Mississippi Legislature seeks to alleviate a back-logged criminal justice system in Jackson

Temporary assistant district attorneys and judges are being chosen to help streamline the judicial process in Mississippi’s capital. The Hinds County judicial system has been overwhelmed in recent years, with the pandemic exacerbating that strain. Officials estimate there are more than 2,200 pending cases. Jackson Police Chief John Davis says the city has limited space for those who are awaiting trial.

Chief Davis says “It will be great to have extra judges to prosecute some of those cases. Because here in Jackson, we run across a lot of repeat offenders. People that should have been in jail, but still in all are out terrorizing the city.”

The legislature is also investing in the state’s Capitol Police force to expand its presence in the city’s Capitol District. Senator John Horhn of Jackson says this will show residents that the state is working to address the problem, but says there is still work to be done in curbing the root causes of crime.

“Well, at the heart of it is poverty. Above all we have got to give people in this town hope,” says Senator Horhn. “Hope that their lives and conditions are going to get better. And the way you do that is by providing resources, training, education, opportunity, providing things for young people to do.”

Officials say they are also working on a project to build a new jail in Jackson to potentially house more inmates.