“We are encouraged to see Mississippi lawmakers advance critical legislation to continue parole eligibility and keep reducing our state’s highest-in-the-nation imprisonment rate safely.

“Ensuring Mississippi continues to have evidence-based release opportunities like parole could not be more urgent. Less than a week ago, the Department of Justice released its most recent report documenting the horrific and unconstitutional conditions at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility, the South Mississippi Correctional Institution, and the Wilkinson County Correctional Facility. This report echoes some of the same deplorable conditions at Parchman from their 2022 report. DOJ’s latest report is yet more evidence of the critical need to safely reduce the state’s prison population.

“Research overwhelmingly shows that long prison sentences do not make us safer, and preserving Mississippi’s parole law prioritizes public safety, incentivizes program participation, and allows meaningful opportunities for people to return home to their families and rejoin the workforce sooner.

“This session, we urge Mississippi’s elected leaders to ensure that our current parole law is reauthorized without a repealer and advance the real public safety solutions our state deserves.”