“Mississippi’s dangerously high prison population has separated countless families, shrunk our state’s workforce, and cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars each year, all without making our communities any safer. It’s distressing to see Mississippi’s elected officials pursuing harmful legislation that would further increase the prison population and once again overlooking data-driven solutions that would truly improve public safety.”

“Mandatory minimum sentencing takes away judicial discretion, drives up sentence length, and does not make our communities safer. These policies would undermine recent criminal justice reforms while failing to reduce Mississippi’s rapidly growing prison population. Elected leaders should be working instead to ensure people can safely and successfully reunite with their families, return to the workforce, and build stronger communities in Mississippi.”