The Justice Department issued the following statement.
The Justice Department announced today that it will provide technical assistance to the Jackson Police Department (JPD) in Jackson, Mississippi, and the Hinds County Coroner’s Office in Hinds County, Mississippi, concerning their policies and procedures related to next-of-kin death notifications.
The department is providing this technical assistance to JPD and the Hinds County Coroner’s Office pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), which prohibits discrimination based on race, color and national origin in programs receiving federal financial assistance. The lack of timely next-of-kin death notifications resulted in deceased individuals receiving pauper’s burials in unmarked graves in Hinds County, and some reports have indicated that there may be a perception that race or other factors played a role in the process concerning next-of-kin death notifications.
“Families want and deserve transparency and the opportunity to make decisions about their loved ones’ burials,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Through technical assistance, we aim to ensure that officials are able to deliver death notifications and make decisions regarding burials in a timely and trauma-informed way that complies with federal civil rights law.”
“The department looks forward to working with city and county officials to improve the death notification system in the Jackson area so that the families of missing and deceased persons can receive all the information available about their loved ones,” said U.S. Attorney Todd Gee for the Southern District of Mississippi.
The technical assistance, which will be provided by the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi, will examine JPD’s General Order on Missing Persons and new General Order on Death Notifications and provide recommendations on implementation and training. The technical assistance to the Hinds County Coroner’s Office will provide recommendations on policies and training related to locating next-of-kin.
The provision of technical assistance is not a finding of fault or wrongdoing by JPD, the Hinds County Coroner’s Office or any other individual or entity. JPD and the Hinds County Coroner’s Office voluntarily agreed to receive technical assistance and support from the department.
Under Title VI, the department is working to make sure that law enforcement agencies and other recipients of federal funding take affirmative steps to comply with their civil rights obligations by offering technical assistance to facilitate Title VI compliance. Technical assistance helps agencies update and/or enhance their policies and practices, while strengthening the connection between law enforcement agencies and communities of color and other stakeholders. For example, the department has provided technical assistance through its Law Enforcement Language Access Initiative, a nationwide effort to assist law enforcement agencies in meeting their obligations to provide meaningful language assistance to limited English proficient individuals.
Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba issued the following statement.
The City of Jackson has been working closely with the Department of Justice concerning policies for providing death notifications to next of kin," said Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba. "Prior to this collaboration, Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade took the initiative to update and strengthen the policy that JPD already had in place. The new policy consists of a checks and balances system that will help ensure that all efforts are exhausted when making an effort to notify a decedent’s next of kin. This joint effort with the DOJ is welcomed and will only improve the new standards already in place. This assistance will only help to better serve the residents of our city.
Kingfish note: Is Jackson so bad it needs federal help just to perform this basic task?
27 comments:
Is there anything, anything, that Jackson and HindsCo can do well at a basic level without help?
I hope the people’s campaign get a seat at the table, this can’t stand!
Feds to help Jackson with (fill in the blank).
One would assume that if you had not heard from a child or loved one after a couple of days, that you would contact all of the hospitals and law enforcement agencies to find someone. To be sure, that doesn't relieve the police of their duty to contact a prisoner's (when known) of kin in the case of a death. However, as we all know, shit happens. There are bound to be some prison deaths which fall through the cracks.
On the other hand, it would not surprise me if some prisoners may have "gotten lost" in the system in order to cover up law enforcement crimes perpetrated against prisoners and arrestees before a meaningful autopsy could be performed.
But it was black people discriminating against black people. Am I missing something here? I’m very confused abou Title VI and how it defines discrimination which historically was White and black.
I have been a big fan of Wingate but, he just handed the vault keys to the robbers.
Something has happened behind the scenes for him to go from telling Rukia to f--k off and doing this about face.
Well, they’re getting busy fast. Three murders today at last count. Chicago had only seven all weekend.
The grift is set in motion...Poor People's Campaign partying tonight.
SaltwaterPappy, some of these families did just exactly what you suggest. And didn't get a response from the COJ officials that knew the answers. Therein lies the problem - or the incompetence; or the coverup; or whatever it was. BTW, it does not have to be limited to just one of the options - multiple reasons, listed or otherwise, could have been the reason.
When the officials had information that directly provided information as to the identity of the body - including those that were run over by off-duty LEOs if that should have ever have happened, possibly, maybe, just by chance - or for whatever other reason the body became in the possession of the county, its kinda hard to put the blame on the family for not raising the issue with the proper party. How about the proper party being the officials, in multiple different parts of city and/or/both county government who are getting PAID TAXPAYER MONEY doing their job, and not attempting to point the finger away from another area of incompetence within our governing bodies?
9:44---You make some excellent points.
They buried an “unidentified “ person with an ID in his pocket. You can’t fix stupid.
@9:31
Not sure why people compare Chicago to Jackson. The demographics are completely different as are the incomes for the citizens
Chicago is only 26% black as a city and much larger. No way to compare the 2. There are areas in the city of Chicago that go for well over 3 million and it’s a simple 3 bedroom condo. Nothing like Jackson. Maybe look at Montgomery for a similar city or Memphis
How can there be anything even close to racism involved in this idiocy?
Minorities run Jackson. They run the police department. Huge majority of the people buried with no identification are black. So how can it be racism?
It is not. It is laziness or incompetence or both. They just hate to admit it....
I wonder how many of these "families" gave a shit about their people when they were alive? Didn't seem to care until they found out they may be able to squeeze some money out of someone.
Well, one of the dead folks was white. Clearly racism.
This is about qualifying for federal funds going directly to Jackson to help them update outdated or non-working communication equipment and adequate staff.
Even though Jackson has generated the most sales tax for the State, they get very little of it.
I am appalled seeing where my tax money is going when I drive around Flowood or Brandon or go to Hattiesburg. Whether it's roads and bridges with little to no traffic being new work on local government buildings, the bulk of our tax dollars are going to the fewest number of citizens.
And, the idiots doing this for political advantage for themselves seem to forget the Jackson is still a major area for citizen traffic because of hospitals, the fairgrounds, the museums, and events at Thalia Mara as well as shopping for items not generally found in small towns.
It's the level of incompetence of our state yahoos that is disturbing. Government works best when it is well coordinated! Ya know...the " no stronger than the weakest link" and in this case the biggest link in the chain!
As a taxpayer, I prefer my contribution to be spent on this rather than law enforcement,highways and bridges and educational reforms.
Okay Little Jackson, it’s ok if you don’t won’t to learn how to tie your shoes. We’ll get big brother to do it for you.
Why does Jackson need so much help to do the things that other cities do just fine?
Even though Jackson has generated the most sales tax for the State, they get very little of it.
Complete garbage. Jackson receives the same diversion % as every other municipality. In February of this year Jackson accounted for only 5.7% of all sales taxes collected in the state.
Based on a few years of JJ comments, there is a misplaced expectation of State spending to offset Jackson's phenomenal rate of incompetence, delinquent or absent financial management and a dearth of mayoral leadership. To compound this whining, these same prefer that the very same fools who can't function be given large sums from the State or the Feds to waste without oversight.
How can several dead bodies be buried by the city without an attempt to notify next of kin and how does this unprofessional slight justify federal intervention to buy more carelessness?
No matter what, it all comes down to "stupid" voting for "stupid".......
Its quite smart of Chuck.
He lets all services fall into disrepair due to his own ineptitude.
Uncle Bennie sends Federal funds.
Chuck farms tose funds out to idiot buddies for more palm grease and repairs are still not made.
But he tells his constituents that its all racism and he is their champion and only hope.
Rinse and repeat and all the while the peasants cheer for the thief they worship in a bow tie.
New slogan: Jackson Can't Get Right, Can You Do For Us What We Can't?
I would like to make a suggestion that possibly would help with burying people. The next time you decide to bury a body look in their pockets for their identification. It is something that is usually carried with a person.
I have a strong feeling that state will have to take over Jackson. We should just move the capital.
Move the capitol? A new capitol would cost $25-50 million.
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