By David Kenney - bio | email
JACKSON, MS (WLBT) - Jackson city leaders are drafting new laws regulating personal care homes. It's an effort to prevent the mistreatment and neglect of patients.
Much attention was put on personal care homes in the capital city after a patient froze to death last winter.
Now city leaders want tougher laws to make the managers of these facilities more accountable.
In January of this year, Janice Hollins died in a personal care home from hypothermia.
It wasn't until May that Eugenia Johnson was indicted and charged in her death.
In an effort to protect patients, Jackson city leaders are drafting an ordinance that gets tough on the care home owners.
Cassandra Welchlin, President of the Capitol Neighbors Association, said, "We have seen neighbors urinating in the neighborhood. We have seen them come to our doors asking for food, asking for clothing. We also had one get physical with my husband."
Leading the charge for the new ordinance is Councilman Kenneth Stokes.
"They're basically taking the money not feeding them not giving them medicine, they're out here urinating on the streets, defecating on the streets and the citizens as a whole are saying enough is enough," said the councilman, after the meeting.
Attorneys for the City of Jackson said there are 21 unlicensed personal care homes in ward five.
The new ordinance would enforce a $1,000 fine or up to six months in jail for violators, who could also lose their license, if they don't follow the city law.
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