Brian HoweyThis story was part of a series that was a finalist for both the 2024 Pulitzer Prize and the 2024 Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting. […]
Reporting
In a Brutal Mississippi Jail, Inmates Say They Were Enlisted as Enforcers
High-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.
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 […]
Torture Accusations Could Lead to Civil Rights Case in Mississippi
More than two months after deputies were sentenced for torturing two Black men in central Mississippi, federal prosecutors have widened their investigation and may sue […]
‘Did You Tase Him in the Face!?’ Inside ‘Goon Squad’ Deputies’ Group Chat
Between vacation photos and cookout invitations posted on their private text thread, a group of Mississippi sheriff’s deputies who called themselves the Goon Squad traded […]
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 […]