NAACP, human rights group sue Gulfport over poor defendants

[merh]

NAACP, human rights group sue Gulfport over poor defendants
Associated Press

GULFPORT, Miss. - The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the Southern Center for Human Rights have sued the city of Gulfport, alleging its municipal court routinely incarcerated poor people unable to pay their fines and violated their right to counsel.

As a result of these practices, the Harrison County Jail has become a modern day debtors' prison, said Miriam Gohara, assistant counsel for the fund.

"We are very concerned that poor people with old fines for minor violations of the law, such as riding a bicycle without a light, are being jailed for their inability to pay, and worse yet they are not being provided with a lawyer before sentencing, in clear violation of the Constitution," she said.

City officials have denied the allegations.

http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/12198117.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

This is a common occurrence throughout Harrison County, Gulfport is not the only city that does this.

[BOSSHOG]

1. Is it in Harrison County

Where Jailers and deputies have had sex with female inmates and allowed "favored" male inmates to have sex with female inmates? And deputies have provided female inmates with cocaine for sex. And female prisoners get beat up by jailers and deputies. More good southern state christian family values.

[merh]

2. Yes, you pegged it.

But of course, this happens all over the state. It just seems that the NAACP and the other group decided to pay attention to it in Gulfport.

:hi: