SPLC Sues Mississippi Agencies Over Jail Death Records
The Southern Poverty Law Center has filed a lawsuit against the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office and the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, alleging they failed to release public records regarding deaths at the Hinds County Detention Center in Raymond.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Hinds County Chancery Court, claims the agencies violated the Mississippi Public Records Act by not responding to multiple requests for information about inmate deaths. SPLC senior staff attorney Andrea Alajbegovic said the public has a right to know how many people have died in the facility and why.
Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones said he was not familiar with the lawsuit and declined to comment. A DPS spokeswoman, Bailey Martin Holloway, said the agency was aware of the complaint but also declined to comment. Both agencies will have an opportunity to respond in court.
The lawsuit argues that there is no complete count of deaths at the facility. It cites news reports and data obtained from the sheriff’s office and DPS. DPS has acknowledged at least five deaths from 2022 to April 2025, while local media reported at least six deaths at the jail in 2025 alone.
The lawsuit notes that DPS is responsible for collecting data on in-custody deaths through the federal Deaths in Custody Reporting Act, and should have records related to Hinds County jail deaths. SPLC is seeking a full account of all inmate deaths since 2022 and plans to review the data to assess conditions at detention facilities across the Deep South.
The Public Records Act requires agencies to respond within seven working days. Alajbegovic said she first submitted a records request to the sheriff’s office in May 2025. Despite follow-ups, the office has not provided records after nine months. DPS did not respond to a recent records request or follow-up.
The SPLC has served a copy of the lawsuit to the Mississippi Ethics Commission, which oversees violations of the records law. The Raymond Detention Center has faced years of legal action, including a federal consent decree to address unconstitutional conditions, such as violence prevention and safety measures. In 2021, U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves held the county in contempt twice for failing to comply with the decree. Seven people died at the jail that year, including from homicide and suicide.
In 2022, Reeves ordered a federal receiver to take control of the jail, but the appointment was delayed until late 2025 due to an appeal. Meanwhile, the county is constructing a new jail in Jackson, with the first phase expected to be completed this fall.
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