
Reeves said he would rule later.