A prison in Licking, Missouri that has become synonymous with news of inmate deaths announces a change in leadership. While details have not been released, due to personnel and investigation matters being confidential, South Central Correctional Center has announced that warden Michele Buckner is no longer employed by the prison. Nineteen inmates died at the prison in 2024.
MacArthur Justice Center released a statement on Buckner’s firing. Office Co-Director Amy Breihan stated, “We are grateful that leadership will change at SCCC”. The non-profit group Missouri Prison Reform stated on social media that employees were reportedly allowed to come and go freely through the back of the facility without checks or body scans, contributing to the influx of illegal items.
