House Bill 20

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 47-5-95, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROHIBIT CONJUGAL VISITS WITH OFFENDERS WHO ARE COMMITTED TO THE CUSTODY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 47-5-95, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

47-5-95. (1) The members of the executive department, except the Governor and Lieutenant Governor, and judicial departments of the state and members of the Legislature, shall with advance notice to the commissioner be admitted into the correctional system or any facility thereof, and other places where offenders are kept and worked, at all proper hours, for the purpose of observing the conduct thereof, and may hold conversations with the offenders apart from all correctional system officials.

(2) In addition to the visitations prescribed in subsection (1) of this section, other persons may visit a correctional system facility under such rules and regulations as may be established by the commissioner who shall be liable to the state on his bond for negligence in security and in an amount to be determined by the courts.

(3) Conjugal visitations with any offenders committed to the custody of the Department of Corrections are prohibited.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2019.