At a mass incarceration rally in Brandon, Miss., on July 29, family, friends and community members marched to end practices that they say incarcerate far too many people for far too long, often for nonviolent crimes. Rev. Kenneth Glasgow, the activist brother of Rev. Al Sharpton, joined the march wearing a plaid blue and gray shirt and a black baseball cap. Photo by Ashton Pittman
Lisa Moore joined a protest against mass incarceration in Brandon, Miss., on behalf of her son, Gregory Tyler Moore, a first-time offender who got sentenced to 60 years in prison when he was just 19 years old. Photo by Ashton Pittman
At a mass incarceration rally in Brandon, Miss., on July 29, family, friends and community members marched to end practices that they say incarcerate far too many people for far too long, often for nonviolent crimes. Photo by Ashton Pittman
Jennifer Riley Collins, a Democrat running for governor of Mississippi, spoke out against mass incarceration at a rally in Brandon, Miss., on July 29, 2019. Members of the Black Panther Party, left, also attended. Photo by Ashton Pittman
Velesha P. Williams, a Democrat running for governor of Mississippi, spoke out against mass incarceration at a rally in Brandon, Miss., on July 29, 2019. Members of the Black Panther Party, left, also attended. Photo by Ashton Pittman
At a mass incarceration rally in Brandon, Miss., on July 29, family, friends and community members pleaded for loved ones who they said had been unfairly imprisoned. Photo by Ashton Pittman
At a mass incarceration rally in Brandon, Miss., on July 29, activists called for changes to the state’s prison and justice system. Photo by Ashton Pittman
Activists rallied outside the Rankin County Courthouse in Brandon, Miss., on July 29, behind a Confederate memorial and Mississippi state flag. One anti-mass incarceration leader, Pastor Kenneth Glasgow, compared America’s prison system to chattel slavery. Photo by Ashton Pittman

Citizens rallied against mass incarceration in Brandon, Miss., on July 29. Family and friends of incarcerated people, criminal-justice-reform leaders and 2019 political candidates gathered outside the Rankin County Courthouse to speak out against long prison sentences, racial disparities, poor prison conditions and what they consider unjust practices.

Mississippi native Donna Ladd and partner Todd Stauffer founded the Jackson Free Press in 2002 in the capital city. The heavily awarded local newspaper did many investigations heralded across the state and nation and served as a paper of record due to its diversity, inclusion, in-depth reporting and deep connection to readers and dedication to narrative change in and about Mississippi. In 2022, the nonprofit Mississippi Free Press, founded by Ladd and JFP Associate Publisher Kimberly Griffin in 2020, purchased the journalism assets and archives of the Jackson Free Press. A Google grant through AAN Publishers enabled Newspack's integration of the JFP archives into the Mississippi Free Press website to become part of a more searchable archive of recent Mississippi history and essential journalism.