iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Daja E. Henry @dajaehenry.com · 31/08/2026

In the history of Mississippi's Parchman prison, music is inextricable from its brutal legacy. I attended a concert of the newly-revived Parchman Band at the GRAMMY museum and met some talented musicians. Here's my dispatch, for @themarshallproject.org. www.themarshallproject.org/2026/08/28/m...

themarshallproject.org

Mississippi Prison Band Offers a Glimpse of Freedom in a Lifetime of Punishment

The latest incarnation of the band composed of incarcerated people at Parchman prison toured the state and will release an album next year.

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Daja E. Henry @dajaehenry.com · 09/06/2026

After 20 years in solitary confinement and an overturned death sentence, Quintez Hodges died by hanging in 2021. “This is not a fucking suicide. They were killing this man," Joesph Patri Brown told me from death row. @themarshallproject.org www.themarshallproject.org/2026/06/09/m...

themarshallproject.org

They Spent Years in Solitary Confinement in Mississippi Despite Suicide Risk

For decades, MDOC has regularly held incarcerated people in solitary confinement for weeks, months — and in some cases — years at a time.

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Daja E. Henry @dajaehenry.com · 09/06/2026

themarshallproject.org

They Spent Years in Solitary Confinement in Mississippi Despite Suicide Risk

For decades, MDOC has regularly held incarcerated people in solitary confinement for weeks, months — and in some cases — years at a time.

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Daja E. Henry @dajaehenry.com · 08/06/2026

Denise Short, 21, pleaded for help. Instead, she was sent to solitary confinement, where she died by suicide. Despite a legion of evidence of its harms, solitary confinement was the common factor in nearly 75% of suicides in Mississippi prisons since 2015. www.themarshallproject.org/2026/06/08/m...

themarshallproject.org

Mississippi Prisoners Begged for Help. They Died in Solitary Instead.

An investigation found there were at least 47 suicides in solitary confinement in Mississippi, where cries for mental health care were met with isolation and punishment.

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Daja E. Henry @dajaehenry.com · 24/02/2026

Mississippi prison officials told Mary Anderson her uncle died of a heart attack while incarcerated. A year later, the FBI is investigating his death as a homicide. He was reportedly beaten to death by prison guards. My latest for @themarshallproject.org www.themarshallproject.org/2026/02/24/m...

themarshallproject.org

FBI investigating Mississippi Prison Death Involving Guards

Melvin Cancer was killed by guards beating him inside the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility, a new report shows.

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The Marshall Project @themarshallproject.org · 24/02/2026

When Mississippi officials informed Mary Anderson that her uncle had died in prison, they told her he had suffered a heart attack. But now the FBI is investigating the 2025 death of Melvin Cancer at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility as a homicide, and the guards as alleged perpetrators.

themarshallproject.org

FBI investigating Mississippi Prison Death Involving Guards

Melvin Cancer was killed by guards beating him inside the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility, a new report shows.

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Daja E. Henry @dajaehenry.com · 27/01/2026

In 1962, JFK used the Insurrection Act — an emergency power typically used to uphold civil rights & stop violent uprisings — to end a White supremacist uprising at Ole Miss. Years later, Trump wanted to use it differently, unleashing troops on Minnesotans. www.themarshallproject.org/2026/01/27/i...

themarshallproject.org

How Trump’s Insurrection Act Threat Differs From JFK’s Use in Miss.

The military has been used domestically about 30 times since 1807, mostly to enforce civil rights and quell riots. Can they be used to quash political protests?

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Reposted by Daja E. Henry

The Marshall Project @themarshallproject.org · 06/12/2025

Food service company Aramark is leaving incarcerated people in West Virginia with empty stomachs and their loved ones with empty pockets, a federal class-action lawsuit alleges. Our story from @dajaehenry.com:

themarshallproject.org

Aramark Cuts Free Prison Meals to Boost Profits, New Suit Claims

A lawsuit claims the prison food company is cutting institutional meals to force incarcerated people to purchase costly food from the same vendor.

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Mississippi Free Press @mississippifreepress.org · 05/12/2025

At least 60 people arrested in Hinds County have been jailed in its detention facilities for over three months—including at least five for more than a year—with no indictment filed against them and no pathway to a trial in sight. buff.ly/Z0Exzpl

mississippifreepress.org

Dozens Locked in Hinds County’s Jails Without an Indictment—Some for Over a Year

At least 60 people arrested in Hinds County have been jailed in its detention facilities for over three months with no indictment filed against them.

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Daja E. Henry @dajaehenry.com · 05/12/2025

Dozens have been locked up in Hinds County for >3 months with no indictment, a critical step in getting to trial. Many of them are crammed into Raymond Detention Center, where a man was killed this year. One man has been locked up for 18 months. My latest: www.themarshallproject.org/2025/12/05/h...

themarshallproject.org

Why Hinds County Jail Is Holding Too Many People Without an Indictment

The newly appointed federal receiver has asked the county’s district attorney to move more cases, while the DA has asked the county for more money.

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Daja E. Henry @dajaehenry.com · 15/10/2025

After our reporting on 43 prison homicides, MDOC commissioner Burl Cain said the dept will review the more than two dozen unprosecuted killings, as well as deaths of undetermined causes that have happened withinin prison walls since 2015. To read more: www.themarshallproject.org/2025/10/14/m...

themarshallproject.org

Why Mississippi Will Reopen Prison Homicide Cases Dating Back to 2015

Nearly 50 prison deaths will be examined, following a joint investigation by multiple Mississippi newsrooms.

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Harms Committed @harmscommitted.com · 09/10/2025

"[C]ruel and unusual punishment." "Plumbing issues, vermin infestations, feces-covered walls, and limited access to basic hygiene products, such as soap or tampons, are common complaints." "I haven't had a shower in three to four weeks." #Missouri #Ohio #Mississippi #USA #Incarceration

themarshallproject.org

Why America’s Jails Are So Disgusting

Understaffing, outdated facilities and poor management have led to filthy conditions in jails in St. Louis, Cleveland and Hinds County, Mississippi.

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Daja E. Henry @dajaehenry.com · 09/10/2025

Filth, dysfunction and extortion. "It's the wild, wild west in there," Tedrick Francois told me after spending time in Raymond Detention Center. People awaiting trial there sleep alongside mice, have limited access to laundry, and must pay to use a toilet. www.themarshallproject.org/2025/10/09/j...

themarshallproject.org

Why America’s Jails Are So Disgusting

Understaffing, outdated facilities and poor management have led to filthy conditions in jails in St. Louis, Cleveland and Hinds County, Mississippi.

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Reposted by Daja E. Henry

Mississippi Free Press @mississippifreepress.org · 07/10/2025

The second autopsy on the body of Delta State University student Trey Reed has not been released, despite uncorroborated social media rumors currently circulating claiming it uncovered evidence of foul play. Reed, who was Black, was found hanging from a tree on the campus in Cleveland last month.

buff.ly

The Facts: Trey Reed’s 2nd Autopsy Has Not Been Released, Despite Rumors

The second autopsy on the body of Delta State University student Trey Reed has not been released, despite uncorroborated social media rumors.

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Daja E. Henry @dajaehenry.com · 01/10/2025

Today, a receiver took over Hinds County's Raymond Detention Center. People detained there shared stories of being held in cells covered with mold and feces and sleeping on floors. At least 6 died there this year, including a murder & drug overdose. www.themarshallproject.org/2025/10/01/m...

themarshallproject.org

Court Appointee Takes Over Hinds County Jail

After a decade-long court battle, receiver Wendell M. France takes the reins.

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Reposted by Daja E. Henry

Mark Puente @markpuente.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

Cuyahoga County officials never disclosed that Ms. Grant died as a result of being physically restrained by a deputy. The Marshall Project-Cleveland team broke the news last night. w/ @brittanyhailer.bsky.social & Doug Livingston. www.themarshallproject.org/2025/09/25/c...

themarshallproject.org

Cuyahoga County Jail Transfer Ends With Death at MetroHealth

A special prosecutor is reviewing the actions of hospital workers and a sheriff’s deputy after the medical examiner ruled Tasha Grant’s death a homicide.

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Reposted by Daja E. Henry

The Marshall Project @themarshallproject.org · 25/09/2025

🔍 Join us now in a Reddit AMA with The Marshall Project - Jackson's @dajaehenry.com and @mississippitoday.org's Mina Corpuz, who are discussing their investigation into Mississippi's deadly prisons where at least 43 people have been killed since 2015:

reddit.com

From the IAmA community on Reddit: At least 43 people have been killed in Mississippi prisons since 2015. Just 6 people have been convicted. We’re journalists who spent nearly a year investigating the...

Explore this post and more from the IAmA community

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Daja E. Henry @dajaehenry.com · 25/09/2025

At 10 a.m., Mina and I will be answering questions about our investigation into homicides in Mississippi prisons. Join us here: www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comme...

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19thnews @19thnews.org · 24/09/2025

On her 200th birthday, Harper’s voice is as urgent now as it was centuries ago — and her vision lives on through The 19th’s HBCU fellowship and other efforts in her name.

19thnews.org

Frances Ellen Watkins Harper’s bicentennial is a call to action

Harper’s voice is as urgent now as it was centuries ago — and her vision lives on through The 19th’s HBCU fellowship and other efforts in her name.

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Daja E. Henry @dajaehenry.com · 12/09/2025

“No one deserves to die like this." At least *43* people have been killed in Mississippi prisons since 2015. Poor staffing, lax oversight and gangs who rule by violence make it easier for killings to go unchecked. Read more: www.themarshallproject.org/2025/09/11/m...

themarshallproject.org

Dozens of Killings Inside Mississippi Prisons Rarely Get Justice

At least 42 incarcerated people have been killed in the last decade. Just six people have been convicted in their deaths.

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Harms Committed @harmscommitted.com · 11/09/2025

"At least 42 people have been killed inside Mississippi prisons in the past decade." "In the first half of this year, there were five homicides." "'[A]n unimaginable pain you all gave me. This grief will last forever,' one victim's mother wrote." #Mississippi #USA #Healthcare #Incarceration

themarshallproject.org

Dozens of Killings Inside Mississippi Prisons Rarely Get Justice

At least 42 incarcerated people have been killed in the last decade. Just six people have been convicted in their deaths.

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Reposted by Daja E. Henry

Ashton Pittman @ashtonpittman.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

"When Semiko Crump arrived at Raymond Detention Center in December 2023, she said officers threw her 'in the hole.' Crump estimates she was in the dark, single-person cell for a few hours, writhing in pain from a broken foot." Reporting by @dajaehenry.com @themarshallproject.org.

mississippifreepress.org

Some Hinds County Detainees Go Years Without Seeing the Sun

Jails in Jackson and other cities don’t always provide direct access to sunlight and fresh air—even when their own policies require it.

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Daja E. Henry @dajaehenry.com · 14/05/2025

Police killed Phillip Gibbs, 21, and James Earl Green, 17, & wounded several others #OTD in 1970 at Jackson State & got away with it. 55 years later, the DOJ is investigating, but turmoil at the dept. could threaten what may be a last attempt at justice. www.themarshallproject.org/2025/05/14/j...

themarshallproject.org

Civil Rights Probe of 1970 Jackson State, Mississippi, Killings At Risk?

The Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Act made way for investigations of racially motivated killings. The federal agency enforcing it is in disarray.

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Daja E. Henry @dajaehenry.com · 14/05/2025

themarshallproject.org

Civil Rights Probe of 1970 Jackson State, Mississippi, Killings At Risk?

The Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Act made way for investigations of racially motivated killings. The federal agency enforcing it is in disarray.

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Ethan Corey @ethanscorey.bsky.social · 26/03/2025

Fantastic explainer/Q&A from @dajaehenry.com feat. @stroud.bsky.social on the prospect of a federal receivership (what's that?—read the story!) at the Hinds County jail in Jackson, Mississippi. www.themarshallproject.org/2025/03/26/h...

themarshallproject.org

What Will Happen to the Hinds County Jail Once Under Court Control?

When death and violence plagued the jail, the federal courts stepped in. We talked with an expert about what to expect from a receivership.

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Daja E. Henry @dajaehenry.com · 26/03/2025

A court-appointed receiver will take over Hinds County's long-embattled Raymond Detention Center, where 7 people died in 2021. What is a receiver? What will he do? How did we get here? These Qs and more answered in my latest for @themarshallproject.org: www.themarshallproject.org/2025/03/26/h...

themarshallproject.org

What Will Happen to the Hinds County Jail Once Under Court Control?

When death and violence plagued the jail, the federal courts stepped in. We talked with an expert about what to expect from a receivership.

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Reposted by Daja E. Henry

Mississippi Free Press @mississippifreepress.org · 24/03/2025

During a 2015 no-knock drug raid in rural northeast Mississippi, sheriff’s deputies shot and killed 57-year-old Ricky Keeton after he came to the door with an air pistol as SWAT team members forced their way into his trailer home at 1 a.m.

buff.ly

Mississippi’s No Knock Raids Have Led to Death and Injury

Some local courts have backed off approving no-knock raids, but there are still no statewide limits on these dangerous types of raids.

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National Police Accountability Project @npapjustice.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

When Trump entered office, 12 police agencies were either under investigation for or found to have committed to civil rights violations under the Biden administration. @themarshallproject.org breaks down the state of reform under an administration backing away from federal oversight.

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Daja E. Henry @dajaehenry.com · 24/01/2025

Monday is opening day for the controversial CCID court here in Jackson. Today, I’m here at the opening ceremony, where Chief Justice Mike Randolph will announced the appointed judges.

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Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 11/12/2024

WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director Christopher Wray says he intends to resign at the end of Biden's term next month.

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Morgan Jerkins @mjerkins.bsky.social · 10/12/2024

From an interview I did with Nikki Giovanni back in 2017:

Nikki Giovanni describes how she doesn't think death is the end of us.

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Daja E. Henry @dajaehenry.com · 03/12/2024

I'm currently a staff writer at The Marshall Project - Jackson, where I cover Mississippi's criminal justice system. Before, I was a fellow at The 19th, where I covered a wide range of stories from politics to environmental justice to reparations to police killings. The common thread: injustice.

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Daja E. Henry @dajaehenry.com · 03/12/2024

Having to rebuild a platform on yet another social media app is exhausting 🙃 but alas, i'm here. will be sharing some of my previous work that i'm proud of

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Ashton Pittman @ashtonpittman.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

MISSISSIPPI! I made a starter pack of all the Mississippi journalists who are on BlueSky (that I know of). Please share so your fellow Mississippians can use it. We need more state news here! Will update it as more join. Let me know if I've missed anyone! go.bsky.app/KWfYHCE

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Daja E. Henry @dajaehenry.com · 27/11/2024

Amy Lassiter St. Pé won an open seat on the MS Court of Appeals in yesterday's runoffs. Her campaign was backed by doctors & Republican politicians. Here's what she told me for @themarshallproject.org about her approach to the bench: www.themarshallproject.org/2024/09/18/m...

themarshallproject.org

Mississippi Court Candidates Tell You Why They Should Be Elected

The Marshall Project - Jackson and Mississippi Today asked the candidates to explain why people should vote for them. Here’s who responded.

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Caleb Bedillion @calebbedillion.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

If Kitchens and Sullivan sit on the court together, it could be an interesting dynamic to watch around criminal law, especially right to counsel issues. I explored that a little bit for The Marshall Project and @bolts.bsky.social here: www.themarshallproject.org/2024/11/20/m...

themarshallproject.org

Mississippi’s Supreme Court Runoff Could Impact Criminal Cases

After the surprise defeat of one justice, the outcome of the Nov. 26 runoff between another justice and his challenger could change the court’s outlook.

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Daja E. Henry @dajaehenry.com · 26/11/2024

Today is Election Day (again) in #Mississippi! Supreme Court justices make important decisions that could mean life or death. Learn more about the candidates here:

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Daja E. Henry @dajaehenry.com · 26/11/2024

overdue for an intro, so here goes, in a couple quick facts & flicks: -I’m Daja E. Henry, a journalist covering criminal justice in Mississippi -woman of many hobbies -lover of Black literature -amateur photographer and genealogist -world traveler (20 countries and counting) #addtoBlacksky

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