Sequins and Livestock
It's really no secret that I love shiny things and a good show. My childhood included playing dress up, thanks to an extensive wardrobe of old dance-recital costumes and treasures from the Junior Auxiliary's thrift store. Then the general rule was the more sequins, the better.
Citizen Policewoman
I'm going to be completely honest: I'd never held a gun before. I always thought guns were for thugs and hunters. I simply didn't need one. So it may surprise you that on Saturday, Oct. 8, I spent the better part of the day at the Jackson Police Department rifle range working on my target practice.
The Poverty-Crime Connection
If you struggle to pay your bills and don't know where your next meal is coming from, studies show you are more likely to be incarcerated. Once you fall into that cycle, it's difficult to break out. When people get out of jail, they usually have no money or a stable home to return to. http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/v3/images/uploads/poverty_house_Oskari-Keetun.jpg
Ways to Prevent Juvenile Crime
Grown folks with responsibilities don't have time to be running the streets. At least that's the thinking behind programs designed to keep kids out of trouble by putting them to work.
‘Eyes on the Street': A Case Study
'The revival of Jackson is not going to be made on single-family housing.'
The Dropout-Crime Connection
What if there was a way to stop people from committing crimes before they started? Fight Crime: Invest in Kids is a nonprofit organization that advocates for quality education and after-school programs as the best way to prevent crime and violence.
Doing it For Jackson
In spring 2010, Grady Griffin received an urgent phone call from Craig Noone. A large oak tree had fallen in Greenwood Cemetery, close to Eudora Welty's grave.
Who's In a Gang? Who Uses Crack?
State and local jurisdictions develop their own definitions of "gangs," which can lead to confusion and ill-defined fears of gang violence. The Jackson Police Department does not have an official definition of a gang, but the Mississippi Street Gang Act says that a gang is a group of three or more people with an established hierarchy that engages in felonious criminal activity.
Bryant, DuPree Play Nice
The two candidates for governor in Mississippi talked up bipartisan cooperation and downplayed their differences at a debate Oct. 14.
Guns for Safety?
Also see: JFP Crime Blog
It so happens that in the past few weeks, a number of people with ties to the Jackson Free Press—staff and former staff—have encountered the same piece of advice from Jackson Police Department officers. The advice: Buy a gun.
Relationships, Not Gates
I would like to claim that Broadmeadow United Methodist Church first reached out to the neighborhood, but the truth is that the neighborhood reached out first to Broadmeadow.
[Stiggers] Quell the Anxiety
As you know, many in our community and around this nation struggle with economic imbalance. Many people suffer at the hands of some insensitive, uncaring and greedy individuals. Therefore, your non-judgmental solidarity with the poor, middle class and common folk reflects the proverb that says, 'Whoever is kind to the needy honors God.'
[Oppenheim] Time to Listen
On Oct. 22, youth from all over Mississippi, but mostly Jackson, will gather at Metrocenter Mall for a special event: the first Art, Poetry and Justice SLAM. The event is part of National Youth Justice Awareness Month and brings together the Southern Regional Office of the Children's Defense Fund, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the ACLU of Mississippi, the NAACP of Mississippi, The Young People's Project and F.A.I.T.H. Inc.
How to Be Safe
When I lived in the Washington, D.C., area, I knew a woman who was repeatedly on the receiving end of crime. She was mugged in the subway, had her purse snatched at a bar, was attacked and raped walking home. I didn't know her well; however, it was hard not to feel badly for her.
Preventing Auto Theft
Auto thefts are usually crimes of opportunity, according to the University of Oakland Police Department's website. They can happen within seconds and are primarily a result of not being cautious and cognizant of the environment. You can decrease your chances of your car being burglarized or stolen by following these tips.
Many Ways to Prevent Crime
The best way to stop crime is to put children on a good path early, help strengthen their families and intervene as needed. These groups do just that in many ways.
The JFP's Crime-Fighting Manifesto
"When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle." - Edmund Burke.
MIFF: A Cinematic Extravaganza
Edward Saint Pe and his team of organizers and volunteers commandeer the indie-film scene from Friday through Saturday with the 2011 Mississippi International Film Festival. "We're showing 50 films all day Friday and Saturday at the Russell C. Davis Planetarium in downtown Jackson," Saint Pe says.
Fashion For a Cause
The Tougaloo Fashion For a Cause show starts at 7 p.m. Oct. 20 at Holmes Hall.
Don't Be a Victim
Everyone needs a reminder to review safety rules. But every now and again those rules need to be updated.