Yazoo City federal prison has nearly 500 inmates with COVID-19, most among federal prisons

Nearly 500 inmates at a federal prison in Yazoo City have tested positive for COVID-19, currently the highest number of inmate cases among federal prisons nationwide, according to the Bureau of Prisons.

Federal Correctional Institution Yazoo City's medium-security prison has 472 inmates and six staff members with COVID-19, according to recent numbers from the Bureau of Prisons. The medium-security prison has a population of 1,425.

The medium-security prison is part of a federal complex that also includes a low and maximum-security prison facilities. 

At the high-security facility, 98 inmates and four staff members were reported having COVID-19, according to the Bureau of Prisons. Fifty inmates and five staff members are listed as positive for the coronavirus at the low- security facility. 

Go deeper:Coronavirus outbreak nearly triples at Mississippi federal prison in Yazoo City

The Jackson and Tupelo Residential Reentry Centers, which are for inmates who are close to release, each reported nine cases among inmates, according to the Bureau of Prisons. 

Last week, the agency reported about 6,000 federal inmates and 900 staff have tested positive for COVID-19 in prison facilities nationwide. 

There are 14 active COVID-19 cases among inmates in state, regional and private facilities, according to the Mississippi Department of Corrections.

The highest number of active cases among all the state facilities is the eight reported at the Chickasaw County Correctional Facility, according to the department. 

Overall, the state prison officials have reported 1,530 total cases at Mississippi prisons. 

Ten inmates at the Hinds County Detention Center are positive for COVID-19, said Capt. Crystal Houston, public information officer for the Hinds County Sheriff's office. 

There are 14 COVID-19 cases among inmates and four for corrections officers at the Rankin County Detention Center, said Paul Holley, a spokesperson from the Rankin County Sheriff's office.

Reporter Mina Corpuz can be reached by email at mcorpuz@gannett.com. You can follow her on Twitter @mlcorpuz.