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- Mississippi Regional Center
South Highway 7
Oxford, MS 38655
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- July 8, 1997
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- Dear Detective Armstrong,
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- Thank you for your letter inquiring about various
aspects of our operations. As members of this peaceful
community we are deeply sorrowed by Ms. Knight's death
and are willing to help however we can. Following are
responses to your specific questions.
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- (1) We have a total of 19 children aged 17 or younger
in residence here, and another 14 who attend schooling
sessions in the daytime and live at home. We have checked
our files and obtained permission to submit the names of
all four boys aged 9-11 in our care; three are in
residence here, and the fourth is a day student who lives
in Oxford. All live at the center and attend classes as
befits their individual developmental disabilities. None
have wandered beyond the boundaries of our campus; nor
have any attempted to run away.
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- The children do have contact with the outside world
on supervised field trips and trips to the University
swimming pool in summertime; each child typically leaves
the campus six or seven times per year, depending on his
or her ability to function independently. On these
excursions there are three children for every supervisor,
so none are neglected and certainly there would be scant
opportunity to become separated from the group.
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- Should you desire to meet the children in question or
obtain their names or further information, do let us
know.
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- (2) We currently have 43 adult men and women, aged 18
and over, on site. The adults entrusted to our care are
typically individuals with severe developmental
disabilities, and I doubt very strongly that any would be
capable of the cunning required to execute the murder in
question. The criminally insane are typically housed at
the Jackson facility, as I'm sure you know.
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- Adults at the facility attend a range of classes both
to acquire fundamental academics and to learn basic
living skills. Those who are judged successful in their
endeavors here are encouraged to work in the community,
either as volunteers or in paid jobs. These workers are
escorted to and from their places of employment each day,
and live here at the center. In addition, some of our
adult patients may be accompanied on outings by parents
or guardians, who must, however, bring them back by 6
p.m.
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- All the bridges and roads leading into and out of our
facility are secured with gates after visiting hours are
over, and we do have a guard detail patrolling the walled
boundaries of the property on foot both during the day
and in the evening hours. A patient last attempted to
leave the facility without permission in August of 1992,
and was apprehended less than twenty minutes after he
left; since then he has not attempted to repeat his
escape. In 1994 a patient participating in a gardening
project managed to walk to a remote area of the grounds,
near the boundary wall, but was affable when nurses
arrived to lead her back to her dormitory, and seems to
have had no motivation for escape. We have had no escape
attempts this year.
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- I hope this information is helpful to you. If you
need any further details, please do not hesitate to call.
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- Sincerely,
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- Jane Antinow
Director
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