Pass Gas in Class: Go Directly to Jail - Black Students Incarcerated in East Mississippi

When we were in high school, no one was jailed for dress code violations or for going to the bathroom without permission.

However, in east Mississippi authorities arrest students who commit relatively minor infractions.  

According to a federal lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice against Meridian and Lauderdale County, students of color and disabled children are disproportionately targeted. The lawsuit claims that these students were regularly jailed. The Department is suing the city of Meridian, Lauderdale County, the Mississippi Department of Human Services, the Department of Human Services Division of Youth Services, and two Lauderdale County Youth Court judges.

Where do these students go?

Perhaps to the local juvenile hall?

No.

The county's policies allow police to ship students 80 miles to a juvenile detention center sans legal representation or probable cause. And after that, they were placed on probation without proper legal representation. 

ALLOWABLE reasons for incarceration included:

• Dress code infractions such as wearing the wrong color socks or undershirt, or for having shirts untucked
• Tardies
• Flatulence in class
• Using vulgar language
• Yelling at teachers
• Going to the bathroom or leaving the classroom without permission

In the school district, 86% of its 6,000 students are Black and 12% are white. From 2006-2009, all students handed over to the legal system or expelled were Black. 96% of all students who were suspended were Black. 

Shame, shame, East Mississippi.  

You can read more here.

Mississippi Voter ID Law on Hold for November Election

Mississippi's photo identification law will not be in effect for the upcoming presidential election. In the mean time, federal officials from the Department of Justice will review for it for discrimination. 

Unlike Pennsylvania, where legislators passed the ID measure, Mississippi voters approved the identification requirement on a ballot initiative by a wide margin in November of 2011.

"We believe the process of implementation authorized by the Mississippi Legislature and the rules and regulations will show no discrimination against any citizen of Mississippi," said Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann.  

The Department of Justice is investigating to determine if the new law violates the Voting Rights Act.

Read more here.