Jackson council signs MOU to use Department of Corrections trustees for highway litter pickup
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Summary
The council authorized a memorandum of understanding with the Mississippi Transportation Commission, Mississippi Department of Corrections and Hinds County to permit inmates to perform litter pickup on state highways under MDOT routes; the MOU passed unanimously.
The Jackson City Council on June 17 approved a memorandum of understanding enabling the use of Department of Corrections trustees and interagency cooperation for a highway inmate litter-removal program.
The MOU establishes that MDOT (via the Mississippi Transportation Commission) will furnish routes and instructions for trustee litter pickup on state-maintained highways and intersections; the Department of Corrections provides custody and the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office provides on-site supervision when trustees work within Jackson. The council discussed that the inmates participating would come from MDOC facilities (not Hinds County detention) and that the program had previously paused when Hinds County lost capacity to host MDOC trustees.
City officials said the agreement is the result of more than two years of interagency negotiation. Supporters said the program provides additional litter-removal capacity on corridors maintained by the state. Legal and solid-waste staff described coordination and scheduling requirements tied to MDOT route assignments and MDOC custody rules. The council voted 7-0 to approve the MOU.