JACKSON — The Southern Poverty Law Center on Wednesday launched a statewide database intended to compile and make publicly accessible records of people who have died while detained in Mississippi jails and prisons, a move organizers say will expose gaps in reporting and drive accountability across the state's criminal justice system.
The project grew from efforts that began in May 2025, when SPLC attorneys issued public records requests to county sheriff's offices across Mississippi. The group says it has received records from 58 of the state's 82 counties, while 24 counties have not yet produced documents requested under the state's public records law.
Scope and findings
SPLC officials said the database incorporates state-level totals along with county submissions. State records show there have been 148 deaths in Mississippi jails and prisons since 2019. The nonprofit’s aim is to assemble as complete a dataset as possible to help families, researchers and the public understand patterns of in-custody mortality.
| Measure | Number |
|---|---|
| Counties that provided records | 58 |
| Counties that have not provided records | 24 |
| State-reported deaths since 2019 | 148 |
Andrea Alajbegovic, senior staff attorney at SPLC, said the organization sought records to ensure that families and the public can access information that federal law requires jails and prisons to report but that is often difficult to obtain.
“These are real people who got caught up in the criminal legal system, ended up in jail for whatever reason and died for whatever reason. That should have never happened in the first place,”
Alajbegovic told reporters the database includes deaths from both urban and rural counties, asserting that rural jurisdictions have sometimes been overlooked in broader reporting on detention fatalities.
Legal pressure and next steps
To fill outstanding gaps, SPLC has begun litigation against counties that have not complied with records requests. The organization said it is suing at least two counties, the most recent being Rankin County, alleging repeated delays and insufficient responses under the state's public records timeline.
“Within the public records act, technically, there are supposed to be seven days to provide these records,” Alajbegovic said. SPLC leaders said they provided multiple follow-ups before seeking court action to compel compliance.
Attorneys for the SPLC framed the lawsuits as a last resort aimed at ensuring transparency and enabling independent review of detention conditions and officials' responses to in-custody medical emergencies and other incidents.
Why the database matters locally
Mississippi counties operate more than 80 local jails, often serving as the front line of the state's detention system. Advocates say timely, complete data is vital for family members trying to understand what happened to a loved one and for policymakers who might adjust training, medical protocols or oversight to prevent future deaths.
Public records also allow researchers and journalists to track trends, such as causes of death, demographic patterns and whether deaths cluster in particular facilities or time periods. SPLC said the database is an initial phase of broader work to evaluate jail conditions and press for reforms.
- Data collection began with public records requests to county sheriff's offices in May 2025.
- SPLC says federal law requires reporting of in-custody deaths, but access can be inconsistent.
- The organization is pursuing lawsuits against noncompliant counties to obtain missing records.
Officials in the counties that have not yet provided records did not immediately respond to requests for comment. SPLC representatives said they will continue pursuing records and updating the database as new material becomes available.
The effort adds Mississippi to a broader national push by advocacy groups to centralize information about deaths in custody, a topic that has drawn attention from civil rights organizations, lawmakers and families seeking answers after in-custody fatalities.
As the SPLC continues to build the database, the group's filings and any subsequent court rulings could prompt public releases of county-level information that has, until now, been difficult for journalists and the public to assemble in one accessible place.
Send news tips and records updates to the SPLC through their public portal or contact their legal team for information about the ongoing litigation.
