Jackson, Mississippi will change how it performs next-of-kin death notifications after seven men were buried in unmarked graves without their families’ knowledge, reports the Associated Press. U.S. Justice Department officials will step in to ensure the notification procedures employed by the Jackson Police Department and Hinds County Coroner’s Office comply with civil rights laws. The Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi will examine the Jackson Police Department’s policies on death notifications and provide recommendations for training and improvements.
Seven families learned of a loved one’s death from news reports instead of from officials. Dexter Wade, one of the men killed, died in March. His mother only found out he was killed and buried in August. On Nov. 20, he was given a funeral attended by more than 200 people, including U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson and the Rev. Al Sharpton. The Civil Rights Division said federal assistance does not indicate a finding of wrongdoing by the Jackson Police Department or the Hinds County Coroner’s Office.
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