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A layered collage illustration shows Monroe County sheriff’s investigator Spencer Woods in black and white. Behind him is an image of the Monroe County Detention Facility with a written guilty plea for the charge of child abuse, with “took drugs” in parentheses. On the left of the image is a baby ultrasound on an orange background. Underneath the ultrasound is an excerpt of court documents from the State of Mississippi.
Feature November 16
They Were Prosecuted for Using Drugs While Pregnant. But It May Not Have Been a Crime
Dozens of women in Mississippi have been charged with child abuse crimes that, based on existing state law, they may not have committed.
By Anna Wolfe, Mississippi Today
From left, headshots of Paul D'Ambrosio, a White man with glasses; Daja E. Henry, a Black woman; and Caleb Bedillion, a White man with a beard.
Jackson September 28
The Marshall Project Announces Mississippi Local News Team
Two journalists will produce enterprise and investigative journalism for audiences across Mississippi, including those affected by its criminal justice system.
By The Marshall Project
An illustration shows an outline of a lawyer raising their arm up while holding a document. The lawyer stands in front of a judge, who is also holding a gavel. People in orange prison uniforms stand in the foreground.
Jackson September 18
Mississippi Courts Won’t Say How They Provide Lawyers for Poor Clients
Six years ago, the Mississippi Supreme Court told judges around the state to file plans showing how they meet their obligations to poor defendants. So far, only one has.
By Caleb Bedillion, Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal
A White woman with light blonde hair looks at a photo she is holding in her hands of her daughter in a blue graduation gown.
Feature July 25
These States Are Using Fetal Personhood to Put Women Behind Bars
Hundreds of women who used drugs while pregnant have faced criminal charges — even when they deliver healthy babies.
By Cary Aspinwall
A photo shows the silhouette of a prison tower, trees and lamp posts against an orange sunset.
Closing Argument July 22
‘Concrete Coffins’: Surviving Extreme Heat Behind Bars
Record temperatures in much of the U.S. threatening more people in prisons.
By Jamiles Lartey
A photographer takes a picture of an incarcerated man, wearing a graduation cap, gown, a Mexican sarape print stole and a green stole that reads, "T.O.P.S.S." in front of a gray backdrop. The picture was taken outside on a lawn surrounded by barbed wire fences.
Closing Argument July 8
Students Behind Bars Regain Access to College Financial Aid
Restored Pell Grant eligibility means about 760,000 people in prisons could eventually afford higher education.
By Jamiles Lartey
Jackson July 5
Mississippi Says Poor Defendants Must Always Have a Lawyer. Few Courts Are Ready to Deliver
A rule requiring poor criminal defendants to have a lawyer throughout the criminal process took effect Saturday.
By Caleb Bedillion, Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal
A group of Supreme Court justices sitting at a raised bench while an attorney speaks at a podium.
News April 14
Some Are Jailed in Mississippi for Months Without a Lawyer. A Court Just Barred That.
The Mississippi Supreme Court moved to end the “dead zone” before indictment in a notoriously dysfunctional public defender system.
By Caleb Bedillion and Taylor Vance
A Black woman and a White woman carried signs reading "DC Statehood is racial justice" during a protest.
Closing Argument March 11
How a Growing Political Fight Threatens Local Control of Criminal Justice
Anxiety about crime — and plain politics — are fueling efforts to supplant local rule, from Washington, D.C., to St. Louis and other localities.
By Jamiles Lartey
The entrance to a Texas prison facility, a gray rectangular building with a detached teal shaded structure in front of it. A black car is parked to the right. There are wired fences and buildings in the background.
Closing Argument September 10, 2022
Why Record Heat Can Be Deadlier in Prisons
Corrections officials across most of the nation have not prepared for warmer summers and record heat waves.
By Jamiles Lartey
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