Jackson Free Press

Barbour: First, Do No Harm

Call us suspicious, but we don't believe for one minute that Gov. Haley Barbour thinks the Mississippi Legislature will vote to merge the state's three historically black universities, while not …

Presidential Pardons Heavily Favor Whites

White criminals seeking presidential pardons over the past decade have been nearly four times as likely to succeed as minorities, a ProPublica examination has found.

Vol. 10, No. 20

My name is Howard Klerk, and I am the president of the National Board of Trustees of The National Organization of Parents of Murdered Children Inc. based in Cincinnati, Ohio. …

[Letters] Vol. 10, No. 20

My name is Howard Klerk, and I am the president of the National Board of Trustees of The National Organization of Parents of Murdered Children Inc. based in Cincinnati, Ohio. …

Why He Did it: Barbour Gives Rationale in WaPo

In a Washington Post op-ed published today, Haley Barbour defended clemency pleas he granted in the waning hours of his governorship. He said that the ensuing controversy stemmed from people …

JFP Persons of the Day: Jamie and Gladys Scott

For their supporters, Jamie and Gladys Scott have become emblematic of a broken criminal-justice system in Mississippi. Jamie, 36, and Gladys, 38, were 19 and 21 respectively when they were …

JFP's Biggest Stories

Over the years, the Jackson Free Press has dug in deep on a number of big stories and topics that produced major results for the city and state.

DA Files: ‘Too Sweet’ Reverend, Old Faces Back in News

Names of men who were involved in the late and controversial Mayor Frank Melton's universe keep popping up in the convoluted accusations encircling Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith.

Rest in Peace, Ronni Mott: Your Journalism Saved Lives. This I Know.

Ronni Mott's journalism and storytelling defined her—especially her work on physically and sexually abused, tortured, stalked and murdered women in Mississippi.

Ouch: Barbour's Advisers Were Embarrassed to Show Him What They'd Dug Up

Imagine being all set to run for president, and your advisers have dug up so much "opposition" dirt on you that they don't have the courage to present it to …

[Barkley] Act on Your Beliefs, Guv

Forgiveness and second chances should be the cornerstones of our criminal-justice and correctional systems in Mississippi.

Making Mississippi 420 Friendly

The potential of cannabis as an appetite stimulant is among the key arguments from proponents of rolling back legal restrictions for marijuana for its medicinal purposes.

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Barbour to End Death Penalty in Mississippi (SATIRE)

In an exclusive interview with the Jackson Free Press, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour has broken with the Republican Party's tough-on-crime stance to press state legislators for an end to the …

MDOC Handbook: No Killers in Guv's Mansion

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood will ask a circuit court judge on Jan. 23 to invalidate the pardons of at least 10 felons whom ex-Gov. Haley Barbour granted clemency before …

Barbour: Don't Marginalize Women

I'm not sure what Gov. Haley Barbour is "running" for now--vice president? chief of staff?--but I was dismayed to read about his recent speech in which he focused on how …

Protect Justice in Mississippi

Gov. Haley Barbour and Mississippi's legislators have several opportunities this session to provide measures of justice to its citizens.

Pardon Me? Chickfest Honors Rep. Brandon Jones

When Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour suspended the sentence of convicted domestic murderer Michael Graham last summer, citizens of Pascagoula were outraged. As shocked and furious as his community, freshman Rep. …

Scott Sisters Face Health Barrier to Transplant

Also see: The Tragic Case of the Scott Sisters

More Gun Control in Mississippi

With statewide household gun ownership at 54 percent in Mississippi, it's no secret that heightened gun-control laws aren't likely to get much support from the state Legislature.

Barbour Furloughs Rapist, Then Retracts

Leslie Bowlin lay in wait for his young victim, watching her roommates leave their shared apartment in the Canterbury Townhouses in Starkville one by one for the Christmas break. When …