Discrimination in Housing - Following Hurricane Katrina, the Mississippi Development Authority initially restricted public commentary on the Small Rental Assistance Program—which provides loans to owners of small rental properties to assist them in offering affordable rental housing in areas most affected by Katrina, effectively shutting the poorest and most affected Mississippi citizens out of the debate. p. 39

Indigent Defense - Many public defenders lack the resources to conduct basic investigations or gather evidence in these cases; indeed, several counties in the state share a single public defender. p. 54

Disparate Rates of Minority Confinement - Mississippi's rate of incarceration is 39% higher than the national average, with African-Americans making up over 70% of the incarcerated. p. 82-83

Police Brutality - Following Hurricane Katrina, Gulf Coast families began to complain about police officers using excessive force, including the use of tasers during routine traffic stops, many of which occurred when people violated city-imposed curfews in attempts to retrieve items from their homes or check on relatives. p. 123

Voter Disfranchisement - Section 241 of the Mississippi State Constitution denies the right to vote to anyone convicted of one of the following ten crimes - murder, rape, forgery, bribery, obtaining money or goods under false pretense, bigamy, embezzlement, perjury, theft and arson. In 2004, the Attorney General issued an advisory opinion expanding the list of disfranchising crimes, without legislative approval, to include eleven additional offenses. The Secretary of State then amended the voter registration form to include twenty-one disqualifying crimes and the form does not allow people to register to vote only in federal elections. p. 129-131

Disparities in School Discipline - Mississippi leads the nation in rates of beatings of students, at nearly 10% of all students receiving corporal punishment. p. 148-149

Criminalization of School Discipline - In Mississippi, schools permit teachers to handcuff students for misbehaving. p. 149

Racial Discrimination in Schools - For certain minor offenses, Caucasian students are rarely disciplined while African-American students may even be suspended from school. p. 158

Racial Re-Segregation of Public Schools - In Jones County, attendance zones are drawn so as to ensure that the black student population does not exceed 10% in each school. p. 145-146