x
Breaking News
More () »

Judge issues contempt order over county jail in Mississippi

U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves says Hinds County officials have failed to fix problems in a jail plagued by violence and lax security.
Credit: AP
FILE - A security notice is posted outside the Hinds County Detention Center in Raymond, Miss., on June 12, 2015. A federal judge has issued a civil contempt order over conditions at the detention center. U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves wrote Friday, Feb. 4, 2022, that Hinds County officials have failed to fix problems in the jail that has experienced violence and lax security. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

JACKSON, Miss — A federal judge has issued a civil contempt order over jail conditions in Mississippi's largest county.

U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves says Hinds County officials have failed to fix problems in a jail plagued by violence and lax security. 

The U.S. Justice Department sued the county in 2016. It cited numerous problems in the Raymond detention center, including cell doors that would not lock and low staffing levels. 

Supervisors agreed in 2016 and again in 2020 to fix the problems. Reeves says conditions got worse in 2021. 

Sheriff Tyree Jones took office in late 2021. He says he'd dedicated to preventing death and injuries in the jail.

 

Before You Leave, Check This Out