Mississippi's House Corrections Committee Accomplishes Little

Much like the Senate Corrections Committee, Mississippi's House of Representatives' Corrections Committee managed to accomplish very little during the 2018 legislative session. Republicans hold a 10-7 majority over Democrats on the committee.

Of the seven Democrats on the committee, only two introduced corrections-related legislation. Of the ten Republicans on the committee, only two introduced corrections-related legislation. Apparently only four of the seventeen committee members had any interest in corrections this year.

Eight Democrats and six Republicans who do not serve on the corrections committee introduced legislation that wound up in the committee.

A total of 59 bills were before the House Corrections Committee this session. Forty-six of these bills died in committee on January 30, 2018. Ten bills were transmitted to the senate; of those ten, four were nothing more than extensions of repeal dates on current statutes. The other six bills transmitted to the senate—all of which were introduced by the Republican chairman of the committee—either loosened mandates on facilities (HB 1172 and HB 1139) or are "crackdown" type bills (HB 61, HB 1142, HB 1143). The three remaining bills—all introduced by the Republican chairman of the committee—are also "cracdown" type bills (HB 59, HB 1124, HB 1126), including one that seeks to make it a felony for a civilian to receive calls from a contraband cellphone. All three of those bills were amended and passed.

I have no problem with legislation that will enhance security and reduce contraband in prisons. But the largest conduit for contraband is and always has been corrupt prison staff; and every bill that would have addressed this reality died in committee (HB 524, HB 1125),

The truth is that Mississippi's House Corrections Committee has wasted another session, another year, and another opportunity to bring needed reforms to the state's prison systems.

Take a look for yourself:

http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2018/pdf/senate_cmtes/cr.xml
Mississippi Legislature
2018 Regular Session
Senate Corrections Committee

HB 59
* Offenders convicted of a crime of violence; strike reference that such offenders are eligible for parole.
02/16 (S) Referred To Corrections Kinkade
HB 61
DOC; authorize to transfer disruptive technical violation center offender to general population under certain circumstances.
02/12 (S) Referred To Corrections Kinkade
HB 877
Prison Overcrowding Emergency Powers Act; extend repealer on.
02/12 (S) Referred To Corrections White
HB 878
% Community Service Revolving Fund; extend repealer on authority to collect fees from paroled offenders for deposit into.
02/09 (S) Referred To Corrections White
HB 879
% Corrections; extend repealer on intensive supervision program and electronic home detention.
02/16 (S) Referred To Corrections White
HB 883
Department of Corrections; extend repealer on drug and alcohol program at Bolivar County Regional Facility.
02/12 (S) Referred To Corrections White
HB 892
% State Parole Board; extend repealer on.
02/12 (S) Referred To Corrections White
HB1124
* Contraband cell phones; provide that it shall be a felony to communicate with inmates on such phones under certain circumstances.
02/16 (S) Referred To Corrections Kinkade
HB1126
* Correctional facilities; provide certain penalties for correctional staff who introduce controlled substances into.
02/16 (S) Referred To Corrections Kinkade
HB1127
* Department of Corrections; provide certain clarification for contracts between the department and contractor for private correctional facilities.
02/12 (S) Referred To Corrections;Appropriations Kinkade
HB1139
County jails that house state inmates; remove condition that jails be an approved county jail for housing state inmates under federal court order.
02/12 (S) Referred To Corrections Kinkade
HB1142
Unmanned aircraft system; prohibit use of near correctional facilities.
02/12 (S) Referred To Corrections;Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency Kinkade
HB1143
Felony extortion; provide when inmates have committed.
02/12 (S) Referred To Corrections Kinkade
HB1172
Case plans for parole eligible inmates; provide Department of Corrections more lead-way in the implementation of.
02/12 (S) Referred To Corrections Kinkade
SB2062
Probation and parole officers; limit number of cases that may be handled.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Hill
SB2066
Highway traffic; violation to maliciously impede.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Hill
SB2117
Offender temporary personal leave; MDOC commissioner may grant with certain conditions.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Jackson (32nd)
SB2120
Parole hearings; not required for offenders convicted on or after July 1, 2014, who meet certain other requirements.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Jackson (32nd)
SB2121
Private correctional facilities; must guarantee recidivism rate that is less than MDOC's recidivism rate.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Jackson (32nd)
SB2128
Habitual offenders; revise method of determining whether a felony triggers sentencing as.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Jackson (32nd)
SB2129
Technical violations; clarify meaning of for graduate sanctions and revocation sentencing.
02/08 (S) Died On Calendar Jackson (32nd)
SB2131
Crimes of violence; remove references to parole and early release in provision designating offenses as.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Jackson (32nd)
SB2132
Youthful Offender Unit; offenders housed in to remain under court's jurisdiction.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Jackson (32nd)
SB2133
Offender case plans; MDOC to develop for parole-eligible offenders convicted on or after July 1, 2014.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Jackson (32nd)
SB2134
Parole; clarify list of offenses that make offenders convicted between 1995-2014 ineligible for.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Jackson (32nd)
SB2157
Trusty status; offenders ineligible to work at Governor's Mansion if incarcerated for a violent crime.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Watson
SB2212
Conviction; clarify subsequent for certain crimes and post-conviction relief.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Simmons (13th)
SB2225
Alcohol and Drug Treatment Pilot Program in Bolivar County; extend repeal date.
02/21 (H) Title Suff Do Pass Simmons (13th)
SB2242
Parole; clarify list of offenses that make offenders convicted between 1995-2014 ineligible for.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Simmons (12th)
SB2248
Violent habitual offender; require bifurcated trial.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Simmons (12th)
SB2249
Juvenile sentencing; provide criteria for determining parole eligibility and require hearing before imposing life without parole.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Simmons (12th)
SB2251
Trusty and earned-time programs; change eligibility to participate in.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Simmons (12th)
SB2256
Violent habitual offender; revise.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Simmons (12th)
SB2257
Habitual offender; revise sentencing.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Simmons (12th)
SB2258
Habitual offender; revise sentencing.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Simmons (12th)
SB2260
Controlled substance offenses; revise enhanced penalties.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Simmons (12th)
SB2262
Habitual offender; revise sentencing as.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Simmons (12th)
SB2263
Expunction; allow after 20 years' good behavior.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Simmons (12th)
SB2264
Simple drug possession; reclassify offense.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Simmons (12th)
SB2265
Expunction of conviction; revise.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Simmons (12th)
SB2266
Expunction of felony; revise.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Simmons (12th)
SB2274
Crimes of violence; remove references to parole and early release from provision of law designating offenses as such.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Simmons (12th)
SB2284
Juvenile offenders; provide alternative sentencing and parole options if convicted of certain offenses.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Turner-Ford
SB2327
Criminal history background checks; enact "Ban the Box."
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Horhn
SB2346
Expunction; revise which offenses are eligible.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Blackmon
SB2351
Department of Corrections; provide certain educational programs for adult offenders.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Blackmon
SB2388
Conviction; clarify subsequent for certain crimes and post-conviction relief.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Blackmon
SB2576
Hate crimes; revise delineation of victim.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Blount
SB2637
Overdose death; constitutes manslaughter under certain circumstances.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Carter
SB2646
Prison Overcrowding Emergency Powers Act; extend repeal date.
02/21 (H) Title Suff Do Pass Jackson (32nd)
SB2647
Electronic home detention; extend date of repeal.
02/21 (H) Title Suff Do Pass Jackson (32nd)
SB2648
Correctional facilities; revise penalty for bringing a controlled substance onto the property of.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Horhn
SB2649
Correctional facilities; amend provisions related to contraband items.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Jackson (32nd)
SB2650
Inmate case plans; MDOC to establish method of determining compliance with.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Jackson (32nd)
SB2651
Correctional facilities; revise penalty for bringing a controlled substance onto the property of.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Jackson (32nd)
SB2652
Inmate case plans; remove timelines for implementation of.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Jackson (32nd)
SB2653
County jails; remove requirement to be approved under federal order for housing of state offenders.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Jackson (32nd)
SB2654
State Parole Board; extend repeal date.
02/21 (H) Title Suff Do Pass Jackson (32nd)
SB2655
Parole supervision fees; extend date of repeal on authority to collect.
02/21 (H) Title Suff Do Pass Jackson (32nd)
SB2656
Extortion; revise to include the specific offense by an inmate.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Jackson (32nd)
SB2693
Department of Corrections; provide for increase in annual compensation for correctional facility employees.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee DeBar
SB2694
MDOC; require to provide cash overtime pay instead of comp time to correctional facility employees.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee DeBar
SB2695
MDOC; require to provide cash overtime pay instead of comp time to corrections supervisors and commanders.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee DeBar
SB2696
Department of Corrections; shall pay correctional facility employees for all accumulated comp time upon termination or death.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee DeBar
SB2822
Drug offenders; clarify parole eligibility.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Dawkins
SB2848
% Re-entry council; implement certain recommendations thereof.
02/08 (S) Died On Calendar Jackson (32nd)
SB2866
Conviction; clarify subsequent for certain crimes and post-convictions relief.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Jordan
SB2879
Parole; amend eligibility for offenders convicted of felonies with enhanced penalties.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Jackson (32nd)
SB2880
Technical violation centers; allow MDOC to offer incentives to offenders who participate in programs of.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Jackson (32nd)
SB2881
Community Corrections Division; provide staffing at American Probation and Parole Association standards.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Jackson (32nd)
SB2882
Correctional facilities; allow MDOC more flexibility in contracting with private operators of.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Jackson (32nd) *
SB2883
Technical violation centers; authorize MDOC to extend the revocation period for up to 180 days.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Jackson (32nd)
SB2884
MDOC; must remove offenders sentenced to TVCs from county jail within 14 days or reimburse county's housing expenses.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Jackson (32nd)
SB2908
County inmate canteen fund; specify types of items that may be purchased from.
01/30 (S) Died In Committee Wilemon
KEY: * = Amended % = 3/5ths Vote Required V = Vetoed
$ = Revenue @ = Exempted From Deadline P = Partially Vetoed

Last Update on 02/23/2018 at 15:22
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