Freedom Riders Imprisoned in Parchman Farm in Brutal Conditions

Over 300 Freedom Riders were arrested in Jackson, Mississippi and sent to Parchman Farm state penitentiary, where they were held in cells designed for maximum discomfort. Guards removed mattresses in the heat, used physical force, and placed riders in maximum-security cells. The strategy was to break morale; instead the movement grew. Riders were charged with 'breach of peace.'