SPLC Sues Hinds County Sheriff’s Office and Mississippi Dept. of Public Safety for Failing to Release Records About Inmate Deaths
HINDS COUNTY, Miss. — The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) filed a complaint against the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) and the Mississippi Department of Public Safety (MDPS) for violating the Mississippi Public Records Act.
The lawsuit states that HCSO and MDPS failed to respond to the SPLC’s numerous requests for information regarding deaths that have occurred at the Raymond Detention Center. According to MDPS, at least five people died at the facility between 2022 and April 2025. Separate reporting says that at least six deaths occurred at the same facility in 2025.
“Not only have these agencies violated their obligations under the law, but they have also failed to provide a full accounting of the incarcerated people who have died behind the walls of this troubled facility,” said Andrea Alajbegovic, senior staff attorney, SPLC. “The public has a right to know the extent to which deaths are occurring in the Hinds County detention facility and why. We have asked the court to direct HCSO and DPS to comply with statutory obligations and produce the requested records without further delay.”
The SPLC filed the lawsuit in the Chancery Court of Hinds County, Mississippi seeking a full and transparent account of all deaths that have occurred since 2022. The SPLC will review the data to determine the best course of action regarding conditions for those incarcerated in detention facilities throughout the Deep South.
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About the Southern Poverty Law Center
The Southern Poverty Law Center is a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements and advance the human rights of all people. For more information, visit www.splcenter.org.
