HINDS COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) – The Hinds County sheriff race is one of the most intensely watching this election season, following multiple inmates escaping from the Hinds County Detention Center.
Six detainees escaped from the jail in just two months, with one inmate on the run for 20 days.
Candidate Marshand Crisler, who was the former interim sheriff, promised daily security checks and more officers surrounding the perimeter of the facility.
Incumbent Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones said he is confident in the increased security measures made since the escapes.
“We’re going to do our level best to look at the brick and mortar of the existing jail and find out what repairs and maintenance we can do to ensure that that doesn’t happen again. And then, we’re gonna have an alert system. We’re going to have a perimeter system that’s in place that we have guards on the gates, if you will. But we’re going to fill the holes, and we’re going to have adequate manpower to ensure that we don’t allow people to walk out of that jail and revictimize our community,” said Crisler.
“I’m very optimistic, and I’m very confident in some of the security measurements that we have been put in place and that we have been exercising on a day and night basis 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And I believe that some of the security measures that we have in place will prevent us from having further escapes and further breaches of that facility, as well,” said Jones.
Jones also believes the community can also play a key role in preventing crime in Hinds County. Crisler said he’s set on getting firearms out of the hands of minors and prosecuting the adults who supply the weapons.
“But if there’s a level of accountability in the community, then we are able to reverse that trend, to keep them from finding themselves being involved in more serious and more gun crimes as well. So, we need faith based organizations, nonprofit organizations, and we need the state to be able to fund money to some of these organizations, as well, so that these organizations can be successful in our communities with our youth as well,” said Jones.
“We’re going to make sure they’re not in possession of a firearm, because they don’t have any legal basis to have one. And then those who are putting firearms in their hands shall be incarcerated. I don’t want any adult out there thinking that they’re going to get away with giving guns to children, because obviously that has had a detrimental impact on the lives of a lot of children, quite frankly. And there’s a lot of moms and dads out there who are certainly suffering because of the loss of their child,” said Crisler.
The primary election is set for August 8, 2023.