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Reformer Jody Owens Wins Hinds DA's Seat, Other Races Head to Runoff
Jody Owens, a civil-rights attorney running on a "decarceral" platform with national backing, will become Hinds County's new district attorney following the Aug. 6 primary.
EDITOR'S NOTE: None of Us Is Safe from Hate
Each of us must use our gifts to heal our city, our state and our nation. We are kicking off our #MSCitizensAgenda to better understand challenges facing Mississippians through public gatherings, social media and deeper reporting.
Cedric Willis: Honoree of YMP Crime Forum at Walton Elementary
The late Cedric Willis is the honoree of a youth-crime forum tonight in Jackson where participants will brainstorm both causes and solutions of violence in the capital city.
Reforming Hinds Criminal System Takes Center Stage in DA Race
The national trend of reforming the criminal-justice system, even from inside prosecutors' offices, emerged dramatically in Hinds County during the current campaigns for the next district attorney, who will be decided in the Aug. 6 Democratic primary, or a run-off if needed.
Hinds DA, Sheriff Hopefuls Share Plans, Philosophies in Primary Bid
During the run-up to the Hinds County primaries on Aug. 6, the word "reform" flies around a lot in the two races that have the most direct effect on the local criminal-justice system—district attorney and sheriff.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Journalism Can Beat the Hell Out of You, But It Must Go On
"When you get into this crazy business for the express purpose of having positive impact, you make it happen no matter what and find people who share the same drive to help you."
EDITOR'S NOTE: Goodbye, Bozo—My Friend Cedric Willis Gone Too Soon
Cedric Willis had to claw his way to freedom while living in hell. Then he returned to a community that, until to the present, has never collectively decided to tackle and prevent violence rather than thinking that the police can do that.
Jackson Sues Siemens, Local Businessmen for ‘Bait and Switch’ Contract
Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba announced today that the City of Jackson has filed a lawsuit against Siemens Industry Inc. and associated divisions in the U.S. and Germany, along with multiple local subcontractors.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Mississippi Male Leaders Again Pretend to Value ‘Life’
Some things are universal, or should be. That includes never forcing a woman to have a child, lose her contraception or forbid a safe way to help her have a baby.
Mayor Lumumba Endorses Former JPD Chief Lee Vance for Hinds Sheriff
Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba announced his endorsement of former Jackson Police Chief Lee Vance for Hinds County Sheriff at a press conference outside the Hinds County Courthouse on May 24.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The Joy and Pain of Being A Mississippian
"Anyone with half a brain should see that confronting and defeating the insane misogyny here is a huge step toward lifting Mississippi to higher and more successful ground for all its citizens."
EDITOR'S NOTE: A Woman’s Life in the Mississippi Minefield
It's tough being a woman in Mississippi. In fact, it's probably the most difficult state for women to speak our minds and publicly engage on political and policy fronts, and we routinely watch our basic rights come under attack, often without any of us invited to the table.
EDITORIAL: State Should Not Shield Names of Officers Who Shoot, Kill
Members of the Mississippi Legislature have jumped into the middle of serious and historic problem that the City of Jackson has grappled with over the last year—whether or when law-enforcement officers who shoot and/or kill non-police should be identified.
State May Block Naming Jackson Officers Involved in Shootings
The public-transparency efforts of the City of Jackson in the last year may be for naught if legislation working through the Mississippi Legislature to protect identities of officers who shoot people becomes law.
Behind the Badge: Two JPD Officers Who Shot Multiple People in Jackson
After about a year of asking, the Jackson Free Press learned the names, current status and in eight out of nine cases, the details of officer-involved shootings since Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba took office in July 2017, promising transparency and police reform.
Jackson Cop Involved in 3 Shootings; Teen Shot 2 Times in Back, Family Says
Officer Anthony Veasey was involved in three separate shootings in Jackson in 14 months since November 2017, including an exchange of gunfire that hit an 18-year-old two times in the back and five times in the leg, the teenager's family tells the Jackson Free Press.
EDITORIAL: Mayor Must Repair City's Transparency Related to Policing, Crime
After asking for more than a year, the Jackson Free Press finally received the names and current status of Jackson police officers who shot people in the capital city since Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba became mayor in July 2017.
Mayor: No ID of Cops in Head Trauma Death; Other JPD Officers in Shootings Finally Revealed
The mayor will not reveal the names of officers accused of killing George Robinson with a head blow, but the City of Jackson finally provided names and details about 12 officers involved in nine shootings since 2017.
Lumumba Added to 'Smart Crime Initiative' Despite Policing Decisions at Home
Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba is joining 15 mayors from cities in the U.S. in a Mayors for Smart Crime Initiative, the Center for American Progress, announced today.
Mississippi Leaders Still 'Honoring' Racists, After All These Years
The head of the Mississippi state agency that sent out a tweet this week honoring Confederate General Robert E. Lee once attended a rally of a racist organization that refers to black people as a "retrograde species of humanity."