Brian HoweyHigh-ranking inmates known as trusties were ordered to do guards’ bidding, former inmates and guards said, and the culture of violence in the jail went straight to the top.
Category: Policing
The Deputies Who Tortured a Mississippi County
When Andrea Dettore-Murphy first moved to Rankin County, Mississippi, she didn’t believe the stories she heard about how brutal the sheriff’s department could be when […]
Where the Police Used a Taser on a Bible-Reading Great-Grandmother
Last summer, a Mississippi police officer approached Vivian Burks as she sat in her car at a local park reading the Bible. He was cordial […]
Goon Squad Hearings Reveal Culture of Violence in Mississippi Sheriff’s Office
Sentencing hearings this week for six law enforcement officers, some of whom were members of the Goon Squad, revealed a disturbing portrait of a Mississippi […]
Mississippi Lawmakers Propose Measures to Oversee Police
Mississippi lawmakers have introduced a bill that would increase oversight of law enforcement officers and give state authorities more power to punish misconduct after a […]
We Regret to Inform You
This story is part of a two-part exposé that won a George Polk Award for Justice Reporting in 2024. Bruce Praet is a well-known name […]
Stories of Alleged Brutality by a Mississippi Sheriff’s Department
Last month, The New York Times and the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting at Mississippi Today investigated a series of allegations that, for nearly two […]
How a ‘Goon Squad’ of Deputies Got Away With Years of Brutality
This story was part of a series that was a finalist for both the 2024 Pulitzer Prize and the 2024 Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting. […]
New Evidence Raises Questions in Mississippi Police Killing
This story was part of a series that was a finalist for both the 2024 Pulitzer Prize and the 2024 Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting. […]
Dearth of Aurora cop recruits prompts city to advance, hire applicants who test poorly
In its attempts to hire more police officers, Aurora is settling for candidates who scored poorly on their entrance exams. The Sentinel’s analysis of the […]