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Caleb Bedillion is a staff writer for The Marshall Project. He will delve into prisons, police and courts, and collaborate with local news outlets and publishing partners to expose inequities in the criminal justice system in Jackson, Mississippi. Bedillion comes to The Marshall Project from The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal in Tupelo, Mississippi, where he served as the politics and investigations editor. He most recently worked with ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network on stories that exposed widespread missteps within the Mississippi court systems involving indigent defense and no-knock search warrants, which led to a performance complaint against a judge. Bedillion holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Mississippi College and a master’s in religion from Yale University Divinity School.
Email cbedillion@themarshallproject.org
Twitter @CalebBedillion
A White man wearing a black T-shirt, a gray long-sleeved shirt and blue jeans, holds a clipboard with a voter registration form. A Black woman wearing a light gray cardigan and holding a black purse, points at the registration form as they stand at the entrance of a building. People are standing in front of them in a line.
Closing Argument October 19
Voting Rights Confusion Keeps Formerly Incarcerated People from Casting Ballots
Even when they’re eligible to vote.
By
A photo of John Cook, a White man with gray shoulder-length hair, a gray beard, glasses and a green shirt. Cook is looking into the distance while standing outdoors under a tree.
Jackson October 1
‘A Life Sentence.’ How Mississippi’s Forever Voting Ban Keeps Thousands From the Polls.
The state’s disenfranchisement law punishes people with nonviolent offenses, as reform fails in the Legislature and courts.
By
An illustration of a Black man standing on one side of a scale, reaching up toward a ballot box on the other end of the scale.
Jackson July 24
Who Can and Can’t Vote in Mississippi: A Guide to the State’s Lifetime Voting Ban
This guide offers details about the state’s disenfranchisement laws and how you may still be able to vote from jail, even with a conviction.
By
Jackson June 20
Mississippi Wants to Allow Some Votes From Jails and Prisons. Red Tape May Stop It.
A new state law will allow more people in jails and prisons to cast absentee ballots, but many obstacles remain.
By
A collage shows a color photo of the exterior of a jail, with visible barbed wire, within the outline of Pike County. In the background are a map of Mississippi, text from federal filings and black-and-white photos of a water tower reading “Magnolia” and a “Prisoner loading and unloading only” sign.
Jackson May 2
Mississippi Lawmakers Considered Modest Public Defense Reforms. They Rejected All of Them.
With its refusal to impose oversight or consistent standards in local defense, Mississippi risks falling further behind the rest of the U.S., critics say.
By
An illustration shows a Black man wearing a red jail jumpsuit and handcuffs standing next to a Black woman lawyer in a black skirt suit. Other defendants in jumpsuits sit around them, beside translucent outlines of lawyers.
Jackson February 22
This Mississippi Court Appoints Lawyers for Just 1 in 5 Defendants Before Indictment
Mississippi is known as one of the worst states for public defense. In one lower court, most defendants went without any lawyer before indictment.
By
Were you or someone you know charged with a felony in Hinds County? We made a printable resource guide so you know what to expect. [📄 View it here](https://www.themarshallproject.org/2024/01/18/arrested-hinds-county-mississippi-jackson-courts).
Jackson January 24
What Happens in Mississippi’s Hinds County Felony Court, 48 Hours After Arrest
We explain terms like bond, initial appearance, grand jury and indictment, and why the first 48 hours are critical to your freedom.
By
Jackson January 24
Arrested in Mississippi’s Hinds County? What You Need to Know.
A guide to jail, the courts, your rights and legal resources in Jackson and beyond.
By
Jackson October 19, 2023
Justice Says Mississippi Court Rule to Give Poor Defendants Lawyers Isn’t Working
And there isn’t much the court can do to enforce it, the Supreme Court justice said in a hearing focused on the state’s public defense woes.
By
An illustration shows an outline of a lawyer raising their arm up while holding a document. The lawyer stands in front of a judge, who is also holding a gavel. People in orange prison uniforms stand in the foreground.
Jackson September 18, 2023
Mississippi Courts Won’t Say How They Provide Lawyers for Poor Clients
Six years ago, the Mississippi Supreme Court told judges around the state to file plans showing how they meet their obligations to poor defendants. So far, only one has.
By , Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal
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