‘Habitual Offender’ Laws Imprison Thousands for Small Crimes—Sometimes for Life
Data obtained by The Appeal show nearly 2,000 people in Mississippi and Louisiana are serving long—and sometimes life—sentences after they were labeled “habitual offenders." But most are behind bars for small crimes like drug possession.
The Mississippi Program That’s Showing How Effective Direct Cash Transfers Can Be
Researchers say that programs like the Magnolia Mother’s Trust, which gives Black women $1,000 a month, could be crucial in reducing the racial wealth gap.
As Decriminalization Drives Reforms For Marijuana Convictions, Activists See Others Serving Time Left Behind
Despite the growing consciousness around the need for reforms, thousands of prisoners who might also deserve clemency or early release are slipping through the cracks.
Mississippi Teen Who Has Languished In Jail For 17 Months Without An Indictment Is Just ‘One Of Thousands’
Sixteen-year-old William Haymon has spent more than 500 days in an adult jail in rural Lexington, Mississippi. There are no state rules governing how long a person can be incarcerated without being formally charged with a crime.
It’s Time To Defund The University of Mississippi Police Department
From crackdowns on Black students decades ago to more recent arrests during protests against neo-Confederates, the department has served as a tool for enforcing white supremacy.
Family of Black Mississippi Man Killed By Police Receives Narrow Explanation For Dropped Manslaughter Case
A lawyer with the state attorney general’s office omitted key evidence in a meeting with the family of Ricky Ball, who Canyon Boykin shot and killed in 2015.
Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man
Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015.
Defund the Police Now
More training, more equipment, and more officers will not stop police from killing Black people.
Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release
The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied.
Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19
Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low.
Abortion Providers Fight to Keep Working During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Conservative lawmakers are using emergency measures to restrict access to care.
Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing
The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue.
For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’
One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws.
‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons
Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018.
Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors
The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district.
The Appeal Podcast: States Turn To Nitrogen Gas For Executions, Despite Serious Concerns
With Appeal staff reporter Lauren Gill
Using Nitrogen Gas For Executions Is Untested and Poorly Understood. Three States Plan to Do It Anyway.
Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Alabama have all authorized the practice in capital punishment. So what happens now?
Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment
An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit
The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches.
Black Mississippians Say Sheriff’s Office Deputies ‘Terrorize The Community Like A Gang Would’
Attorneys and advocates call for change in Madison County after the deaths of three Black people at its jail and because of what they allege is a system of roadblocks targeting Black residents.
The Appeal Podcast: Mayor of Jackson Faces Uphill Battle for Police Accountability
With Appeal contributor Ko Bragg
The Mayor of Jackson Wants to Hold Its Police Accountable. Easier Said Than Done.
Since Chokwe Antar Lumumba’s 2017 election, at least five people have died at the hands of the law enforcement in Mississippi’s capital city.
Mississippi Woman Jailed 96 Days Without Attorney Has Fifth Circuit On Her Side
“The district court found this constitutionally permissible. It is not.”