Defend Mississippi is a grass roots organization in our state that is advocating for changes and more resources in the public defense system here in Mississippi. Yesterday there was a press conference to advocate for more resources for the public defense office in Hinds County. I was asked to be one of the speakers at the press conference. Below is the statement I made. It is not enough for me to serve the men and women that are incarcerated through the Catholic prison ministry. I am called to advocate to work for justice that is shaped by the values of God's kingdom to change broken structures and systems.
My name is Father Lincoln Dall. I am the Vicar General and a priest in the Catholic Diocese of Jackson. I am here today in support of the Hinds County Public Defender’s Office’s request for the emergency funding they need to address the chronic staff turnover that has left many of our community members locked in jail without access to legal representation. I know how important this investment is because I have served for many years in prison ministry.
A couple of years ago, a man asked me to visit him in the Hinds county detention center. He had been in there for five years and he had not gone to trial yet. It was through the Hinds country public defenders office that I was able to visit him. I was able to visit him several times when he was offered a plea bargain sentence that he accepted. The public defender and I working together were able to help him and support him during this difficult and terrifying time in his life, to make him feel like he was not alone. Now, this same man is serving his sentence at the state prison in Pearl and is a very active part of our ministry. I felt that this inmate was able to receive very good representation by this public defender, but because their office is so underfunded, often the public defenders leave their positions for better opportunities and better pay.
When the Hinds County Public Defender’s Office loses experienced attorneys, people sit in jail for extended periods without a fair legal process or a support system. Everyone deserves to have someone stand by them when they are charged with a crime. By increasing the salaries of the public defenders and giving them more resources, we will be able to retain them and help strengthen the public defense system. This will allow those accused of crimes to have access to counsel and guidance throughout the legal process.
From my perspective as a priest whose heart is committed to ministering to the men and women who are incarcerated, and this ministry is certainly my heart and soul, I see better funding of public defense as a way of affirming human dignity and meeting our shared obligation to one another.
No comments:
Post a Comment