Bill Regarding Inmate Work Programs

Mississippi lawmakers are considering legislation that would allow judges to sentence non-violent offenders to a work detail.

House Bill 916 would give a county or circuit judge the ability to sentence an offender to a joint county-state work program if the district attorney and sheriff in the jurisdiction agree.
In a joint county-state work program, nonviolent offenders may be assigned to such tasks as garbage pickup, beautification efforts and renovation of public service facilities.
However, Mississippi Department of Corrections Commissioner Marshall Fisher would rather see a re-entry program that would provide inmates with skills they can use once released.