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<\/a>Brooke Kelly & <\/strong> Aproxiamately 15 to 20 Jackson State University students participated in a community town hall meeting Wednesday focusing on crime issues in the Jackson community at the M.W. Stringer Grand Lodge Annex Building near the JSU campus on Lynch Street.<\/p>\n Elected officials, local law enforcement, and various religious groups participated in the meeting sponsored by the Jackson National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Mississippi NAACP, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Southern Poverty Law Center. Those in attendance discussed crime issues ranging from hate crimes to recidivism rates.<\/p>\n \u201cMultiple students turned out from multiple majors,\u201d said Jackson State NAACP president, Michael Teasley. \u201cStudents got engaged in the dialog.\u201d \u201cTraditionally in a capital murder cases [however], if it goes on 9 to 11 months, that would be considered a long time,\u201d said Teasley.<\/p>\n Teasley also said that District Attorney, Robert S. Smith felt the community would be pleased with the results that will come to pass.<\/p>\n Jason Hardiman is a JSU junior, biology\/pre-veternarian major from Jackson who attended the town hall meeting.\u00a0 He said he appreciated how the panelists discussed how they planned to address different issues.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were really informed on what was going on,\u201d said Hardimon.<\/p>\n \u201cThe revolving door theory that refers to the probability of former inmates going back to prison was an issue everyone agreed is a problem with the community,\u201d said Teasley who added the state of Mississippi has no state funded program to address problems with recidivism. \u201cWe would like to see a policy passed that would be state funded dealing with the rehabilitation of first time felons back into the workplace.\u201d<\/p>\n Other community members believe unemployment and drugs are having an impact on local crime.<\/p>\n
\nTiffany Edmondson<\/strong>
\nStaff Writers<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nIn regards to the James Craig Anderson murder case, some students and audience members wanted to know when the accused suspects would be charged.<\/p>\n