Jackson Free Press

City Bumps Police Pay, Approves $500,000 To Rent Jail Space for Misdemeanors

Recruits to the Jackson Police Department will now earn $30,000, up 15% in the 2020-2021 financial year budget from the previous $26,000. The Jackson City Council approved the budget increase …

Charles Araujo

Charles Araujo, an adjunct instructor for Jackson State University’s School of Social Work, became president-elect for the Mississippi Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers on July 1.

Businesses Soldier on Amid Pandemic

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues on, so does Mississippi. Businesses across the capital city and beyond are adapting, reopening or doing whatever they can to help or become better connected …

Silent, Yet Constant: Love, Togetherness and Unity

Soon after the death of George Floyd, Eli Childers felt moved to make a statement. ... He felt a burning need to creatively display his feelings about the grief and …

Hinds County Sheriff Swears in SWAT Team; Violence Expert Urges Caution

Sheriff Lee Vance swore in 33 special weapons and tactics team members today at the grounds of Jackson Police Training Academy. Vance pushed for the expanded SWAT unit to respond …

Jackson Ward 4 Councilman De’Keither Stamps said he worries that police could abuse facial recognition …

• August 20, 2020

Jackson Bans Facial Recognition Tech; New Airport Academy, Sewer Repairs

The Jackson Police Department will not be able to use facial recognition technology to identify people after the city council voted to preemptively ban the practice on Tuesday.

Federal Authorities Attempt to Sieze DiBiase Home After Welfare Fraud Case

Federal authorities are attempting to seize the Madison home of former professional wrestler Ted DiBiase Jr., valued at $1.5 million, after his brother and fellow ex-wrestler Brett DiBiase was indicted …

OPINION: How Much is a Human Life Worth?

Every day the media report the number of new infections and deaths attributed to COVID-19, and many debate the closing or opening of schools, businesses and places of worship.

When Schools Close Down in Jackson

Quinyetta Kinner was sad when George Elementary School on Hunter Street in Jackson closed in 2018. She attended the school from pre-kindergarten until the 5th grade and has a lot …

JPD: How the Pandemic Affects Jackson Crime; Addressing the Police Shortage

Incidents of carjacking and violent assault have increased, the Jackson Police Department told the Jackson City Council’s law enforcement ad-hoc committee at its first-ever meeting Thursday.

Mayor: City-MSDH Data Sharing Will Yield Better COVID-19 Pandemic Response

A COVID-19 data-sharing agreement between the Mississippi State Department of Health and the City of Jackson will give a clearer picture of coronavirus spread for better-targeted responses in the capital …

Barbers Get Mental Health Training to Aid Black Communities

The barber’s chair may be the new therapy couch for parts of the South where mental health care is in short supply.

OPINION: An Open Letter to Governor Tate Reeves and MDOC

We write this open letter to demand accountability for neglecting the urgent crisis in Mississippi's prisons. We see your response, or lack thereof, as nothing more than the abuse of …

Rep. Jill Ford (pictured), Madison County Sheriff Randy Tucker and Ed Langton of the Mississippi …

• July 28, 2020

Sheriff, Lawmaker Call Medical Marijuana Resolution 'Unsafe'

A Republican state representative, a sheriff and a Mississippi Board of Health official on Monday urged those who support some form of medical marijuana in Mississippi to vote for the …

People’s Assembly on Police Reform Reveals Civil Review Board in Progress

Efforts to reform Jackson policing will include increasing investment in community alternatives to policing, members of the City's criminal-justice task force told participants at the Jackson's People's Assembly virtual forum …

Analysis: Session Brings Wide Range of New Mississippi Laws

Mississippi is enacting a wide range of laws based on bills passed during this year's legislative session, including some that separately regulate wine, school buses and scooters.

OPINION: Blackness and Whiteness, To Whom the Story of America Concerns

James Baldwin said "the story of the in America is the story of America. It is not a pretty story." This ugly, brutal, and festering story is the truth that …

COVID-19 In Mississippi: Lacking Leadership, Buy-In or Both?

The grand debate over a protective mask, played out on social media from the local level to the halls of the White House itself, is representative of the state of …