KEMPER, Miss. (Queen City Newsfeed) – A computer system used to run the Kemper County jail is offline. Sheriff James R. Moore said the problem is due to “suspected unauthorized cyber activity.”
The jail is the Kemper-Neshoba Regional Correctional Facility in DeKalb. Moore shared the news Thursday in a public notice on Facebook.
What we know
The notice says the jail management system is down. Jails use this kind of system to keep records on the people they hold.
The company that runs the system is looking into the problem. It is also working to fix it and get the system running again as soon as it can, the notice said.
Moore told Queen City Newsfeed the trouble started Thursday.
However, the notice did not say if any personal information was affected. It also did not say how long the system could be down.
Sheriff does not believe it is tied to other attacks
Several Mississippi governments have dealt with computer trouble in recent weeks. So Queen City Newsfeed asked Moore if this outage is linked.
Earlier this month, a cyberattack hit U.S.NEXT, a web hosting company in Jackson. Nearly 70 government websites had problems after the attack, including several in our area.
Moore said he does not believe the jail outage is connected. He explained that “our system is managed out of another area.”
The facility holds both state and county inmates, according to the sheriff’s office website.
What families can do
The notice did not say if visits, phone calls or money for inmates are affected. So if you have a loved one at the jail, call before you make the trip.
You can reach the Kemper-Neshoba Regional Correctional Facility at 601-743-5767. The Kemper County Sheriff’s Office main line is 601-743-4880.
What happens next
Moore said his office will share updates as it learns more. He also thanked the public for its patience.
Queen City Newsfeed will update this story as new details come in.
