Jamie and Gladys Scott walked out of prison today into the free world. The sisters were convicted, on dubious grounds, of an $11 armed robbery, and sentenced to life in prison. Both sisters lost 17 years of their lives behind bars before Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour suspended the remainder of their draconian sentences; Jamie also forfeited her health, and […]
Scott sisters
James Ridgeway Interviewed on Release of Scott Sisters
Solitary Watch’s James Ridgeway was interviewed yesterday on WBUR radio’s “Here and Now” program on the release of Jamie and Gladys Scott. You can listen to the interview here: http://www.hereandnow.org/2010/12/30/mississippi-sister-robbery. Our original story on the Scott sisters–one of the first to appear–can be found here: https://solitarywatch.org/about/for-jamie-scott-an-11-robbery-in-mississippi-may-carry-a-death-sentence/. Our thoughts on the reasons why Haley Barbour might […]
After 16 Years Behind Bars for an $11 Robbery, the Scott Sisters Will Be Free at Last
The following announcement was issued today by Haley Barbour, Governor of Mississippi, regarding Jamie and Gladys Scott. We were among the first non-local media sources to write about the Scott sisters case, back in March. The full story of their arrest and incarceration, and Jamie Scott’s struggle to stay alive in prison, can be found here and here, […]
Scott Sisters Case Wins National Attention
Jamie and Gladys Scott are two young women from rural Mississippi who were convicted, on questionable evidence, of involvement in an armed robbery that netted $11, and were sentenced to life in prison. Jamie Scott is suffering from end-stage renal disease, exacerbated by prison conditions and inadequate treatment–so her life sentence may soon become a death sentence. […]
A Chance at Freedom for the Scott Sisters?
The case of sisters Jamie and Gladys Scott, two African American women serving life sentences for an $11 robbery that took place in rural Mississippi in 1993, has gained prominence in recent weeks. The case has a growing urgency, not only because of the unjust length of the sentence and issues with the fairness of the trial, but […]
Saving Jamie Scott, Victim of Prison Health Care
After being convicted on questionable evidence, Jamie Scott and her sister Gladys received two consecutive life sentences apiece for a 1993 armed robbery in which no one was hurt and the take was $11. As we wrote back in March, this unwarranted life sentence is at risk of becoming a death sentence for Jamie Scott, who is gravely […]
For Jamie Scott, an $11 Robbery in Mississippi May Carry a Death Sentence
On February 25, a small crowd gathered outside the state capitol in Jackson, Mississippi, to push for the release of sisters Jamie and Gladys Scott, who are serving two consecutive life sentences apiece for a 1993 armed robbery in which no one was injured and the take, by most accounts, was about $11. Supporters of the […]