Owens is the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Mississippi representative. He has been involved in litigation to reform the Mississippi juvenile justice, education, and prison system. This has been going on for a good portion of the past decade. According to Mississippi Today, Owens has been confirmed as a Democrat. Owens stated that not being a career prosecutor was a benefit to his office since he has been involved in the criminal justice process on both sides at higher levels. “I believe I approach it with a different perspective, where the system must work for everyone. We must ensure that both the victims and defendants have an efficient criminal justice process that allows everyone to be heard in court. Owens, who is part of a prominent legal family, stated that he hopes to address the rise in violent crime in Hinds County and incorporate “community engagement” to make sure that the office is transparent. This announcement comes a week following the declaration of Robert Shuler Smith, the current DA, to run for governor. Smith, a Democrat, holds the seat since 2007. His last re-election campaign was supported by a political committee funded by billionaire George Soros. Smith announced a Democratic primary challenge against Jim Hood in the race for the governor’s seat. Hood’s office has not been able to secure several misdemeanor and felony convictions against Smith over the past three years. Recent disputes between Smith and Judge Tomie Green, a circuit court judge, have highlighted issues in the county’s criminal justice system. This includes jails and courts. Backlogs, the length of time people are held in jail before trial and indictment, are just a few examples of problems. Since 2016, the county has been subject to a federal consent decree that will reform its juvenile detention center and jails. Owens stated that he will explore the best way for the district attorney to handle juvenile incarceration issues and the effects of drug use in communities while on the campaign trail. March 1 is the deadline for candidates for the statewide, county and district offices to apply for this year’s elections. Last week, Smith’s seat was vacant.