#NNPA BlackPress

Blacks Make up Majority of Inmates in Mississippi’s Debtors Prison

NNPA NEWSWIRE — An investigation led by The Marshall Project and the nonprofit Mississippi Today discovered that hundreds of Mississippi residents – the majority being black – were sentenced to the state’s little-known restitution center. “Basically, we discovered, Mississippi was running a modern-day debtors prison,” reporters Anna Wolfe and Michelle Liu,” wrote of their investigation.

Published

7 years ago

January 18, 2020

Stacy M. Brown

“It is a tragedy and absurdity that we still essentially have debtors prisons here in the United States of America,” Matt C. Pinsker, an adjunct professor of the Homeland Security & Criminal Justice Department at the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University, told NNPA Newswire.

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Mississippi – a state described as having been suffocated by its history of racial prejudice – appears to be the only state where people are jailed while they work to pay off court-ordered debts.

An investigation led by The Marshall Project and the nonprofit Mississippi Today discovered that hundreds of Mississippi residents – the majority being black – were sentenced to the state’s little-known restitution center.

“Basically, we discovered, Mississippi was running a modern-day debtors prison,” reporters Anna Wolfe and Michelle Liu,” wrote of their investigation.

With Mississippi’s long and documented history of racism, the 14-month investigation found that African Americans are disproportionately punished – it’s infamous state penitentiary known as Parchman Farm was modeled after a slave plantation.

Black people are overrepresented at restitution centers, accounting for 49 percent of inmates, compared with 38 percent of the state’s population, the investigation found.

More than 60 percent of people in prison in Mississippi are black.

“The American legal system captures the poor and black and twists them in conundrums that punish them beyond any criminal act,” Attorney Kisha A. Brown, founder of Justis Connection, told NNPA Newswire.

“As a black person, we have less access to legal resources than our white counterparts, and this has dire consequences on our physical and financial security,” Brown stated.

The Mississippi investigation began on what Wolfe and Liu called an unlike tip: a woman in state prison was also working at McDonald’s – and not voluntarily.

The reporters then found Dixie D’Angelo, a woman with court-ordered debts of $5,000 because she damaged a friend’s car. “She had been sentenced to something called a restitution center, where she worked four different restaurant jobs to try to earn enough to pay off her debts and get out of jail,” they stated.

Ultimately, Wolfe and Liu found that hundreds of people were in similar situations.

They said they met with inmates and their employers across Mississippi, beginning at fast-food restaurants around Jackson, traveling to the Mississippi Delta and the Gulf Coast.

Half the people living in the centers had debts of less than $3,515. Though in arrears on fines and court fees, many didn’t need to pay restitution at all – at least 20 percent of the more than 200 people discovered in the investigation was convicted of drug possession.

However, inmates spent an average of nearly four months – and up to five years – at the centers, working at low-wage, and sometimes dangerous jobs, like slaughtering chickens or gutting catfish at processing plants.

Private citizens also hire them to work as handymen and landscapers at their homes.

Inmates found that their costs continued to balloon since they had to pay for room and board at the centers, transportation to their jobs, and medical care.

“They didn’t get paid much,” the investigators wrote in their report. “Between 2016 and 2018, workers at the centers made an average of $6.76 an hour in take-home pay.”

When inmates can’t get jobs, sometimes for medical reasons, they sit in the centers, accruing $330 a month in room and board costs, according to the investigators.

Further, just a quarter of all money earned by the inmates went to pay restitution, with the remainder going to the corrections department and the courts. In some cases, the courts added unrelated debts, such as child support. One man’s charge for meth possession turned into debt totaling $72,500, the investigation found.

Mississippi officials declined to comment.

“Debtors prisons are an effective way of collecting money – as is kidnapping,” Cliff Johnson, director of the MacArthur Justice Center at the University of Mississippi, told investigators.

“But there are constitutional, public policy and moral barriers to such regime,” he stated.

The American people “would be horrified if they knew of just how many laws still exist which send poor people to prison over their inability to pay fines, court costs, and related expenses,” Matt C. Pinsker, an adjunct professor of the Homeland Security & Criminal Justice Department at the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University, told NNPA Newswire.

“It is a tragedy and absurdity that we still essentially have debtors prisons here in the United States of America,” Pinsker stated.

To view the full report, including the extensive data acquired by The Marshall Project and Mississippi Today, click here.

Stacy M. Brown

Posts by Stacy M. Brown

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Smooth Ride! Car Suspension & Comfort Tested #shorts

Smooth suspension meets surprisingly spacious legroom. Experience true comfort on any road!

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1 month ago

October 4, 2026

Oakland Post

Car suspension test demonstrating a smooth ride, comfort features, and handling on various terrains.

Experience the difference smooth suspension makes on rough streets. Check out the surprisingly good second-row legroom – test it yourself for true comfort.

Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/l9Z571za5Gc

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61 years since Selma, Houston leaders say the bridge remains to be crossed

61 years after Selma, Houston leaders say the fight for equality continues. The issues that sparked the marches still impact Black Americans today.

Published

1 month ago

October 4, 2026

Oakland Post

Houston leaders discuss the ongoing struggle for civil rights 61 years after Selma, emphasizing the need for continued action.

It has been 61 years since the Selma marches. But political leaders in Houston say that the issues protesters were marching for still plague the lives of Black Americans.

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Here is what you need to know about finding unique white elephant gift ideas that everyone wants to steal

The best white elephant gift ideas are funny enough to get a reaction but useful enough that people actually want to steal them. Look for gifts with a surprise factor, broad appeal, an inside joke, and just enough personality to spark some friendly competition. The wrapping paper comes off, the room goes quiet for half […]

Published

1 month ago

October 4, 2026

Oakland Post

The best white elephant gift ideas are funny enough to get a reaction but useful enough that people actually want to steal them. Look for gifts with a surprise factor, broad appeal, an inside joke, and just enough personality to spark some friendly competition.

The wrapping paper comes off, the room goes quiet for half a second, and suddenly everyone wants the same gift. That is the sweet spot. A great white elephant pick should make people laugh, lean in, and start plotting their next steal before the turn is even over.

Should a White Elephant Gift Be Funny or Useful?

A white elephant gift can be funny or useful, but the strongest choices usually give people a reason to laugh and a reason to keep the item. A practical gift with an odd design, unexpected feature, or playful theme can get a reaction without becoming something the recipient immediately wants to give away.

The right balance depends on the group. Close friends and family members may enjoy a ridiculous gag gift because they already understand one another’s sense of humor.

A workplace exchange, neighborhood party, or mixed-age gathering usually calls for something with broader appeal. In those settings, humor works better when it is built into an item people could still use afterward.

It also helps to think about how quickly the gift will make sense once it is opened. A strangely shaped kitchen tool, oversized mug, quirky desk accessory, or unexpectedly fancy everyday item can create an immediate reaction. Guests understand the joke right away, while the item still has enough practical value to attract a steal.

Pure gag gifts can be harder to pull off. Something that exists only for the punchline may get a big laugh during the reveal and then sit untouched for the rest of the game. If the goal is to bring one of the gifts everyone keeps fighting over, usefulness gives the joke staying power.

Memorable Present Ideas: Creating Inside Joke Gifts

Inside joke gifts can make a white elephant exchange feel much more personal, especially when most of the group shares the same stories. The trick is choosing a reference that people will recognize quickly instead of building the entire joke around something only two guests understand.

You can turn a memorable vacation mishap, office catchphrase, family story, or long-running group joke into the theme of the gift. A personalized comic book can work especially well when it turns familiar people or a ridiculous shared moment into part of the story.

Think carefully about who the joke involves before ordering anything permanent. The gift should make the person feel included in the fun, not singled out for the wrong reason.

Can You Bring Something You Already Own?

Holiday gift exchanges can be a good place to re-gift something you never used, especially if it is unopened and clean.

The following can all work if they still look presentable:

A duplicate kitchen gadget
An untouched game
A decorative item
A sealed gift set
An unopened candle
A new travel accessory

The goal is to give the item a second chance, not use the exchange as an excuse to clear out damaged or unwanted clutter.

Take a close look at the packaging before wrapping it. Faded boxes, missing pieces, visible wear, or anything that looks obviously used can make the gift feel careless.

Wrapping Budget-Friendly Gifts

Wrapping can make gifts more entertaining before anyone even knows what’s inside.

Misdirection works especially well for fun party games. Put a small gift inside a much larger box. Use packaging from an unrelated household item.

Add harmless weight so guests cannot guess what they are holding. The reveal becomes part of the joke without changing the gift itself.

You can also lean into the theme of the exchange. Bright paper, oversized bows, reusable bags, or deliberately over-the-top wrapping can make an ordinary item feel more memorable. If the gift itself is already funny, simple wrapping may work better so the surprise stays hidden until the last second.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Picking Last an Advantage in White Elephant?

Picking last can be an advantage because you get to see almost every gift before making your move. Instead of choosing blindly from the remaining wrapped presents, you can steal something that has already caught your attention if the rules still allow it.

That advantage depends on the house rules. Some games limit how many times a gift can be stolen.

Others lock an item once it reaches a certain number of steals. If the most popular gifts are already unavailable, the final player may have fewer strong options than expected.

The first player can also get another turn at the end in some versions of the game. That rule can balance things out, since the person who started with the least information may get one final chance to steal.

How Do You Plan White Elephant for a Large Group?

For a large white elephant exchange, set a firm spending limit and establish the stealing rules in advance.

Create a clear turn order before the game begins. Drawing numbers as guests arrive can save time once everyone is ready to start.

Keep the number of steals per gift limited so the game does not drag on. It also helps to have one person track which creative holiday presents have been stolen and when they are locked, especially if dozens of people are participating.

Can You Play White Elephant Virtually?

A virtual white elephant exchange can work over a video call, with one person keeping track of the turn order and each steal. Guests can either mail physical gifts ahead of time or use digital gifts that can be delivered once the game ends.

Set the spending limit and stealing rules before everyone joins. It also helps to decide how gifts will be revealed and who is responsible for sending each one afterward so the exchange does not become confusing.