I am Jody Owens, and I am proud to serve as District
Attorney for Hinds County (Jackson) Mississippi. 

I was raised in Hinds County and was taught the value of service to my community, State, and nation. I attended Terry High School and Jackson State University. After obtaining my law degree from Howard University, I returned to Mississippi to raise a family and serve my community. For over a decade, I worked as a civil rights attorney in Mississippi and throughout the country, fighting to protect people’s rights and uphold the liberties we have fought so hard to achieve. I am proud to serve our country as an officer in the United States Navy.

My experiences as a champion for civil rights led me to the conclusion that the best way to achieve effective change is from within the system in need of reform.  We have been successful in achieving safer communities and meaningful reforms. 

During my first term, I have worked hand-in-hand with State and County leadership to bring more criminal justice resources to Hinds County.   In 2022, we secured over 1,975 indictments and saw 25% more active criminal cases resolved through trial verdicts, guilty pleas, and diversion.  We have secured over 4,000 indictments and resolved over 2,000 felony cases. These numbers are critical to the safety of our citizens and the future economic prosperity of our Capital City. 

My office has worked hard to protect the citizens of Hinds County and to hold offenders accountable.   In 2021 and 2022, we secured convictions in the largest public corruption scandal in State History involving the misappropriation of almost $100 million intended to help Mississippi’s most needy families.  We have doubled down on the commitment to combat violent crime by prioritizing the most violent offenses such as murder, aggravated assault, and crimes of sexual violence, and advocating for tough sentences for our most violent offenders.  The message we are sending is clear, we will not tolerate individuals taking the lives of our citizens. 

While being tough on crime is important, it is also important to address the issues that lead to crime.  Over the past three years, we have assisted with over 300 expungements, enabling citizens who have paid their debt to get back to work and become productive members of society. In 2022, we launched the Hinds County DA’s Reentry Program which focuses on successfully integrating formerly incarcerated Hinds County residents back into society.  Our office supports drug and mental health courts to treat not punish people who come into contact with the system and to save the taxpayers the cost of incarceration. 

I am asking for your support so we can keep the momentum going. The best is yet to come. Let’s continue the fight for a better, safer, Hinds County and Capital City.