The A&E Network announced on Thursday (February 24) that they have greenlit a four-part docu-series titled Exposing Parchman. JAY-Z, Yo Gotti, and Roc Nation's philanthropic branch Team Roc will be the stars of the series after spearheading a civil rights lawsuit alongside 29 inmates from Mississippi's notorious Parchman Prison. Inmates and rappers will be the subject of the documentary as they undergo extensive efforts to reform the corrupt Mississippi Department of Corrections.
In December 2019, Parchman Prison made national headlines for its high death toll and widespread neglect of the inmates' basic human needs. In addition to following the development of the legal case, the series will delve deeper into Parchman's long history of corruption and abuse.
Roc Nation's Desiree Perez said in a statement that the company fought to stop literal death sentences imposed on inmates by the inhumane, violent, and torturous conditions created in the Parchman prison. "We are honored to partner with A&E, Good Caper, and ITV to continue to raise awareness about the atrocities and history of Parchman"
"A&E has the privilege of partnering with Roc Nation to tell the truly urgent story of Parchman Prison, as we continue our commitment to impactful programming," Elaine Frontain Bryant, Executive Vice President and Head of Programming for A&E, said in a statement. "The series is representative of broader issues within the U.S. criminal justice system, and we hope it will spur desperately needed awareness, both in Parchman Prison and throughout the country."
Roc Nation attorney Alex Spiro filed the first suit against the Mississippi Department of Corrections in January of 2020, citing the recent deaths of multiple inmates as "a direct result of Mississippi's utter disregard for the people it has imprisoned and their constitutional rights."
In another lawsuit, filed in February 2020, 152 inmates demanded immediate action against the "barbaric" conditions at Parchman.
A release date has not yet been announced for the docu-series.