Jackson Free Press

Garrad's Political Playlist

Politics is on the minds and tongues of everyone these days. We have elections coming up Nov. 8, when Mississippians will vote on two hot-button topics: personhood and voter ID. …

The Best Defense

When it comes to supporting breast-cancer research, even professional football players are getting in on the act. If you're a fan, no doubt you've seen all the pink out there …

Sequins and Livestock

It's really no secret that I love shiny things and a good show. My childhood included playing dress up, thanks to an extensive wardrobe of old dance-recital costumes and treasures …

Citizen Policewoman

I'm going to be completely honest: I'd never held a gun before. I always thought guns were for thugs and hunters. I simply didn't need one. So it may surprise …

The Poverty-Crime Connection

If you struggle to pay your bills and don't know where your next meal is coming from, studies show you are more likely to be incarcerated. Once you fall into …

Ways to Prevent Juvenile Crime

Grown folks with responsibilities don't have time to be running the streets. At least that's the thinking behind programs designed to keep kids out of trouble by putting them to …

‘Eyes on the Street': A Case Study

'The revival of Jackson is not going to be made on single-family housing.'

The Dropout-Crime Connection

What if there was a way to stop people from committing crimes before they started? Fight Crime: Invest in Kids is a nonprofit organization that advocates for quality education and …

Doing it For Jackson

In spring 2010, Grady Griffin received an urgent phone call from Craig Noone. A large oak tree had fallen in Greenwood Cemetery, close to Eudora Welty's grave.

Who's In a Gang? Who Uses Crack?

State and local jurisdictions develop their own definitions of "gangs," which can lead to confusion and ill-defined fears of gang violence. The Jackson Police Department does not have an official …

Bryant, DuPree Play Nice

The two candidates for governor in Mississippi talked up bipartisan cooperation and downplayed their differences at a debate Oct. 14.

Guns for Safety?

Also see: JFP Crime Blog

It so happens that in the past few weeks, a number of people with ties to the Jackson Free Press—staff and former staff—have encountered the same piece of advice from …

Relationships, Not Gates

I would like to claim that Broadmeadow United Methodist Church first reached out to the neighborhood, but the truth is that the neighborhood reached out first to Broadmeadow.

[Stiggers] Quell the Anxiety

As you know, many in our community and around this nation struggle with economic imbalance. Many people suffer at the hands of some insensitive, uncaring and greedy individuals. Therefore, your …

[Oppenheim] Time to Listen

On Oct. 22, youth from all over Mississippi, but mostly Jackson, will gather at Metrocenter Mall for a special event: the first Art, Poetry and Justice SLAM. The event is …

How to Be Safe

When I lived in the Washington, D.C., area, I knew a woman who was repeatedly on the receiving end of crime. She was mugged in the subway, had her purse …

Preventing Auto Theft

Auto thefts are usually crimes of opportunity, according to the University of Oakland Police Department's website. They can happen within seconds and are primarily a result of not being cautious …

Many Ways to Prevent Crime

The best way to stop crime is to put children on a good path early, help strengthen their families and intervene as needed. These groups do just that in many …

The JFP's Crime-Fighting Manifesto

"When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle." - Edmund Burke.

MIFF: A Cinematic Extravaganza

Edward Saint Pe and his team of organizers and volunteers commandeer the indie-film scene from Friday through Saturday with the 2011 Mississippi International Film Festival. "We're showing 50 films all …