Mississippi / Public News Service

A 2021 Empower Mississippi report reveals the state earns an

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

'Dead Zone' persists as defendants await indictment without legal representation

By Caleb Bedillion for The Marshall Project.Broadcast version by Danielle Smith for Mississippi News Connection reporting for the Marshall Project-Pub…

A report from AARP found expanding the use of innovative, effective models for nursing homes can improve both quality of care and quality of life, such as with smaller facilities and private rooms. (Rawf8/Adobe Stock)

MS ranks low among states for long-term care services, supports

A new report finds Mississippi could be doing a lot more to better serve the people in the state who need long-term care. AARP's Long-Term Care …

Volunteers for Big House Books distributed 557 packages containing more than 1,671 books to Mississippi correctional facilities in September and October. (Lightfield Studios/Adobe Stock)

Prison Book Program fosters literacy behind bars in Mississippi

A Mississippi-based organization is providing free books to incarcerated individuals to promote literacy and pave the way for prison reform. Prison …

Black Americans were 9.3 times as likely as whites to be homicide victims in 2020, American Indians were 4.3 times as likely, and Latino Americans were 1.9 times as likely, based on age-adjusted figures. (LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS/Adobe Stock)

Report cites disparities in crime and policing

The lifetime likelihood of imprisonment for Black men has changed significantly from one generation to the next, according to The Sentencing …

The Governor's Job Fair Network of Mississippi will be in Clinton next Wednesday for a job fair at the Wood Activity and Therapeutic Center. (Prostock-studio/AdobeStock)

MS second-chance job fairs connect formerly incarcerated with employers

Finding a job after prison can be tough, but a program in Mississippi is helping formerly incarcerated people get back on their feet. The …

Black individuals are incarcerated at 2.5 times the rate of white individuals in Mississippi. (thawornnurak/Adobe Stock)

Report: Racial disparities remain high in MS incarceration rates

Black people continue to be locked up at disproportionate rates in Mississippi, according to the latest data. The report from the Prison Policy …

Report: MS ranks last among states for health of women, children

Mississippi received the lowest ranking of the 50 states for the overall health of women and children in the new America's Health Rankings report by t…

In Mississippi, about 375 children are legally able to be adopted, who are in current adoptive placements and at various stages of the process. (Jade M/peopleimages.com/Adobe Stock)

Adoption partnership aims to boost 'forever families' in Mississippi

More than 1,100 children are in foster care in Mississippi, and an adoption partnership aims to increase the number of them who find "forever …

Mississippi requires voters to have a photo ID, such as a driver's license or U.S. passport, for verification to vote. (Rawpixel.com/AdobeStock)

Mississippian voters under 45 to change state politics

The youngest Mississippians voters could end up shifting the political landscape of the state in the not-too-distant future. Research from the …

College students with Defenders of Democracy campaign attend a voter registration event at Mississippi Valley State University. (Courtesy of Southern Poverty Law Center)

'Activate Mississippi' aims to boost voter engagement, education

Ahead of the Nov. 7 general election, an advocacy group aims to expand voter education and engagement throughout Mississippi. The Magnolia State has …

This week, Mississippi received an $8.3 million grant to promote better reentry outcomes by expanding people's access to employment when they're released from prison. (Nina/peopleimages/Adobe Stock)

Firsthand experience informs MS 'Rethinking Reentry' conference

In Mississippi, people face many barriers to restarting their lives after prison. Today's Rethinking Reentry Conference focuses on helping them …

Mississippi's Nov. 7 election is to choose a governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, members of the Legislature and other offices. (Burlingham/Adobe Stock)

Mississippians urged to register to vote ahead of Nov. 7 general election

Ahead of the general election on November 7, there is an urgent push for voter education in the Magnolia State. In 2020, more than 1.9 million …

Nationwide, nearly 12% of delinquent youth in secure correctional custody have been incarcerated for violating probation or after-care rules, not for committing new criminal offenses. <br />(Miguel Aguirre/Adobe Stock)

A call to action to see fewer children incarcerated in MS

The number of children behind bars in Mississippi has declined significantly in recent years, but their advocates say more work could be done to …

Mississippians with diabetes have medical expenses about 2.3 times higher than those who are not diabetic, according to the American Diabetes Association. (Seventyfour/Adobe Stock)

Healthier lifestyle tips for preventing diabetes in communities of color

The prevalence of Type 2 diabetes is on the rise in Mississippi. About one in seven Mississippians lives with diabetes. Jernard A. Wells, cookbook …

A recent report found incarcerated individuals were sleeping on steel bunkers without a mattress at the South Mississippi Correctional Institution in Leakesville. (Photo courtesy Disability Rights Mississippi)

New Bill Advocates for Incarcerated People with Disabilities

A new bill in Congress would ensure assistance and resources for people with disabilities who are in jail or prison. It could have a major effect in …

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, during 2020, more than 91,000 Mississippi residents enrolled in health insurance plans through the federal insurance marketplace. (C D/peopleimages.com/Adobe Stock)

MS Call Center Workers Want Better Healthcare, Wages, Union

As the open-enrollment period for people who need health insurance fast approaches, some Mississippi workers are threatening to walk the picket line…

More than 1,495,000 people are currently working as truck drivers in the United States. (Drazen/Adobe Stock)

Mississippi Black Women Make Strides in Trucking Careers

A Mississippi Black-owned business is cultivating solutions to the transportation industry by training women of color to get into trucking. Nearly 6…

Jackson is the largest city in Mississippi, and its public water system includes more than 71,000 water connections. (Jana/Adobe Stock)

The Lingering Effects of Jackson's Ongoing Water Crisis

By Torsheta Jackson for Yes! Magazine.Broadcast version by Danielle Smith for Mississippi News Connection, reporting for the YES! Media/Public News …

The cost of incarcerating older people is especially high, and their risk of reincarceration is incredibly low, yet 12% of people in Mississippi prisons are over age 55. (Viperagp/Adobe Stock)

Report Examines 'Safety Beyond Sentencing' in MS, U.S.

Making jails and prisons safer and sentencing more equitable are the goals of a report marking 50 years of mass incarceration in the U.S. In …

A study showed thousands of e-cigarette exposure cases reported to U.S. poison centers in the past year, most of which were among kids younger than 5 years old. (Oleg/AdobeStock)

Report: Recommends Ending Disposable Vape Sales in Mississippi

A recent report found disposable vapes are posing a growing environmental threat in Mississippi and across the country. The U.S. Public Interest …

Mississippi is one of five states to not supplement the federal Supplemental Security Income payment. All other states and territories add money to federal SSI payments. (Gunnar3000/AdobeStock)

SSA Expands Outreach for SSI Benefits to Rural Mississippi Communities

The Social Security Administration has taken a proactive step to bridge the gap between critical financial assistance and the people who may be eligib…

About 9,480 Mississippians will see their student loans automatically forgiven thanks to the Income Driven Repayment plan, according to the U.S. Department of Education. (Vitalii Vodolazskyi/AdobeStock)

Mississippians Prepares to Start Paying Back Student Loans

Mississippians are working on their monthly budgets as the pause for federal student-loan payments comes to an end, and the pressure of another …

Agriculture in Mississippi is a $9.72 billion industry. There are approximately 34,700 farms in the state, covering 10.4 million acres. (Brastock Images/AdobeStock)

Bill Aims to Advance Farmer-Led Conservation Education in Mississippi

New federal legislation aims to help farmers in Mississippi and elsewhere share their knowledge of conservation practices as they face an increasing n…

In Fall 2022, 6,906 students enrolled at Jackson State University, one of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in Jackson, Miss. (AS Photo Family/Adobe Stock)

Jackson State First-Time Freshman Enrollment on the Rise

Higher education is just one area in which Americans' confidence has fallen, according to the latest Gallup poll. However, people are still signing …

A study from 2021 ranked Mississippi first among the 50 states in terms of its high gun death rate, of 32.61 per 100,000 people. (Longfin Media/Adobe Stock)

Report: Young Mississippians Want Stricter Gun Laws

Some 74% of young people in the U.S. believe gun violence is a problem, and 60% want to see stricter gun laws, according to a new report from …

A recent report from the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine showed an increase in female graduates by 9.8%. It also found a jump of 9.9% of graduates from underrepresented racial and ethnic minority groups. (Pressmaster/AdobeStock)

Addressing MS Doctor Shortage With Osteopathic Medicine

Like many rural states, Mississippi is struggling with a shrinking workforce of primary care physicians, which means gaps in access to care are …

The average family of four in Mississippi could end up spending almost $9,350 per year on groceries, according to The Center Square, which quoted the Economic Policy Institute. (TheBigLand45/Adobe Stock)

MS Teams Up with Feds to Probe Grocery Price-Gouging

Attorneys general from more than 30 states - including Mississippi - just announced a bipartisan effort to bring down costs and create more choices a…

A new study from Equal Rights Advocates found more than 50% of Black and Latina women struggled to make ends meet during the pandemic. (Andrey Popov/Adobe Stock)

Black Women's Equal Pay Day Sheds Light on MS Wage Disparities

Black Women's Equal Pay Day on July 27 calls attention to the wage disparity between Black women and white men. In Mississippi, it is even more …

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Mississippi