MS State Bar 6 - “How Many Kids Did You Jail Today?”

At the 2025 Mississippi Bar Convention, former State Supreme Court Justice Dawn Beam sat down with more than twenty leaders in law, policy, and public service—capturing three days of extraordinary conversations for a special seven-part series of her Hope Mississippi podcast. This is Part Six of Seven.What does it really take to keep kids safe and families whole when poverty, addiction, and untreated mental illness pull them apart? In this episode, we begin with Judge Walt Brown of Adams County, then move into candid, heart-level discussions with family law attorney Jeremy McNinch and former Mississippi Bar President Blake Teller. Together, they trace a line from the youth court bench to private practice, showing how hope isn’t abstract—it’s built daily through practical tools, patient relationships, and courageous choices.Judge Brown opens the curtain on youth court’s real center of gravity—neglect, not delinquency—and exposes the everyday obstacles most people never see: no car to reach court, no childcare for class, no path out of generational poverty. He shares how a local coalition extends treatment beyond a thirty-day stopgap and why peer-support specialists transform outcomes by walking alongside families between hearings, answering late-night texts, and speaking truth as people who’ve lived it. He also faces the most challenging question head-on: when does a child’s stability require severing parental rights—and who will step forward to love, and then let go?With Jeremy McNinch, the lens shifts to family law's emotional and spiritual weight. He reveals why listening can be as powerful as litigating, how faith steadies families in crisis, and why leaving the door open to resolution often heals more than courtroom brinkmanship ever could.Finally, Blake Teller widens the view to the profession—the Mississippi Bar’s renewed focus on civility, mentorship, and closing rural justice deserts through law-school outreach and internships that lead young lawyers into small-town practice. Expect grounded wisdom and actionable hope: fund a treatment program, mentor a struggling parent, consider foster care, or—if you’re a lawyer or student—bring your skills to a Mississippi community that needs you most.Subscribe, share this conversation with a friend who cares about kids and communities, and leave a review with one action you’ll take to spread hope where you live.Join us for new episodes on the 1st and 15th of each month as we continue sharing stories of transformation from across Mississippi. Each story reminds us that when we contribute our unique gifts, Mississippi rises together.Hope Mississippi's Mission: The sobering reality remains: one in four Mississippi children lives in poverty, and one in five experiences food insecurity. These statistics aren't just numbers—they're our collective challenge. Through these conversations, we discover that Mississippi's transformation occurs through individual commitments to mentor, encourage, and be present for others. The small acts of hope accumulate into the broader "miracles" we celebrate.