Mississippi Office of State Public Defender

Mississippi Office of State Public Defender The Office of State Public Defender includes the Capital Defense Counsel Division, the Indigent Appeals Division, and the Public Defender Training Division.

The Mississippi Office of State Public Defender was established in 2011, to consolidate Capital Defense, Indigent Appeals, and Training into a single statewide office and to begin planning for a coordinated statewide public defense system. The Capital Defense Counsel Division serves two main purposes:

1) to provide high quality representation to indigent persons charged with death penalty eligibl

e offenses in the state courts of Mississippi at the trial level and
on direct appeal where the death penalty has been imposed; and

2) to relieve the financial burden death penalty cases pose to local governments. The Indigent Appeals Division provides competent legal representation on direct appeal for indigent persons convicted of felonies but not under sentence of death. The Training Division provides annual training and helpful resources to Mississippi's public defenders.

06/05/2026

In a 6-1 vote Thursday, the Mississippi Supreme Court let stand a state Court of Appeals decision, ordering a new trial for Tameshia Shelton.

05/28/2026

The Supreme Court has ruled for a Black death row inmate from Mississippi who claims there was racial bias in the makeup of the jury that convicted him.

05/25/2026
05/25/2026

Mississippi will always be grateful to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. 🇺🇸

05/25/2026

Learn more about our history of racial injustice.

05/08/2026

Criminal justice reforms have helped reduce incarceration rates while not increasing crime, yet Mississippi keeps on reversing reform efforts, the director of the Crime and Justice Institute says. https://ow.ly/F0eL50YVPGh

05/03/2026

Mississippi employers are increasingly open to hiring individuals with prior criminal justice involvement, according to a new study from the Mississippi Business Alliance Foundation and Magnolia Correctional Industries.

MDOC and Magcor should establish a work release project to meet the needs of Delta farms and rehabilitation of returning...
04/25/2026

MDOC and Magcor should establish a work release project to meet the needs of Delta farms and rehabilitation of returning citizens.

In Mound Bayou, Miss., unemployment among Black residents soars as White South African farmworkers fill local roles under U.S. visa programs.

Congratulations to OSPD social work intern Maurice Clifton on graduating and Senior Social Work award.
04/25/2026

Congratulations to OSPD social work intern Maurice Clifton on graduating and Senior Social Work award.

04/17/2026

Oftentimes, when convicted individuals serve their time and leave incarceration, finding a job is one of the hardest parts of reentering society. A new study

Address

P. O. Box 3510
Jackson, MS
39207

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

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