Mississippi
A year later, parole rates lower than before law went into effect
![A year later, parole rates lower than before law went into effect A year later, parole rates lower than before law went into effect](https://mississippitoday.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/housing-unit-1170x781.jpg)
One yr after a regulation expanded parole eligibility to extra individuals incarcerated in Mississippi prisons, the state’s parole grant fee has declined by greater than a 3rd, an indication legal justice reform advocates say exhibits the regulation isn’t being absolutely applied.
Senate Invoice 2795, often known as the Mississippi Earned Parole Eligibility Act, grew to become regulation in July 2021 with the aim of giving extra individuals the chance to be heard by the Mississippi Parole Board and probably be launched from jail. Because of this, about 5,700 further persons are anticipated to turn into parole eligible inside the subsequent 5 years, in line with an estimate within the Corrections and Legal Justice Oversight Process Power’s January report.
FWD.us, a legal justice and immigration reform group, supported SB 2795. As soon as the regulation was applied, outcomes had been encouraging; the parole grant fee climbed and the jail inhabitants fee declined to its lowest level in additional than 20 years, the group mentioned.
By November 2021, the parole grant fee reached a excessive of 93% and the board held over 1,000 parole hearings, in line with numbers from the Mississippi Division of Corrections obtained by Mississippi At this time. However quickly after, parole charges and hearings started dropping every month. In July 2022, the latest information obtainable, the grant fee was 40% and the board held 633 hearings.
“Parole grant charges have fallen by greater than half, lowering the incentives of individuals in Mississippi’s prisons to take part in applications and put together to securely reenter society,” FWD.us State Director Alesha Judkins mentioned in an announcement to Mississippi At this time.
Judkins mentioned parole is an evidence-based coverage that offers individuals second probabilities, reunites them with their households and group and curbs taxpayer spending. Additionally it is a solution to tackle Mississippi’s lengthy jail sentences.
Parole Board Chair Jeffery Belk stepped into his position at first of the yr, across the time the board was coming down from working by a wave of hearings spurred by parole eligibility growth taking impact.
He mentioned the board is conscious that since he’s turn into chairman, the parole grant fee has fallen. Belk mentioned the numbers don’t dictate choices, and the board seems to be at a variety of accessible data to determine whether or not to grant parole.
“I’d fairly have the numbers be true and correct and return and have a look at them then simply ‘we did no matter we did to get the numbers down’ mentality,” he mentioned throughout an interview with Missisisppi At this time.
When writing the regulation, Belk mentioned legislators had religion that the Parole Board would evaluate and decide who would obtain parole and who wouldn’t.
Typically, an individual can turn into eligible for parole after serving a sure period of time on their sentence and having been convicted of against the law that’s parole eligible.
Below SB 2795, these convicted of nonviolent crimes and non routine drug offenses dedicated after June 30, 1995 should serve both 25% of their sentence or 10 years earlier than turning into parole eligible.
Those that dedicated a violent crime should serve half their sentence or 20 years, and folks convicted of theft with a lethal weapon, a drive-by taking pictures or carjacking should serve 60% of their sentence or 25 years.
Individuals who have reached the age of 60 and served a minimum of 10 years of their sentence for a parole-eligible crime may also obtain it.
Capital offenses, homicide, drug trafficking, intercourse crimes and being a routine offender are among the many crimes within the state that aren’t eligible for parole.
When Gov. Tate Reeves signed the Mississippi Earned Parole Eligibility Act in April 2021, he referred to as it “a measured strategy to (second) probabilities” and mentioned it will be a “web optimistic for (Mississippi)” with correct implementation.
Below SB 2795, a parole listening to date shall be set when an individual is inside 30 days of their parole eligibility date.
Belk mentioned there’s a misunderstanding {that a} parole eligibility date means computerized launch or sentence discount. He mentioned he typically will get emails from relations of incarcerated individuals asking why they haven’t been launched.
Newly-parole eligible individuals have had hearings, Belk mentioned, however some is probably not prepared for launch as a result of they haven’t had entry to applications resembling expertise and job coaching to succeed outdoors of jail.
If somebody shouldn’t be prepared for parole, he mentioned the board will give them time, possibly a yr, to be reconsidered.
“Now that they’re parole eligible, simply because they missed their first parole eligibility date, doesn’t imply they’re going to overlook their subsequent one if they begin profiting from (applications),” Belk mentioned.
In an Aug. 17 interview with Supertalk Radio, MDOC Commissioner Burl Cain mentioned he requested the parole board to not approve parole for gang members to guard public security and to ship a message that gang membership in jail received’t assist.
“In order that form of makes the (jail) numbers spike up, nevertheless it’s public security and that’s what we’re all about,” he mentioned.
In response, Belk reiterated that the Parole Board has shifted from a numbers-driven perspective and takes time to make powerful choices about parole, together with for many who are gang members.
Whereas parole hearings have decreased, Belk mentioned there was a associated wave of hearings to find out whether or not somebody ought to have their parole revoked. A revocation might occur if an individual commits a brand new crime or fails to report back to a parole officer for a sure time period.
Belk mentioned the board will give the individual an opportunity to clear up any points to have the ability to proceed on parole. In any other case, the individual might be returned to jail.
Because the parole fee has fallen, the state is seeing its jail inhabitants improve. Mississippi is a world chief in incarceration. The jail inhabitants has grown and is greater than final yr when parole eligibility growth grew to become regulation, in line with MDOC data.
Judkins, of FWD.us, mentioned much less alternatives for parole and a rising jail inhabitants don’t simply damage people who find themselves incarcerated. These conditions additionally don’t enhance public security and may value taxpayers extra.
“Sadly, the quickly declining parole grant fee shouldn’t be solely blunting the influence of the brand new regulation but in addition denying significant alternatives for launch to those that had been parole eligible earlier than the brand new regulation,” she mentioned.
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Mississippi
Mississippi High School Football Rankings: Top 25 Teams – September 2
![Mississippi High School Football Rankings: Top 25 Teams – September 2 Mississippi High School Football Rankings: Top 25 Teams – September 2](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/09/02194523/HS-AFI-MS.png)
The Mississippi high school football rankings saw some drastic changes after an opening week which saw multiple ranked matchups in the Magnolia State.
Brandon, Madison Central and Louisville each won top-10 games while Oak Grove, West Jones, Clinton and Germantown also picked up ranked wins.
Below is the updated Mississippi On3 Massey Ratings top 25, as of Sept. 2.
The On3 Massey Ratings — which were officially used during the BCS era and have generated college high school sports team rankings since 1995 — rank sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule and margin of victory.
CLICK HERE to watch high school games on NFHS Network now!
Previous Ranking: No. 4 (+3)
Madison Central opened the season in style with a 27-20 top-10 win over Ocean Springs. Ocean Springs shut out Madison Central for nearly the entire first half — until Madison Central running back Glen Singleton rattled off four consecutive rushing touchdowns. The Jaguars are on the road again Friday in the Mississippi game of the week as they travel to face No. 2 Brandon.
Previous Ranking: No. 3 (+1)
Brandon featured in another Mississippi top-10 game in week one, thrashing then-No. 7 Picayune Memorial 60-34. Star junior defensive back Preston Ashley recorded a 45-yard scoop-and-score touchdown, Logan Drummond returned a punt 61 yards to the house and Trey McQueen returned an interception 38 yards for a score in a night filled with unconventional scoring for the Bulldogs. Brandon will host No. 1 Madison Central on Friday.
Previous Ranking: No. 2 (-1)
Starkville took down Noxubee County 43-22 in week one. Tyson Knox picked off Mississippi State commit KaMario Taylor on Starkville’s own 1-yard line to keep the Yellowjackets’ 14-point lead in the second half. Two plays later, quarterback Jaylen Ruffin hit Jaheim Deanes for a 97-yard touchdown. Starkville now gets to look forward to hosting No. 20 West Point this week.
Previous Ranking: No. 1 (-3)
Oak Grove fell in the rankings this week simply by virtue of other teams’ impressive performances — as the Warriors won their game over No. 15 Grenada 38-24. Oak Grove quarterback Kellon Hall was 19-of-27 passing for 306 yards with a touchdown. Next up is No. 11 Ocean Springs at home.
Previous Ranking: No. 5
Tupelo escaped upset-minded Whitehaven last week with a 26-19 opening win. Quarterback Noah Gillon and running back J.J. Hill each accounted for two touchdowns as the Golden Wave came away with an ugly win in ugly conditions following a 90-minute weather delay. Tupelo will play Southaven on the road next.
Previous Ranking: No. 9 (+3)
Yet another top-10 matchup on opening night in Mississippi. Louisville took down then-No. 10 West Point 15-14 in a nailbiter. Louisville scored the only points of the second half — a 21-yard field goal to put the Wildcats on top. Louisville will hit the road again this week at Neshoba Central.
Previous Ranking: No. 8 (+1)
West Jones knocked Laurel out of the Mississippi top 25 with a dominant 34-6 win on Friday. Senior running back Elijah Jones was unstoppable on the ground with 226 yards and four touchdowns on 24 carries. West Jones will play Northeast Jones on the road this Friday.
Previous Ranking: No. 21 (+13)
Clinton pulled off the upset in week one with a 26-20 win over then-No. 11 Warren Central in the ‘Red Carpet Bowl’. Jakobe Williams rushed for two touchdowns while the Clinton special teams and defense scored on a blocked punt and recovered three fumbles. A road game against Northwest Rankin is on deck.
Previous Ranking: No. 16 (+7)
Oxford owned one of the few week one blowouts on this list, beating Lafayette 45-0 in the ‘Crosstown Classic.’ All six of the Chargers’ touchdowns came on the ground. Oxford will play No. 22 South Panola at home this Friday.
Previous Ranking: No. 12 (+2)
Madison-Ridgeland moved to 3-0 on the season after a 50-6 win over Oak Forest Academy that was never in question. Pulaski Academy — The No. 9 team in Arkansas — is on deck for the Patriots.
11. Ocean Springs (-5)
12. Gulfport (+2)
13. Pearl (+4)
14. Germantown (+10)
15. Hartfield Academy (+3)
16. Grenada (-1)
17. Picayune Memorial (-10)
18. Hattiesburg (NR)
19. Jackson Prep (+3)
20. West Point (-10)
21. D’Iberville (NR)
22. South Panola (-9)
23. Poplarville (NR)
24. Warren Central (-13)
25. Gautier (NR)
Dropped from rankings: Northwest Rankin, Meridian, Columbia, Laurel
Mississippi
MPCA testing the entirety of the Mississippi River within Minnesota
![MPCA testing the entirety of the Mississippi River within Minnesota MPCA testing the entirety of the Mississippi River within Minnesota](https://assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/r/2024/09/02/0564de83-90fa-4d81-9619-84022c30819e/thumbnail/1200x630/e98078edb78f4dec2ccc9e494c22c33c/4p-pkg-river-testing-wcco61yp.jpg?v=25685eaa472b1a5dbb5bd46ae506d232)
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. —It winds 650 miles, rushing past the cities, industries and landscapes that make up Minnesota.
However, the Mississippi River has never gotten this type of attention from water quality professionals.
For the first time ever, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is testing the entirety of the river, from Itasca to Iowa, in a single year.
The governor’s office wants the river to be swimmable and fishable, but right now, parts of the river are polluted.
The MPCA says the upper Mississippi is largely healthy up north, but quality drops south of St. Cloud where metro development and tributaries from agriculture muddy the waters. The National Park Service says stretches of the river exceed water quality standards for things like mercury, bacteria and sediment.
Think of the testing like a checkup for one of our state’s most valuable and powerful resources. Researchers will check temperature, transparency and levels of pollutants like phosphorus, nitrogen and ammonia.
Crews also check fish for those contaminants and collect insects to test in a lab to identify any concerning trends.
“If we find the fish community is suffering — maybe the water is too warm and maybe there’s a thermal pollution source upstream or maybe it’s too much runoff — that sort of stuff. Temperature is an important indicator especially for sensitive species,” Isaac Martin with the MPCA said.
Also for the first time, the agency is looking for PFAS contamination with money from an Environmental Protection Agency grant to identify and stop the forever chemicals from streaming into the Mississippi.
PFAS are a group of manufactured chemicals for industry and consumer products that don’t break down in the environment. While research is ongoing, the EPA says exposure to the chemicals can cause human health issues. It’s why the federal agency just lowered the amount allowed in drinking water.
“They go to parts per trillion, which is incredibly sensitive. You get that low, you’re talking drops in an Olympic swimming pool,” Martin said. “Part of the reason why it was chosen is because it’s a primary drinking source or potentially could be a primary drinking source. We’re just finding them in places we never expected to find them. We’re finding them almost everywhere and being that it is new, there’s just a lot of ‘I don’t know’ that goes with it.”
It’s too early to know what this complete snapshot will reveal, but we know this powerful river is part of our community, economy and health.
“Maybe you don’t use the resource yourself, but maybe you know someone who does or future generations of your own will,” Martin said. “In Minnesota, we’re just trying to be the best stewards we can be.”
The data from this testing will be available early next year. Researchers will use that data and compare it to 10-year pollution averages to determine which parts of the river are improved or impaired.
A full report will be released in 2026.
Mississippi
Who should be SBLive’s Mississippi high school player of the week? (Aug. 25-31)
![Who should be SBLive’s Mississippi high school player of the week? (Aug. 25-31) Who should be SBLive’s Mississippi high school player of the week? (Aug. 25-31)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_1280,h_720,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/high_school/01j5m63arexrvt6r9tmr.jpg)
Here are the candidates for SBLive’s Mississippi high school Athlete of the Week for August25-31. Read through the nominees and cast your vote. The poll will close Sunday at 11:59 p.m. If you would like to make a nomination in a future week, email Tyler@scorebooklive.com. For questions/issues with he poll, email athleteoftheweek@scorebooklive.com.
Editor’s note: Our Athlete of the Week feature and corresponding poll is intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. However, we do not allow votes that are generated by script, macro or other automated means. Athletes that receive votes generated by script, macro or other automated means will be disqualified.
Kohl Bradley, DB, George County: Racked up 17 tackles and returned an interception 80 yards for a touchdown in a 33-7 win over East Central.
DaJuan Colbert, DB, Natchez: Recorded 15 tackles, forced one fumble and returned another one 75 yards for a touchdown in a 58-50 win over Hancock.
Garrison Davis, QB, Holmes County Central: Completed 14 of his 21 pass attempts for 375 yards and three touchdowns in a 20-6 win over Vicksburg.
Xzavion Gainwell, DB, Yazoo County: Recorded nine tackles, an interception and an 80-yard interception return for a touchdown in the Panthers’ 20-16 win over South Delta.
Elijah Jones, RB, West Jones: Had 24 carries 226 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-6 win over Laurel.
Kingi McNair, WR, Pearl: Caught four passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns in a 26-20 win over Neshoba Central.
Ashton Nichols, DB, Clinton: Recorded six tackles to go with two big pass breakups, a blocked punt and a return for a touchdown in a 26-20 win over Warren Central.
Ethan Prater, RB, Pisgah: Rushed for 132 yards on 27 carries with three scores and caught a 60-yard touchdown pass in a 33-32 win over North Forrest.
Glen Singleton, RB, Madison Central: Rushed for 174 yards on 18 carries with all four touchdowns in a 27-20 win over Ocean Springs.
Damarius Yates, RB, Kemper County: Rushed for 193 yards on 17 carries and returned a kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown in a 38-15 win over Kosciusko.
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