Mississippi police unconstitutionally jailed people for unpaid fines, Justice Department says

By MICHAEL GOLDBERG
Associated Press/Report for America

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Justice says a Mississippi police department in one of the nation’s poorest counties unconstitutionally jailed people for unpaid fines without first assessing whether they could afford to pay them. The announcement comes amid a Justice Department probe into alleged civil rights violations by police in Lexington, Mississippi. The still ongoing investigation is focused on accusations of systemic police abuses in the majority-Black city. Prosecutors say the conduct of police in Lexington violates the constitution’s prohibition on wealth-based detention. Prosecutors also say local officials have pledged to work with the Justice Department to reform their procedures.