CITY
‘Not Just Rough Justice’ Mississippi’s criminal-justice system has a long way to go toward reform. The state has the third-highest incarceration rate in the country and a struggling public-defender
system without adequate oversight, with local governments providing almost all its funding, a report from the Sixth Amendment Center found. Some experts are also concerned that, in Mississippi’s typical courtroom culture, elected judges can feel pressured to take a tough-on-crime Seyma Bayram
Drug-related prosecutions would look different, too, especially for low-level marijuana possession. “We do think that it does not make sense to ruin someone’s life all for a dimebag of weed or a joint,” he said. The current bail system is used “to tax poor people” in Mississippi, Owens maintains. “My general rule is that bail, period, is for public safety and a deterrent (to) flight risk,” he said, adding that he believes there should be no bail for people who have committed murder. Asked whether he would consider installing a court facilitator to keep track of cases, he responded that his office would track this information itself. Vance, who hopes to solidify his new job as the Hinds County sheriff in the November election, views lengthy pretrial detention as a constitutional violation. “American citizens should be entitled or have the right to speedy trials,” Vance told the Jackson Free Press. He said he is excited to work together with the new DA to tackle this issue, which regards as “the most important thing” as sheriff. “If you’re going to have a facility that’s faulty, it … certainly doesn’t need to be busting at the seams with inmates,” Vance said. “… Let’s get these people through the system, and get them their day in court, get them before a judge, whether they’re going to be acquitted or convicted, let’s get them out of the system, where they either go home or go to the Mississippi Department of Corrections.”
A top priority for Hinds County sheriff hopeful Lee Vance is to reduce lengthy pretrial incarceration.
stance to satisfy their constituents. Municipal courts have the power to set bail but no authority to accept guilty pleas or resolve cases—another obstacle to reform. But prosecutors do still hold a lot of influence, including in Hinds County. Forging a regular working relationship with law en-
forcement is crucial. Prosecutors also have discretion over who to release pending trial or whether to charge cash bail. They can choose to set bail only in cases where a person is a flight risk or poses a danger to the community, which is, in fact, the appropriate way to administer bail. Cliff Johnson, director of the MacArthur Justice Center, is optimistic about the incoming district attorney. “Jody Owens is an excellent lawyer, and I am convinced that he cares deeply about doing justice,” he said. “Indeed, there are things that Mr. Owens can do to correct policies and practices that have plagued Hinds County for years. He can be selective about the cases he chooses to bring in the first place, he can seek pretrial detention only in those cases where he believes the person is a legitimate flight risk or danger to the community, and he can move to his cases to indictment quickly and efficiently rather than dragging cases for months or years as has been done in Hinds County for years.” “(Owens) knows as well as anyone that business as usual is both unacceptable and unconstitutional,” Johnson added about the incoming district attorney. But changing people’s hearts and minds around criminal justice will take time, Johnson pointed out. “What I’m worried about is that as soon as Jody Owens begins making changes in the system, that he’s going to experience backlash from impatient Hinds County residents who have become convinced that the only way to implement our criminal justice system is by locking up everyone you can for as long as you can,” he said. “It’s about smart justice and not just rough justice.” Follow City Reporter Seyma Bayram on Twitter.
FINISH FASTER. WE TAKE YOU HIGHER. MILLSAPS.EDU * SOURCE: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION COLLEGE SCORECARD WWW.COLLEGESCORECARD.ED.GOV
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
MILLSAPS HAS THE HIGHEST GRADUATION RATE OF ANY FOUR-YEAR PUBLIC OR PRIVATE UNIVERSITY OR COLLEGE IN MISSISSIPPI.*
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