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Hinds County: Judge appoints receiver to detention center

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Hinds County Jail taken out of local control under appointed receiver

A former Baltimore jail warden and current criminal justice adjunct professor was appointed receiver of the Hinds County Detention Center, U.S. District Court Judge Carlton Reeves ruled Monday evening. 

Wendell France Sr. was one of four people Reeves considered for the appointment. He began his role Tuesday but will not take operational control of the jail until Jan. 1, 2023. 

“France’s diverse experience in corrections and criminal justice system leadership equip him with the tools to ensure RDC’s (Raymond Detention Center) compliance,” Reeves wrote in his order. 

France worked at the now-closed Baltimore City Detention Center in the intake center and in pretrial detention and as deputy secretary of state for the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. He was also an officer with the Baltimore Police Department. 

France has also worked as a consultant for the U.S. Department of Justice and studied police departments through the Crime Control Act of 1994, according to court documents. He has also investigated and made recommendations on criminal justice, law enforcement and correctional issues in several states. 

Currently, he is an adjunct professor at Bowie State University and Coppin State University – both in Maryland. 

Reeves appointed France weeks after ordering federal takeover for the jail, which had previously been under a consent decree since 2016 to address unconstitutional conditions. 

In his July order, Reeves wrote receivership is needed because there is a risk of unconstitutional harm to jail detainees and staff. In 2021, seven detainees died and there have been other issues such as violence, understaffing, old infrastructure and contraband. 

During a Monday news conference, Board of Supervisors President Credell Calhoun said the county would accept the judge’s decision and work with its legal team on next steps. 

He added that the board has invested millions of dollars at the jail to make improvements, including getting doors that lock.

Hinds County is appealing the appointment of a receiver and Reeves’ decision to hold the county in contempt before the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. 

Within 120 days of appointment, the receiver will develop an action plan for how to achieve compliance with court orders, according to court documents. Within 75 days, the receiver will also establish a budget for the first year of jail operation. 

France will receive $16,000 per month for services performed as jail receiver, according to Reeves’ order. 

Reeves asked the county and the DOJ to present candidates for the jail receiver role. The county proposed one person, and the department recommended three, according to court documents.

The DOJ’s other candidates were Susan McCampbell, who has worked as a court monitor at jails and prisons in multiple states, and another person whose name was not mentioned in court records. 

The county recommended Frank Shaw, who served as interim administrator of the Hinds County Detention Center. 

Reeves rejected Shaw as an option because his experience was in prisons rather than jails, according to court documents. Jails hold people who have not been convicted of a crime, while in prison, people held there have been convicted and are serving a sentence. 

He also decided against Shaw because Shaw was in charge of a privately-run prison in Arizona where riots broke out, according to court documents. 

Reeves said he interviewed two finalists for receiver and was confident that either could have taken on the role with integrity and been able to secure results for the people of Hinds County. 

In a separate Tuesday order, Reeves outlined responsibilities of the receiver, which includes:

  • Day-to-day jail operations
  • Remedy for unconstitutional conditions by implementing the new injunction order
  • Determine the annual budget for the jail, including staff salaries and benefits, medical and mental health services, facility improvements and fire safety
  • All executive, management, leadership powers relating to the custody, care and supervision of jail detainees
  • The duty to control, oversee, supervise and direct administrative, personnel, financial, accounting, contractual and operational functions of the jail 
  • The power take over personnel actions of staff who perform services related to jail operation
  • The authority to negotiate agreements with Sheriff’s Office, Board of Supervisors, other state, county, city officials or agencies not under the receiver’s direct control 

The county and DOJ each outlined what kind of duties and responsibilities they wanted the receiver to have, which Reeves took into consideration when determining which to grant.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Mississippi News

Attorneys file motion to delay Jackson bribery trial

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www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2024-11-21 16:41:00

SUMMARY: In connection with the Jackson bribery scandal, attorneys for federal officials and local leaders filed a motion to postpone the trial to allow time for extensive evidence review, including hours of recordings and thousands of pages of documents. Key figures charged include Hinds County DA Jody Owens, Jackson Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba, and Councilman Aaron Banks, each facing multiple counts of conspiracy related to bribery and fraud. The scandal involves alleged bribes amounting to over $80,000 related to a downtown development project, facilitated by individuals posing as real estate developers working with the FBI.

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Family of Dexter Wade rallies outside JPD nearly two years after his death

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www.wjtv.com – Tia McKenzie – 2024-11-20 14:20:00

SUMMARY: Nearly two years after Dexter Wade’s death, his family continues seeking justice. On November 20, Dexter Wade Day was observed in Jackson, declared by Councilman Kenneth Stokes. Wade, hit by a Jackson police cruiser in March 2023, was later found in a pauper’s grave in Hinds County, and his mother, Bettersten Wade, was unaware of his death until August 2023. She believes his death was covered up. No arrests have been made, and authorities consider it an accident. Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade expressed condolences and shared updates on new policies to prevent similar tragedies.

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Mississippi News

Man shot while helping with stalled vehicle in Jackson

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www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2024-11-20 19:08:00

SUMMARY: A man was shot in Jackson, Mississippi, while attempting to assist a person with a stalled vehicle on State Street at Beasley Road around 4:00 p.m. on November 20. Detective Tommie Brown reported that the victim was working on the vehicle when the suspect approached, questioned him, and then opened fire. The assailant fled the scene in a vehicle. Fortunately, the victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a local hospital. The Jackson Police Department is seeking information about the incident and encourages anyone with details to contact them or Crime Stoppers.

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