Justice attorney: ‘Ongoing danger’ in Mississippi jail

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A Justice Department attorney says the failure of Mississippi’s largest county to follow federal orders to improve jail conditions has “caused people to die, suffer injuries and live in ongoing danger.” Helen Vera is with the Civil Rights Division. She argued Monday that U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves should put Hinds County’s Raymond Detention Center under a federal receivership. Reeves issued a civil contempt order Feb. 4 against Hinds County, saying officials have failed to fix problems. An attorney for Hinds County, James Shelson, says the county is planning to build a new jail, with supervisors approving $68 million for it.