This is The Marshall Project - Jackson’s newsletter, a monthly digest of criminal justice news from around Mississippi gathered by our staff of local journalists. Want this delivered to your inbox? Sign up for future newsletters.
In this edition, we provide updates on the killings inside Mississippi prisons; legislative measures to watch; and the Jackson police chief role - a new one could be named soon. – Daja E. Henry
Why Mississippi prison killings haven’t stopped
In September 2025, we published a yearlong investigation into dozens of killings in Mississippi prisons.
We found more than 40 homicides that led back to the same factors time and time again: understaffing, lax oversight and gang violence. Victims and their families rarely receive justice — the killers seldom face consequences and families are often left searching for answers.
Since the investigation was published, the violence has continued.
In October 2025, 23-year-old Cameron Roby died after an earlier assault in East Mississippi Correctional Facility. That same month, 29-year-old Donald Jones was beaten to death by his cellmate at Wilkinson County Correctional Facility, according to prison incident reports.
Read our story to learn more about what leads to the rampant violence in Mississippi prisons, why it persists, and why the federal government and other states have increased oversight of their prisons.
Prison health care reform, voting rights before the Legislature
The 2026 legislative session began on Jan. 6. Lawmakers are convening in the state Capitol and will introduce bills that could affect the criminal justice system in Mississippi. Lawmakers have until Jan. 19 to introduce bills. Here are some to look out for:
State House Corrections Committee Chair Rep. Becky Currie, a nurse and a Republican representing District 92, said she plans to introduce legislation to reform prison health care. Last year, Currie took on the issue after finding that incarcerated people often lacked adequate health care. In one case, a man broke his arm and developed sepsis after being denied medical care for a week. His arm had to be amputated.
Last year’s failed bill included several provisions, such as communal kiosks in prisons to schedule medical appointments, the prohibition of co-pay fees for health care services and a required review by the Mississippi Department of Health. In an interview with Mississippi Today, Currie said she would reintroduce many of the same measures this year through separate bills rather than one measure.
Lawmakers will also consider restoring voting rights for people convicted of certain nonviolent crimes. The Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus has included the issue on its 2026 agenda. This voter disenfranchisement issue has received bipartisan support in recent years, but legislative reform efforts have consistently fallen short.
Jackson mayor names police chief finalists
The search for Jackson’s next police chief has come down to four finalists, Mayor John Horhn announced.
The finalists are Jackson Police Department Assistant Chief Wendell Watts, Columbus Police Chief Joseph Daughtry, New Orleans Police Department Major LeJon Roberts and RaShall Brackney, the former police chief of Charlottesville, Virginia.
The finalists were selected from a pool of 32 applicants.
Watts is an assistant police chief of patrol operations for the Jackson Police Department. In this role, he oversees citywide patrol operations, criminal investigations and several specialized task forces. Watts has spent most of his 30-year law enforcement career with JPD. He has also served as the inaugural police chief in Gluckstadt and managed security operations for Merit Health Central.
Daughtry, the Columbus police chief, was also previously chief of police in Natchez and Pelahatchie. He is a New Orleans native with nearly 30 years of law enforcement experience.
Roberts is a leader in the New Orleans Police Department’s Field Operations Bureau. He oversees specialized units, including K-9 and marine search-and-rescue. He has more than 27 years of experience in law enforcement.
Brackney is currently a visiting professor of practice at George Mason University in Washington, D.C. Her research emphasizes “how institutional practices within the criminal legal system disproportionately impact marginalized communities,” according to a biography on the university website. Brackney retired from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police after more than 30 years of service. She later became chief of police in Charlottesville, Virginia, and at The George Washington University in D.C.
The mayor’s office did not say when a police chief will be named, but all the finalists were interviewed on Jan. 8. Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones has served as the interim chief since September 2025, following former Chief Joseph Wade’s retirement.
Send us your story tips!
If you’ve experienced or witnessed something in the criminal justice system that you think we should look into further, contact us through this form or jackson@themarshallproject.org. All tips are confidential.
