Did You Wait Months for an Indictment in a Mississippi Jail?

Dozens of people — perhaps many more — have been held in Mississippi’s Hinds County jail for months without criminal charges from a district attorney.

Long wait times behind bars are among several issues under scrutiny by the federal government following last year’s court-ordered takeover of the jail. The takeover transferred day-to-day management of the Raymond Detention Center, near the state capital of Jackson, to Wendell France, an out-of-state consultant.

Were you, or someone you know, waiting in jail for months without an indictment? Tell us about your experience in this form.

France said the numerous delays are driving overcrowding at a facility that is already short-staffed and prone to violence, including murders within the jail’s walls. One major cause of delay is the amount of time people are held behind bars before being indicted, which France called “unsustainable and legally problematic” in a letter last year to prosecutors. Other counties in Mississippi face similar issues.

But what is an indictment?

Indictments are a key step in the legal process that happens after arrest, and are issued by a group of people known as a grand jury. Like regular juries, the grand jury is composed of people in the community. But rather than deciding whether someone is guilty or not, grand juries listen to evidence presented by prosecutors to determine whether there is a strong enough reason to go to trial.

In some cases, the district attorney’s office may decide not to seek an indictment. But prosecutors generally have to make a decision — either to pursue an indictment or not — for the case to move toward resolution.

For example, if you’ve been charged with a crime but not indicted, you can’t ask to see all the evidence against you. Even if you want to plead guilty or ask for a deal from the prosecutor’s office, you often have to first be indicted before those conversations can even begin. And people who can’t post bail or get released before their trial have no choice but to sit in jail and wait.

Were you, or someone you know, waiting in jail for months without getting an indictment from the grand jury or going to court? The Marshall Project wants to hear from you. Tell us more about your experience here:

Got more questions about what happens after an arrest? This guide from The Marshall Project may be able to help.