Why does Mississippi need HB585? Mississippi’s prison population has grown by 17 percent in the last decade, topping 22,600 inmates last year. The state now has the second-highest imprisonment rate in the country, trailing only Louisiana. Without action, these trends will continue and Mississippi prisons will need to house 1,990 more inmates by 2024 – costing taxpayers an additional $266 million.

What will HB 585 do for Mississippi’s criminal justice system? HB 585 will enact “true minimums” to guarantee that nonviolent and violent offenders are never released prior to serving 25 and 50 percent of their sentences, respectively.

Click here to read the full version of “HB 585: Recommendations of the Corrections and Criminal Justice Task Force.”