JACKSON, Miss. – Both the Miss. House and Senate have passed a final version of 2014’s Criminal Justice Reform Bill. Essentially the bill says that if a person is considered a violent offender that they must serve at least half of their sentence. It also says that if a person is convicted of violent crimes more than once, he or she cannot become a trusty.
The bill also makes drug courts stronger. It gives judges more options when they sentence people who are non-violent drug offenders.
The bill would also create a veterans court for the state, which would operate almost the same way as the drug courts.
“We pledged to Mississippians that we would make this the ‘public safety session’, and we have worked hard to develop a research-based plan that is tough on crime while using tax dollars wisely where they make the most impact,” Gov. Phil Bryant said. “This bill ensures that violent criminals are held accountable for their crimes, and it provides a second chance to veterans and other Mississippians who have made mistakes want to take steps to get their lives back on track.
