By Vershal Hogan
The Natchez Democrat
NATCHEZ, Miss. — Apparently even inmates can’t resist the opportunity to take a selfie.
A photo posted online Wednesday evening on a Facebook account under the name “Will Magee” shows nine inmates posing in a jail common area making apparent gang symbols with their hands. One of the inmates is pictured wearing an orange-striped jail uniform, while the others appear shirtless.
According to the ACSO’s online inmate roster, William Ryan Magee, 22, of Natchez, is currently detained at the jail on charges of armed robbery and two counts possession of a weapon by a convicted felony.
ACSO spokeswoman Courtney Taylor said jail administrator Capt. Ed Tucker became aware of the photo shortly after it was shared online. The photo has since been removed from the Will Magee account.
The photo was taken using the jail’s video visitation software and was a “spontaneous event,” Taylor said.
The Homewav video visitation system allows inmates to talk to anyone who has Homewav software installed on their home computers through a video terminal installed in the jail’s day areas. Inmates or their families pay a fee to use the system.
“This (inmate) was talking to someone using that privilege, and the person he was talking to took a screen shot of that video visitation and of the other inmates in the day room,” Taylor said.
“He does not have a cell phone in our jail.”
The other person in the conversation apparently operates the Facebook page for the inmate and posted responses on his behalf when people replied to the photo’s posting, Taylor said.
“We can’t control what people do outside our jail,” she said.
The inmates who participated in the incident have lost their video visitation privileges for at least two weeks, Taylor said.
The inmates will not face new criminal charges, but will be subject to in-house disciplinary actions, she said.
“The technology is new, and as these things occur we will have to address them,” Taylor said. “We are still very satisfied with the video visitation.”
The Homewav system was installed in the jail last year to address space and security concerns associated with having to move prisoners between floors on the multi-floor prison facility during visitation.
Sheriff Chuck Mayfield did not return a message for comment.
Copyright 2014 The Natchez Democrat