It will take effect on July 1. lawmakers must continue to work on changing the states harsh habitual sentencing laws, further safely reducing Mississippis prison population, and strengthening families and communities across our state., I dont know all the facts of the case, but I am not considering pardoning her or anyone else at this time,. Mississippi could prosper better if they werent paying for all these people in prison.. Juan Barnett, Brice Wiggins and Daniel Sparks, as well as Lt. Gov. The estimate refers to a 30-year period, not a single year. Good policy takes time and at times a 2nd look. Since 2010, Hollins has been serving a 60-year sentence due to drug offenses. to find solutions to boost re-entry and reduce recidivism rates in the Magnolia State. Today is a big day for Mississippians across the state, particularly for people and families who sadly, know firsthand just how devastating the states incarceration crisis is, and who have, alongside other advocates, pushed to ensure meaningful opportunities for release for their loved ones, FWD.us Mississippi State Director Alesha Judkins said in a statement on behalf of the pro-criminal justice reform organization today. One of the reasons Mississippi has such high levels of incarceration is due to its habitual offender laws. Large majorities of lawmakers in both of Mississippis Republican-dominated chambers approved the changes earlier this year. All rights reserved. Please check official sources. Several judges on the court dissented from the majority opinion. Someone with two prior felony convictions gets the maximum sentence for the crimes as a habitual offender. Unknown to Mitchell, Hewitt was acting as a Madison County Sheriff Department informant. It also allows people convicted of armed robbery to become eligible for a parole hearing after serving 60% of their sentences. We give prosecutors the sole discretion to throw a life away forever over marijuana or a bad check. That means there will be a forum in which evidence supporting and contesting release will be considered. Mississippi, like states across the country, followed the national trend with its own tough-on-crime reforms in 1995. Were not going to suddenly see a 25% reduction in the prison population. case or situation. Mississippi may have more current or accurate information. Large majorities of lawmakers in both of Mississippis Republican-dominated chambers approved the changes earlier this year. The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. S.B. This is a smart on crime, soft on taxpayer conservative reform., Among those who deserve immense credit in this process are Reps. Nick Bain and Kevin Horan, Sens. To get a lesser punishment, Wilson agreed to be a confidential informant for the Flowood police and bait a cocaine seller. Currently, a few laws in the Mississippi justice system mandate minimum sentencing for habitual offenders. In fact, two-thirds of Mississippi voters agree, according to a 2018 survey conducted for FWD.us., and believe habitual sentences shouldnt be applied to people whose current convictions are for non-violent crimes. We are also devastated that, for the second year in a row, legislators failed to pass reforms to the states harmful habitual sentencing laws, the organization said in an April 1 statement. HB 981 gives people sentenced as habitual offenders an option after they have served the lesser of 20% or 15 years of their sentence. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. They can never give me back what they took from me, never, she said. Unfortunately, the passage of this bill does not guarantee all inmates the opportunity for parole. In October 2009, Tommy Jones, then a lieutenant in the Madison County sheriffs Departments narcotics division, used a confidential informant to trap Dwayne Boyd. The Mississippi Free Press is a nonprofit, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) focused on telling stories that center all Mississippians. Many of those who pushed for parole reform referenced the cost savings to the state taxpayers, but board member Jim Cooper says that wont play into their decisions. Rep. Bennie Thompson, the only remaining member from that period as well as the states only current Black or Democratic member of Congress, voted for it. Rep. House Bill 796 would have ended the practice of sentencing people with prior violent felonies to life in prison without parole on the basis of a non-violent third felonythe exact scenario that resulted in Drummers sentence. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. And just because it seems an offender should be eligible based on time served doesnt mean theyll automatically be granted parole. Kendall Martin was sentenced to 60 years in prison for possession of marijuana without the possibility of parole. Furthermore, these codes remove a persons ability to even be considered for parole or probation. Rapists and murderers do not get the type of sentence I have, Brown said. Too many incarcerated Mississippians were left out of this years criminal justice reform package and must be prioritized in future ones.. By removing these habitual offender laws, Mississippi can begin to resolve its imprisonment issues. (a) Habitual offenders. In 2021, as a Mississippi Free Press reporter, he was named the Diamond Journalist of the Year for seven southern U.S. states in the Society of Professional Journalists Diamond Awards. Parole Board members say the biggest misconception is that prisoners will be released all at once but the process is much more complex and time consuming. House burglary and manslaughter are cases that the parole board, until July 1, have not seen, added Pickett. Research shows us that violent crime has fallen faster in states that have reduced imprisonment over the past decade than in states that have increased their rates of imprisonment. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. A judge sentenced her to life in prison without the possibility of parole for felony marijuana possession in 2008a requirement under Mississippis three-strike law; Drummer had already served time for two prior felony convictions. But, at the end of the day, I believe it meets my standard for a measured approach, & with proper implementation, it can be a net positive for Mississippi.. He crisscrossed various editorial positions beginning in 2010 before moving to the United States with his family in 2019. This is the kind of reform that will take four or five years for us to see the real benefits of. Leading to overcrowded prisons and undue impacts throughout the United States. It should be seen as a signal to the Department of Justice that we are prepared to get our own house in order, without costly federal intervention, Latino, Empower Mississippis president, said in his statement this afternoon. Asked about the governor's thoughts towards reforming habitual offender laws, press secretary Bailey Martin wrote in a June 11 email, "Governor Reeves believes that Mississippi should focus on . Copyright 2021 WLBT. Habitual offender sentence under 99-19-81 or 99-19-83 must serve his sentence day for day. Habitual Offender Sentencing Reform Prison Conditions FAMM's work in Mississippi started in May 2019 when we asked the U.S. Department of Justice to open a formal investigation into Parchman State Penitentiary, after we received pictures of flooding, mold, and other deplorable conditions. Correction: An earlier version of this story said that a FWD.us study found that Mississippi will save at least $584 million with a low parole grant rate or as much as $988 million a year with a moderate parole grant rate' by adopting the parole eligibility reform. But lawmakers opted for the narrower reforms this year after Gov. This contributes to overcrowding. I think the reform is going to really help give an incentive to help people rehabilitate themselves and provide a pathway to an early release, Empower Mississippi President Russ Latino, whose organization backed the bill, told the Mississippi Free Press this afternoon. Two people that may never go home again are Tameka Drummer and Patricia Brown. We observed as the board asked questions of an offender Wednesday, ranging from who hed live with if released, to whether hed had any rule violations while incarcerated. I want another chance at life, you know? Meaning if the max sentence a person can face is life in prison, under these codes they will receive life in prison even if they have already served time for prior convictions. The exceptions to this are persons convicted of first or second-degree murder, human trafficking, drug trafficking, and habitual offenders, who remain ineligible for parole. The new law provides that avenue for leniency by permitting non-violent habitual offenders to petition the sentencing judge for parole eligibility after serving a quarter of their sentence. In Mississippi, someone facing a conviction for a second drug offense faces twice the maximum years in prison. Madison, We apologize for this error. She was arrested after less than $20 of cocaine fell out of her pocket. Mississippi's habitual offender laws were passed in the 1990s, when American society was seeing higher-than-average crime rates and many states imposed "three strikes" laws. Copyright 2022 - The Botanical Empress. Mississippi Code 99-19-83, as it now stands, mandates that if one of the earlier convictions was for a violent crime, even if the third felony is not, the court must sentence the defendant to life imprisonment without the option of parole. house bill 234. an act to amend sections 99-19-81 and 99-19-83, mississippi code of 1972, to revise statutes governing penalties for habitual offenders; to amend sections 47-7-3, 47-5-139 and 47-5-138.1, mississippi code of 1972, to revise the regulations for inmates who were classified as habitual . She told him on the phone that she wanted to buy $200 worth of cocaine. When Tameka Drummer celebrates her 47th birthday inside Rankin Countys Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in three days, she will be no closer to leaving prison than she was on her 37th birthday. In Mississippi, the parole board is not a part of MDOC. A lack of a re-entry plan is another common limiting factor according to board members who say offenders often dont have anywhere to go if released. I trust my Parole Board appointees to make wise decisions. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Biden frees woman busted with 15 pounds of heroin but hardly helps pot offenders, Whats she been smoking? That day, Columbus Police Officers Wade Beard and Christopher Smith arrested him for possessing precursors for methamphetamine, a central nervous system stimulant used as a recreational drug. The law also contains a significant change for non-violent offenders. Mississippi Code 97-3-2 listed violent crimes as carjacking, murder, drive-by shooting, shooting into a dwelling and rape. Their incarceration rates are through the roof and they must take the steps to lower them. According to uscourts.gov, the U.S. Supreme Court hears about 100-150 of the more than 7,000 cases it is asked to review in a year. Senate Bill 2795, also known as the Mississippi Earned Parole Eligibility Act, has passed the legislature and been signed by the governor into law and will take effect on July 1, 2021. Reeves press secretary also has said the governor believes the state should focus on implementing 2014 and 2021 reforms, as well as rebuilding broken reentry programs, before additional legislation regarding habitual offenders is considered. Brown is challenging the states habitual offender law that ensured she would receive life without parole before the U.S. Supreme Court, which will decide what action to take on the case after the justices conference on Friday. Under the little law, someone is sentenced to the maximum possible prison sentence upon conviction of their third felony. Its death by mother nature., Will Mississippi change strict parole laws? State law allows for a life sentence without parole if a person has spent a year in prison on two separate felonies, one of which must be a violent offense, according to the Associated Press/Report for America. Follow on Twitter @ashtonpittman. As such, prisoners are still facing a health crisis in overcrowded complexes. It is more than I can bear to think about. These laws are the same as habitual offender laws but, for some states, focus more on violent crimes rather than non-violent crimes. Well, what were trying to do is pick out a few sheep amongst a lot of goats. 2060 Main St. Senior Reporter Kayode Crown was born in Nigeria, where he worked as a journalist at a state government-owned enterprise. And unless our lawmakers implement much-needed reforms, they will never go home. The two deputies waited for several minutes outside, and after Hewitt left the house, they followed him back to a different location and collected the recording device. And no one gets out JUST because they are older. After the mid-decade changes, though, the states inmate population skyrocketedeven as the states overall population stagnated. Last month, FWD.us, a criminal-justice reform organization, released a study with Rounds Consulting Group on the fiscal impact of loosening parole eligibility requirements. Asked about the governor's thoughts towards reforming habitual offender laws, press secretary Bailey Martin wrote in a June 11 email, "Governor Reeves believes that Mississippi should focus on a full, multi-year implementation of the criminal justice reforms passed in 2014 and 2021 before any additional legislation regarding habitual . The boards current case load involves seeing around 800 people a month and they expect for the next six months or so that could increase to around 1,800. The new law provides that avenue for leniency by permitting non-violent habitual offenders to petition the sentencing judge for parole eligibility after serving a quarter of their sentence. Phil Bryants unusual work with The Bad Boys of Brexit" at the Jackson Free Press. Hewitt was a drug addict cooperating with the deputies in exchange for a reduced sentence, the Mississippi Court of Appeals would write later in 2011. This year, our state legislature could strengthen pending bills and pass reforms to limit harsh habitual sentences, and to expand who is eligible for parole, to ensure that more people have the opportunity to go home one day. I think a lot of the phone calls we receive get people so excited when they hear, Oh, they passed a new law and this is going to happen. And thats not necessarily applying to them, said board member Betty Lou Jones. Brown is also a mother, and she is 12 years into her life without parole sentence, also in Pearl. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: SECTION 1. S.B. I think this sends a signal to the Department of Justice that were taking these problems seriously both administratively and through policy, Latino said this afternoon. Except as provided by Sections 99-19-81 through 99-19-87, no person sentenced as a confirmed and habitual criminal shall be eligible for parole unless such prisoner has served ten (10) years of a sentence of forty (40) years or more; (b) Sex offenders. By 2000, more than 18,000 Mississippians lived behind bars. 125 S. Congress Street #1324Jackson, MS 39201[emailprotected][emailprotected]601-362-6121. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. "The primary changes will be non-violent drug offenses. You can explore additional available newsletters here. What is a Habitual Offender? The legislations primary sponsor, Sen. Juan Barnett, a Heidelberg Democrat, spearheaded the effort to change the parole law with co-sponsors Sen. Robert Jackson, D-Marks; Daniel Sparks, R-Cleveland; Albert Butler, D-Port Gibson; Brice Wiggins, R-Pascagoula; Sampson Jackson II, D-Preston; and Sarita Simmons, D-Jackson. Tate Reeves this afternoon signed a separate criminal justice bill. So, they cant be paroled.. , loosens Mississippis parole requirements, which are currently among the most restrictive in the nation. Mississippi implemented the restrictive parole eligibility requirements and its habitual offender law in the 1990s as a tough-on-crime wave swept the nation, including the federal government. Rep. Bain also proposed HB 0413, which died in committee, which would have modified Mississippi Code 99-19-81 to have the habitual-offenders sentence applied to a crime committed within 15 years of the previous two offenses. Through our taxes, you and I are paying to support an aging prison population. Early Releases Could Save Mississippi Nearly $1 Billion Mississippi implemented the restrictive parole eligibility requirements and its habitual offender law in the 1990s as a "tough-on-crime" wave swept the nation, including the federal government. Reeves vetoed a more expansive parole reform bill last year. In 2021, the governor of Mississippi Tate Reeves signed a new bill into law that should counteract these habitual offender laws. Under current law, prosecutors were able to multiply his sentence due to prior convictions. Boyd then presented the informant with two ziplock bags containing 35.5 grams of marijuana in exchange at a house in Madison County. Mississippi jails and prisons held 8,158 inmates in 1990.
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