Justice

Violence Experts: Mayor's Youth Curfew Order May Prove Counterproductive

Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba imposed a five-day curfew order for those under age 18 from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. due to rising crime in the capital city.

Public Shooting, Doing ‘Donuts’ Could Become Felonies with Full Jackson City Council Support

Concerns about indiscriminate shootings spurred the Jackson City Council to support House Bill 854, which proposes increased penalties against the practice. At its Jan. 27 meeting, the council voted unanimously for a resolution to support Rep. Debra Gibbs’ proposed legislation.

District Attorney Owens: Hinds County Diverted 300 From Criminal Justice

Three hundred first-time non-violent offenders went through a diversion program last year in Hinds County in exchange for dropped charges, District Attorney Jody Owens said at a press conference Tuesday.

Legislators Push for More Felony Expungements, Prison Labor Minimum Wage

Sen. Derrick Simmons, D-Greenville, is asking the Legislature to add several felonies to the list of possible expungements from an inmate's permanent record five years after the offender’s sentence was fulfilled.

Murder Charge Dismissed After Debunked Bite-Mark Testimony

A Mississippi judge has dismissed a murder charge against Eddie Lee Howard, a Black man who spent more than a quarter-century on death row in the 1992 killing of a white woman.

JPD Arrests Second Person In New Year’s Day Interstate 55 Obstruction

The Jackson Police Department made a second arrest six days after a group of people blocked Interstate 55 and had vehicles racing and doing donuts on the highway.

Three Mississippi Inmates Die; One in Privately Run Prison

An inmate was pronounced dead Monday at a privately run prison in Mississippi after an officer found him lying unresponsive on a floor.

Audit Blasts 'Widespread Misspending' at Mississippi Prisons

Mississippi's prison system used tax dollars to buy massage chairs, Himalayan salt lamps and a bedroom set and illegally paid some employees for extra work time they had accumulated, the state's auditor said in a scathing report that found widespread misspending at the agency while it struggled to fill jobs for guards and was plagued by violence.

JPD Officers Allege Sexism, Racism, More in Lawsuit Against Mayor, Police Chief

Former and current Jackson Police Department officers have filed a lawsuit accusing Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba and Police Chief James Davis of abuse of office, infringement of civil rights, fostering a poor work environment and discrimination.

Lawyer: Harvey Hill's Jail Killing Egregious, Expects Criminal Indictments

Harvey Hill's death in Madison County Correctional Detention Center in 2018 is highly disturbing, family attorney Carlos E. Moore said after viewing the video of prison guards brutalizing him and later putting him in a holding cell.

Mississippi Program to Use Door Cameras to Fight Crime

Mississippi’s capital city could begin using residents’ door security cameras in its effort to fight rising crime.

DA Could Bring Case in 2017 Shooting by Mississippi Police

Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens said he might seek charges against two police officers in a 2017 shooting that wounded a man they were chasing.

City Will Rent Jail Space from Holmes, Yazoo Counties for Misdemeanor Detainees

The City of Jackson will rent 25 jail beds in Yazoo County and another 12 in Holmes County to house people arrested for misdemeanors.

Another Parchman Inmate Dies in Apparent Stabbing, 81st Death Since December

Mississippi Department of Corrections Commissioner Burl Cain said staff is making “every effort to reduce violence in (Mississippi's) prisons.” Officials are installing new video surveillance systems inside the units to monitor inmates, he said.

Ending Viral Violence: Strong Arms of Jackson Holds Rally Against Gun Crime

"The lesson is to make a better decision with your life because when you involve yourself in gun violence, either you shoot somebody, you kill somebody, you are also making a major decision with your life, the outcomes of your life as well as you could be taking somebody's life," Strong Arms of Jackson Co-Director Terun Moore said.

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