Policing Mental Illness: The Death of Mario Clark and the Need for Alternatives
One in four killings in police officers' hands involved someone with mental-health issues, the Treatment Advocacy Center, based in Arlington, Va., reports.
Strong Arms of JXN to Hold Non-Violence Event in Grove Park
The Strong Arms of JXN program plans to train community members to canvas neighborhoods with high rates of gun violence in an effort to let them know about resources that exist and that there is a whole community that cares.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Jackson’s Need for a Collaborative ‘Growth Mindset’
"On vexing community issues like violence, we can find and embrace solutions that are evidence-tested in other cities and that make a hell of a lot of sense for Jackson if we bother to get off the mental treadmill."
Causes, Solutions to Gun Violence in Jackson Emerge at MLK Day Forum
Disinvestment in Jackson communities, lax gun-control laws and a failing mental health system—all under the State's purview—all create conditions for violence. So do gentrification, white flight and black flight.
Mayor Lumumba: Violence Prevention Must Take Into Account Poverty and Gun Laws
Addressing reporters last Friday in the wake of high end-of-year homicide rates, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba highlighted his administration's efforts to curb violence in the city through a variety of mechanisms.
Police Task Forces ‘Waste of Time’ for Violence Prevention?
Law-enforcement efforts to combat violent crime in Jackson in recent years have increasingly focused on the creation of multi-agency task forces, which identify high-crime regions or criminal activity, gather intelligence, and serve subpoenas, warrants and indictments related to those crimes.
JPD Arrests 82 People Under 'Operation Targeting Gun Violence'
Days after U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst chided Jackson public officials for being too soft on crime, Jackson Police Department Chief James Davis held a press conference to highlight 82 arrests in the city.
OPINION: Jackson Policing Betrays Poor and Working-class Black People
Before rushing to volunteer to be Jackson's political classes' attack dog against racist insult, we should be mindful of Zora Neale Hurston's oft reminder: "all my skin folks ain't my kinfolk."
Long Sentences, Broken Lives
Paul Houser is one of 2,635 Mississippians currently serving lengthy prison terms under Mississippi's so-called "habitual laws," the state's version of "three strikes laws." Mississippi's habitual laws drive the state's high incarceration rate, the third highest in the country.
Bloomberg Talks Justice Reform in Mississippi, Apologizes for ‘Stop and Frisk’
Following the private meeting, the former New York City mayor revealed to members of the press that he is running on a criminal-justice reform platform. He promised to cut the United States prison population in half by 2024, eliminate juvenile incarceration for non-violent offenses, invest in alternatives to incarceration initiatives, and fund local violence-interruption efforts across the country.
Credible Messengers Closer to Hitting Streets to Prevent Violence in Jackson
Credible messengers, many of whom have been through the criminal-justice system, enter into communities to mentor and discourage at-risk individuals from participating in criminal activity.
More Love Than Hate: Rappers’ Deaths Sobering, Yet Inspirational
Lil Lonnie was a young rapper on the cusp of major success when he was gunned down in Jackson in 2018. But his legacy is inspiring those coming after him.
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.
Youth Courts, Detention May See Reforms from Mississippi Legislature
A record 459 children were in custody in 2015 in Hancock County on Mississippi's Gulf Coast—the highest number of children in detention facilities per capita in the state.
Bryant: GOP Would've 'Hollered' If Obama Pushed Criminal Reform
"You're the only president that can do this," Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant says he privately told President Trump last year, as he urged the fellow Republican to support criminal-justice reform.
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.
Jackson’s Tripartite Assault on Crime; Cops on Leave After Man's Death from Head Injury
The latest murders in Jackson mean that the capital city could be on track for more homicides than in 2018, which was the highest on record since late in the crack era in the 1990s.
Criminal Reform Shows Strength at Capitol Gathering from Left, Right
After years of tough-on-crime approaches to arrests and filling prison, conservatives have joined the bandwagon for some types of reform to how America incarcerates its people.
City: Man, 62, May Have Died After Altercation with Jackson Police
The City of Jackson sent out a cryptic and short press statement at 5:12 p.m. today, indicating that an older man may have died from an encounter with Jackson police on Sunday, Jan. 13, after a low-level misdemeanor stop.
Due to Murder Spike, Lumumba Pledges More Surveillance, Prevention Efforts
Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba navigated between his "radical" criminal-justice reform stances and his decisions to increase policing surveillance in his press conference Monday, Jan. 14.
Mayor Lumumba on Murders: Police Cannot 'Enter the Minds and Stop These People'
Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba sent out a statement addressing several murders that roiled the capital city over the weekend—from a preacher killed in the Washington Addition to a teenager killed in a Walmart parking lot.
Former Criminals Training to Stop Violence in Jackson with $150,000 Grant
Terun Moore and Benny Ivey will be Jackson's first official, trained "credible messengers," working to prevent violence in the metro area.
Project EJECT 'Prevention Piece' Begins at Local Boys and Girls Clubs
Assistant U.S. Attorney Candace Mayberry delivered a presentation to middle and high schoolers at the Boys and Girls Club on Raymond Road on June 27 and had them take a pledge against gun violence.
Gang Bill Could Increase Prison Costs, Disparately Affect African Americans
Proposed legislation to crack down on gangs statewide could lead to increased prison costs, a move that would counteract the state's progress in decreasing the number of inmates—and taxpayer dollars used to incarcerate those inmates—since 2014.
A Lost Hope: Remembering Lil Lonnie and 2018’s Deadliest Month
Rising hip-hop artist Lonnie "Lil Lonnie" Taylor, 22, was driving around his hometown of Jackson with a woman in the passenger's seat around 10 p.m. on April 29. Suddenly, someone fired into his car striking him with bullets, and he crashed into a home near the Medgar Evers Historic District. Taylor was dead on the scene.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Jackson, Lil Lonnie Must Not Die in Vain
When Lil Lonnie died in his car near the home where a white supremacist shot down Medgar Evers in 1963 in front of his children, in a neighborhood where kids still have far too few opportunities or positive things to do, the young man was 22.
Ringing the Bell on Kids Charged as Adults
Johnnie McDaniels' job requires him to repair broken children, especially those who have been charged as adults. Many of them sit in his facility for the better part of a year awaiting court dates, convictions and indictments.
Criminal Justice Reform Law Headed to Governor's Desk
If Gov. Phil Bryant signs House Bill 387 into law, Mississippians will not automatically go to prison or jail if they do not pay fines or court fees.
Not 'Soft on Crime': Clergy Want Prison Reforms to Become Law
The Mississippi Legislature could approve two re-entry and criminal-justice reform measures this session, which are still alive.
Never Back Down: Mississippi Escalates War on Gangs
Mississippi law enforcement may soon be able to decide young people are a gang even if they're not part of a larger criminal enterprise with a hierarchy and criminal connections beyond whomever they got the pot from.
OPINION: Not a Heritage to Celebrate
The "Anglo-American law enforcement heritage" is one of violence, racism and exploitation. This is a heritage to be scorned, a dark mark to be expunged. This is not, contrary to what Attorney General Sessions thinks, a heritage to be celebrated.
EDITORIAL: Time to Implement Criminal Justice Reforms
Four years ago, the Legislature patted itself on the back for reforming Mississippi's criminal-justice system with sweeping legislation that was arguably one of the most impactful pieces of public policy passed in recent years.
OPINION: More Transparency from JPD Needed
It has been more than two weeks since two Jackson Police Department officers extra-judicially killed beloved daughter, mother and Jackson State University student Crystaline Barnes. The community waits in suspense for some facts on what happened on Jan. 27, 2018.
'Anti-Gang' Bill Heads to Full House to Expand Policing Powers
Rep. Andy Gipson, R-Braxton, called the "Mississippi Anti-Gang Act" one of the most significant pieces of legislation the Legislature could pass in 2018. The bill would make "criminal gang activity" a separate offense from any underlying misdemeanor or felony a person is accused of if prosecutors can prove they are gang members.
'Anti-Gang' Bills: One Alive As Experts Warn About Downside
Rep. Andy Gipson, R-Braxton, did not want to debate the "anti-gang" bill for long this morning, and after about half an hour, he tabled House Bill 541, noting that the Senate had already passed its version of the legislation.
OPINION: Anti-Gang Act Would Be a Disaster for Mississippi
The Mississippi Anti-Gang Act flies in the face of recent legislative efforts to reduce our unsustainable prison population—which is currently the fourth highest per capita in the country.
‘Everybody Matters, Or Nobody Matters’: The JFP Interview with Public Safety Commissioner Marshall Fisher
Department of Public Safety Commissioner Marshall Fisher shared his opinions and ideas about how law enforcement fits into society and government as a whole with the Jackson Free Press recently.
Flashing a Kid’s Mugshot Is No Way to Prevent Crime
Disseminating mugshots of minors should be rare due to the harm that it can cause to that kid and society to treat children as adult criminals, especially before they even get a trial.
Mayor, Police Chief Address Poverty-Crime Connection, Solutions Going Forward
Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and Jackson Police Department Chief Lee Vance are working to increase the number of JPD police officers as well as implementing additional solutions to crime in the capital city.
Moving Beyond Suspension: Changing the Discipline Climate in Jackson Schools
JPS administrators recognize that out-of-school suspension is not the way to change school climates district-wide, and Margrit Wallace, the JPS chief academic officer in the student academic and behavioral support department, is working to move the district towards restorative justice practices, which could eventually include dialogue circles in the classroom.
Let’s Talk About Violence, Then Take Action
It's a problem when all cops are stereotyped, but it's also wrong that more law enforcement won't speak out publicly like that about bad cops and, too often, will defend violent actions.
Digging Up the Roots of Jackson’s ‘Numbing’ Crime with Mayor Tony Yarber
Tony Tarzel Yarber, 16, waved at his best friend, Lakenya Bolden, as he drove past him in Jackson's Subdivision 2 on Aug. 4, 1994. Bolden was driving into the "Sub" on Wiggins Road, Yarber driving out. They blew their horns at each other.
Lawmakers Address Blight, Praise God
The capital city's blight, mainly visible in hundreds of abandoned properties, was a priority for concerned citizens who met with the Hinds County delegation to plan legislation that will address the needs of Jackson last week.
JPS Students Avoid Conflict with Peer Mediation
Early in the morning of Oct. 21 at Whitten Preparatory Middle School, students yawned and fidgeted in their stiff, wooden seats, clutching their hoodies and jackets. It was National Day Against Gun Violence, and the students had already sat through an assembly in the auditorium earlier that week on the same topic.
Murders Reach 54, Kidnapper Nabbed, City Joining Federal Anti-crime Network
As Jackson suffered its 54th violent death this year, Jackson Police Chief Lee Vance reminded his team that they would have to do more with less during this difficult budget climate.
Replacing Military-Style Detention
Mississippians who receive earned probation for crimes that do not carry a death sentence or involve deadly weapons will now have access to high-school equivalency education, alcohol and drug counseling, re-entry and employment services—and perhaps, most importantly, "Thinking for a Change," an evidence-based cognitive behavioral-therapy program.
Mental Care Needed for All, Including Inmates
Of the more than 19,000 men and women behind bars in Mississippi, about 3,000 inmates are receiving mental-health care.
Help Kids with Action and Planning, Not Ego
It's a tough time for children in Jackson, and in Mississippi overall. Truthfully, at least when it comes to poor children, the state has never been especially kind or helpful to them.
Henley-Young Increases Mental Health Care
Henley-Young Juvenile Justice Center will soon be able to offer mental-health assessments and treatments after a court-appointed monitor's report led the county to allocate $190,000 to expand the facility's staff.
Jackson Teens Need Mentors, Opportunity
If Reeves and other state GOP officials really want to see crime come down in the capital city, are they ready to allocate resources to both academic education, early-education and after-school programs, and to equitably encourage 21st-century extra-curricular programs such as youth digital media projects?
Chronically Absent: Is Quality Education in Juvenile Detention Possible in Mississippi?
Rankin County Youth Court Judge Thomas Broome told the Jackson Free Press with some pain that before 2006, juvenile-detention centers in the state didn't have to have school. With few organized efforts to educate detained children, they missed days or weeks of school at a time.
Beyond Detention: Exploring Smarter, Cheaper Alternatives to Locking Kids Up
"He's out on the street. He comes home sometimes. He has that little anklet, he doesn't care. It makes no difference to him. He's afraid of nothing." The mother of a Jackson teenage boy told her story to BOTEC Analysis researchers in 2015 as part of a state-funded study on Jackson crime.
Face, Vote the Truth About Juvy Detention
With so much knowledge at our disposal, we are running out of excuses not to fix juvenile justice in Hinds County.
Youth Judge Fights School-to-Prison Pipeline
Just a few years ago, sagging pants and disrupting instruction at school were almost certain to land a kid in front of Jackson County Youth Court Judge Sharon Sigalas. At that time, Sigalas says the school districts under her jurisdiction were in a pattern of sending kids to her for what she calls "minor violations."
Youth Judge Now Adhering to Fed Regs
For the last two years, the Hinds County Youth Court handcuffed children while they waited their turn to appear before Judge William Skinner II in direct violation of a federal consent decree.
‘Tough Love’: Harlem Gang Expert Visiting Jackson
Dr. Kai Smith, a native of Harlem, runs GRAAFICS, Gang Diversion, Reentry And Absent Fathers Intervention Centers, a program he founded to give young men and women an outlet to avoid criminal behavior.
Town Hall: Reduce Youth Crime with Less Incarceration, More Engagement
The room was nearly packed on July 14 at Millsaps College as concerned members of the community gathered for a town-hall meeting on preventing violence, gang interruption, and alternatives to juvenile detention and juvenile justice presented by the Jackson Free Press and the Solutions Journalism Network.
Juvenile Crime: Identify the Problem
It may not be your fault, but it is your problem. It's our problem. And so far, solving problems seems to be pretty much our saving grace as a species—which is a good thing considering how many problems we create. Let's get to work.
Junior Jail: Surviving Mississippi’s Juvenile Justice System
Many juvenile "offenders" are routinely sent into a separate labyrinth from adult offenders in the justice system, one with its own complex problems, remedies and slowly changing standards.
Mayor Yarber on Crime: Saw ‘7 or 8 Dead Bodies’ Before Age 13, All Must 'Get Out of Our Bubble'
Mayor Tony Yarber sat down to discuss crime with Jackson Free Press Editor-in-chief Donna Ladd on June 20 at Millsaps, sharing stories that showed that for him that the consequences of crime were present from an early age.
Avoiding the School-to-Prison Pipeline
When the parents, students, faculty, and staff at Forest Hill met in the auditorium to discuss violence and fighting at the community chat the night of May 4, the room rang with frustration at the perceived chaos of the school environment and concerns about the safety of the students and teachers after a mom drew her gun during an afterschool fight on campus.
Having the Space to Try New Ways to Prevent Crime
It's critical for the City of Jackson to have solid coverage of our efforts to try new approaches at crime reduction. It is equally critical that the citizens of Jackson engage with such reporting.
Schools, Guns, Family, Bad Policing: Chief Vance Discusses Crime-Fighting with JFP Editor
In the wake of fears raised after a parent pulled a gun at Forest Hill High School last week, the capital city's top police officer said Monday night that Jackson Public Schools polices itself.
Coming Home to the Washington Addition
Linda Knight was only 18 when she snuck into the Afro Lounge on Lynch Street one night in 1973 and met the man who would take her out of the Washington Addition.
‘Police vs. Black’: Bridging the ‘Racialized Gulf’
Oressa Napper-Williams' son Andrell was a victim of gun violence twice. The first time was when he was 16 and a student at Martin Luther King Jr. High School in Harlem.
Needed: Public Engagement in Policing
It takes more than policing to "cut down on crime" and create safer neighborhoods. It takes a village, quite literally. Community engagement is crucial to keeping neighborhoods and cities safe.
A Hunger to Live: The Struggle to Interrupt the Cycle of Violence
Several members of the “Undivided” crew told their story recently in Sheppards Brother Park in the Washington Addition.
Ceasefire in the City? How Police Can (and Cannot) Deter Gunfire
In 2015, Precinct 2 Commander Jarratt Taylor helped execute a massive enforcement effort called Metro Area Crime Elimination, or MACE for short, promised to be a local version of the national Operation Ceasefire model.
Juvy Intervention Programs Losing Federal Funds
Pre-intervention programs are vital in the state's criminal-justice system and have the power to prevent young people from entering the criminal-justice system in the first place.
Having the Space to Try New Ways to Prevent Crime
It's critical for the City of Jackson to have solid coverage of our efforts to try new approaches at crime reduction. It is equally critical that the citizens of Jackson engage with such reporting.
Avoiding the School-to-Prison Pipeline
When the parents, students, faculty, and staff at Forest Hill met in the auditorium to discuss violence and fighting at the community chat the night of May 4, the room rang with frustration at the perceived chaos of the school environment and concerns about the safety of the students and teachers after a mom drew her gun during an afterschool fight on campus.
Ceasefire in the City? How Police Can (and Cannot) Deter Gunfire
In 2015, Precinct 2 Commander Jarratt Taylor helped execute a massive enforcement effort called Metro Area Crime Elimination, or MACE for short, promised to be a local version of the national Operation Ceasefire model.
Juvy Intervention Programs Losing Federal Funds
Pre-intervention programs are vital in the state's criminal-justice system and have the power to prevent young people from entering the criminal-justice system in the first place.
