After Six Months Of Strong Results, Mississippi Extends Funding For Rural Public Defender Pilot

DALLAS (SMU) – After a successful launch and six months of operations, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves and the state legislature have approved a second year of funding for the State Public Defender’s Day One pilot office. Lawmakers appropriated nearly $600,000 for the central Mississippi office to continue providing client-centered public defense services within the first 24 hours after an arrest.

Designed with guidance from the Deason Criminal Justice Reform Center, the pilot office launched in October 2025 serving Mississippi's rural Fifth Circuit Court District. Between October 2025 and March 2026, the office represented 84 clients facing felony charges — three clients faced murder charges. The office resolved 31 cases without a felony conviction — 27 of these at or before a preliminary hearing.  

The office also helped 16 clients enter mental health or substance use treatment programs. Richard Carter, executive director of the office, recalls one client who could easily have spent months in pretrial incarceration without the pilot’s help: “Drug lab backlog and crowded grand jury schedules ordinarily would have meant that he waited behind bars for a year without any treatment. Our team helped this client work around those delays and get into a sober living facility less than 30 days after his arrest.”

Kimm Watson, the office investigator and a two-time Jackson State University graduate, says this office is an important resource for the community. “I chose this work because I have compassion for others, even on their most challenging days. My goal is to uplift, defend, and empower clients, helping them transform their lives beyond the consequences of an arrest.” 

The Deason Criminal Justice Reform Center applauds Mississippi lawmakers’ continued investment in rural justice and right to counsel. The Deason Center has been an essential partner throughout the planning, formation, and launch of the pilot office — helping design the program, launch the office, and evaluate the outcomes. With a $700,000 appropriation from the state legislature, the Mississippi Day One pilot office marks the first substantial state investment in rural trial-level public defense. 

Mississippi’s State Public Defender, Andre de Gruy, says this service is especially important in rural areas where lawyers are scarce. “Lawyer shortages mean unnecessary detention for arrested people, and excessive caseloads for attorneys. Indigent defendants need prompt, effective representation and by bringing additional representation to the district this office is doing just that.”

The national Day One campaign is a Deason Center initiative to end the unfair and dangerous delays that people face in seeing a judge and meeting with an attorney. The campaign’s goal is to ensure every indigent defendant receives: 

• a first appearance in court within 24 hours of arrest
• a lawyer's assistance before and during initial appearance
• continuous and active representation until their case is resolved

In addition to launching the Mississippi Day One office, the Deason Center has helped achieve substantial Day One reforms in North Dakota, Kansas, Texas, and Arkansas.