MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2021 Regular Session
To: Corrections
By: Representatives Horan, Anthony
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 47-7-17, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT BEFORE AN OFFENDER IS RELEASED ON PAROLE BY THE PAROLE BOARD, THE BOARD SHALL PROVIDE NOTICE OF A PERIOD OF TIME THAT SHALL NOT EXCEED 15 DAYS, RATHER THAN AN AT LEAST 15 DAYS NOTICE, TO AN OFFENDER'S VICTIM OR THE VICTIM'S FAMILY WHEN AN OFFENDER IS TO BE RELEASED BY THE BOARD; TO AMEND SECTION 47-5-177, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS TO PROVIDE NOTICE OF A PERIOD OF TIME THAT SHALL NOT EXCEED 15 DAYS, RATHER THAN AN AT LEAST 15 DAYS NOTICE, TO CERTAIN LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT WHEN AN OFFENDER IS SCHEDULED FOR RELEASE; TO AMEND SECTIONS 47-5-157 AND 47-5-173, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CONFORM TO THE PRECEDING SECTIONS; TO AMEND SECTION 47-7-5, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO AUTHORIZE THE MEMBERS OF THE STATE PAROLE BOARD TO RECEIVE COMPENSATION OR PER DIEM IN ADDITION TO THEIR SALARY; TO AMEND SECTION 25-3-38, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CONFORM TO THE PRECEDING SECTION; TO BRING FORWARD SECTIONS 47-7-3, 47-7-3.1 THROUGH 47-7-6, 47-7-13 THROUGH 47-7-19 AND 47-7-27, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH RELATE TO THE POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE STATE PAROLE BOARD, FOR PURPOSES OF AMENDMENT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. Section 47-7-17, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
47-7-17. Within one (1) year after his admission and at such intervals thereafter as it may determine, the board shall secure and consider all pertinent information regarding each offender, except any under sentence of death or otherwise ineligible for parole, including the circumstances of his offense, his previous social history, his previous criminal record, including any records of law enforcement agencies or of a youth court regarding that offender's juvenile criminal history, his conduct, employment and attitude while in the custody of the department, the case plan created to prepare the offender for parole, and the reports of such physical and mental examinations as have been made. The board shall furnish at least three (3) months' written notice to each such offender of the date on which he is eligible for parole.
Before ruling on the
application for parole of any offender, the board may require a parole-eligible
offender to have a hearing as required in this chapter before the board and to
be interviewed. The hearing shall be held no later than thirty (30) days prior
to the month of eligibility. No application for parole of a person convicted
of a capital offense shall be considered by the board unless and until notice
of the filing of such application shall have been published at least once a
week for two (2) weeks in a newspaper published in or having general
circulation in the county in which the crime was committed. The board shall,
within thirty (30) days prior to the scheduled hearing, also give notice of the
filing of the application for parole to the victim of the offense for which the
prisoner is incarcerated and being considered for parole or, in case the
offense be homicide, a designee of the immediate family of the victim, provided
the victim or designated family member has furnished in writing a current
address to the board for such purpose. Parole release shall, at the hearing,
be ordered only for the best interest of society, not as an award of clemency;
it shall not be considered to be a reduction of sentence or pardon. An
offender shall be placed on parole only when arrangements have been made for
his proper employment or for his maintenance and care, and when the board
believes that he is able and willing to fulfill the obligations of a law-abiding
citizen. When the board determines that the offender will need transitional
housing upon release in order to improve the likelihood of * * * the offender becoming a law-abiding
citizen, the board may parole the offender with the condition that the inmate
spends no more than six (6) months in a transitional reentry center. * * * For a period of time not to exceed
fifteen (15) days prior to the release of an offender on parole, the director
of records of the department shall give the written notice which is required
pursuant to Section 47-5-177. Every offender while on parole shall remain in
the legal custody of the department from which he was released and shall be
amenable to the orders of the board. Upon determination by the board that an
offender is eligible for release by parole, notice shall also be given * * * for a period of time not to
exceed fifteen (15) days before release, by the board to the victim of the
offense or the victim's family member, as indicated above, regarding the date
when the offender's release shall occur, provided a current address of the
victim or the victim's family member has been furnished in writing to the board
for such purpose.
Failure to provide notice to the victim or the victim's family member of the filing of the application for parole or of any decision made by the board regarding parole shall not
constitute grounds for vacating an otherwise lawful parole determination nor shall it create any right or liability, civilly or criminally, against the board or any member thereof.
A letter of protest against granting an offender parole shall not be treated as the conclusive and only reason for not granting parole.
The board may adopt such other rules not inconsistent with law as it may deem proper or necessary with respect to the eligibility of offenders for parole, the conduct of parole hearings, or conditions to be imposed upon parolees, including a condition that the parolee submit, as provided in Section 47-5-601 to any type of breath, saliva or urine chemical analysis test, the purpose of which is to detect the possible presence of alcohol or a substance prohibited or controlled by any law of the State of Mississippi or the United States. The board shall have the authority to adopt rules related to the placement of certain offenders on unsupervised parole and for the operation of transitional reentry centers. However, in no case shall an offender be placed on unsupervised parole before he has served a minimum of fifty percent (50%) of the period of supervised parole.
SECTION 2. Section 47-5-177, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
47-5-177. * * * For a period of time not to exceed
fifteen (15) days prior to the release of an offender from the custody of the
department because of discharge, parole, pardon, temporary personal leave or
pass, or otherwise, except for sickness or death in the offender's family, the
director of records of the department shall give written or electronic notice
of such release to the sheriff of the county and to the chief of police
of the municipality where the offender was convicted. If the offender is
paroled to a county other than the county of conviction, the director of
records shall give written or electronic notice of the release to the sheriff,
district attorney and circuit judge of the county and to the chief of police of
the municipality where the offender is paroled and to the sheriff of the county
and to the chief of police of the municipality where the offender was
convicted. The department shall notify the parole officer of the county where
the offender is paroled or discharged to probation of any chronic mental
disorder incurred by the offender, of any type of infectious disease for which
the offender has been examined and treated, and of any medications provided to
the offender for such conditions.
The commissioner shall require the director of records to clearly identify the notice of release of an offender who has been convicted of arson at any time. The fact that the offender to be released had been convicted of arson at any time shall appear prominently on the notice of release and the sheriff shall notify all officials who are responsible for investigation of arson within the county of such offender's release and the chief of police shall notify all such officials within the municipality of such offender's release.
SECTION 3. Section 47-5-157, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
47-5-157. When an offender
is entitled to a discharge from the custody of the department, or is released
therefrom on parole, pardon, or otherwise, the commissioner or his designee
shall prepare and deliver to him a written discharge or release, as the case
may be, dated and signed by him with seal annexed, giving the offender's name,
the name of the offense or offenses for which he was convicted, the term of
sentence imposed and the date thereof, the county in which he was sentenced,
the amount of commutation received, if any, the trade he has learned, if any,
his proficiency in same, and such description of the offender as may be
practicable and the discharge plan developed as required by law. * * * For a period of time not to exceed
fifteen (15) days prior to the release of an offender as described herein, the
director of records of the department shall give the written notice which is
required pursuant to Section 47-5-177. The offender shall be furnished, if
needed, suitable civilian clothes, a Mississippi driver's license, or a state
identification card that is not a department-issued identification card and all
money held to his credit by any official of the correctional system shall be
delivered to him.
The amount of money which an offender is entitled to receive from the State of Mississippi when he is discharged from the state correctional system shall be determined as follows:
(a) If he has continuously served his sentence in one (1) year or less flat time, he shall be given Fifteen Dollars ($15.00).
(b) If he has served his sentence in more than one (1) year flat time and in less than ten (10) years flat time, he shall be given Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00).
(c) If he has continuously served his sentence in ten (10) or more years flat time, he shall be given Seventy-five Dollars ($75.00).
(d) If he has continuously served his sentence in twenty (20) or more years flat time, he shall be given One Hundred Dollars ($100.00).
There shall be given in addition to the above specified monies in subsections (a), (b), (c) and (d), a bus ticket to the county of conviction or to a state line of Mississippi.
SECTION 4. Section 47-5-173, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
47-5-173. The commissioner,
or his designees, may grant leave to an offender and may take into
consideration sickness or death in the offender's family or the seeking of
employment by the offender in connection with application for parole, for a
period of time not to exceed ten (10) days. * * * For a period of time not to exceed
fifteen (15) days prior to the release of an offender on leave, the director of
records of the department shall give the written notice required pursuant to
Section 47-5-177. However, if an offender is granted leave because of sickness
or death in the offender's family, written notice shall not be required but the
inmate shall be accompanied by a correctional officer or a law enforcement
officer. In all other cases the commissioner, or his designees, shall provide
required security when deemed necessary. The commissioner, or his designees,
in granting leave, shall take into consideration the conduct and work
performance of the offender.
SECTION 5. Section 47-7-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
47-7-5. (1) The State Parole Board, created under former Section 47-7-5, is hereby created, continued and reconstituted and shall be composed of five (5) members. The Governor shall appoint the members with the advice and consent of the Senate. All terms shall be at the will and pleasure of the Governor. Any vacancy shall be filled by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Governor shall appoint a chairman of the board.
(2) Any person who is
appointed to serve on the board shall possess at least a bachelor's degree or a
high school diploma and four (4) years' work experience. Each member shall
devote his full time to the duties of his office and shall not engage in any
other business or profession or hold any other public office. A member shall * * * receive compensation or per diem in
addition to his salary * * *. Each member shall
keep such hours and workdays as required of full-time state employees under
Section 25-1-98. Individuals shall be appointed to serve on the board without
reference to their political affiliations. Each board member, including the
chairman, may be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses as authorized by
Section 25-3-41. Each member of the board shall complete annual training
developed based on guidance from the National Institute of Corrections, the
Association of Paroling Authorities International, or the American Probation
and Parole Association. Each first-time appointee of the board shall, within
sixty (60) days of appointment, or as soon as practical, complete training for
first-time Parole Board members developed in consideration of information from
the National Institute of Corrections, the Association of Paroling Authorities
International, or the American Probation and Parole Association.
(3) The board shall have exclusive responsibility for the granting of parole as provided by Sections 47-7-3 and 47-7-17 and shall have exclusive authority for revocation of the same. The board shall have exclusive responsibility for investigating clemency recommendations upon request of the Governor.
(4) The board, its members and staff, shall be immune from civil liability for any official acts taken in good faith and in exercise of the board's legitimate governmental authority.
(5) The budget of the board shall be funded through a separate line item within the general appropriation bill for the support and maintenance of the department. Employees of the department which are employed by or assigned to the board shall work under the guidance and supervision of the board. There shall be an executive secretary to the board who shall be responsible for all administrative and general accounting duties related to the board. The executive secretary shall keep and preserve all records and papers pertaining to the board.
(6) The board shall have no authority or responsibility for supervision of offenders granted a release for any reason, including, but not limited to, probation, parole or executive clemency or other offenders requiring the same through interstate compact agreements. The supervision shall be provided exclusively by the staff of the Division of Community Corrections of the department.
(7) (a) The Parole Board is authorized to select and place offenders in an electronic monitoring program under the conditions and criteria imposed by the Parole Board. The conditions, restrictions and requirements of Section 47-7-17 and Sections 47-5-1001 through 47-5-1015 shall apply to the Parole Board and any offender placed in an electronic monitoring program by the Parole Board.
(b) Any offender placed in an electronic monitoring program under this subsection shall pay the program fee provided in Section 47-5-1013. The program fees shall be deposited in the special fund created in Section 47-5-1007.
(c) The department shall have absolute immunity from liability for any injury resulting from a determination by the Parole Board that an offender be placed in an electronic monitoring program.
(8) (a) The Parole Board shall maintain a central registry of paroled inmates. The Parole Board shall place the following information on the registry: name, address, photograph, crime for which paroled, the date of the end of parole or flat-time date and other information deemed necessary. The Parole Board shall immediately remove information on a parolee at the end of his parole or flat-time date.
(b) When a person is placed on parole, the Parole Board shall inform the parolee of the duty to report to the parole officer any change in address ten (10) days before changing address.
(c) The Parole Board shall utilize an Internet website or other electronic means to release or publish the information.
(d) Records maintained on the registry shall be open to law enforcement agencies and the public and shall be available no later than July 1, 2003.
(9) An affirmative vote of at least four (4) members of the Parole Board shall be required to grant parole to an inmate convicted of capital murder or a sex crime.
(10) This section shall stand repealed on July 1, 2022.
SECTION 6. Section 25-3-38, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
25-3-38. Except as
otherwise provided by law, the salary for appointive and/or employed
officials established herein shall be the total and complete salary, and it
shall be unlawful for any additional funds to be paid from any source,
including federal or private funds, to supplement salaries to a level in excess
of that established herein. If any public officer or employee shall knowingly
and * * *
willfully violate the provisions of this section, he shall be guilty of
a misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine of not more than
Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($250.00), and in addition, shall vacate the office
or position which he holds.
SECTION 7. Section 47-7-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
47-7-3. (1) Every prisoner who has been convicted of any offense against the State of Mississippi, and is confined in the execution of a judgment of such conviction in the Mississippi Department of Corrections for a definite term or terms of one (1) year or over, or for the term of his or her natural life, whose record of conduct shows that such prisoner has observed the rules of the department, and who has served not less than one-fourth (1/4) of the total of such term or terms for which such prisoner was sentenced, or, if sentenced to serve a term or terms of thirty (30) years or more, or, if sentenced for the term of the natural life of such prisoner, has served not less than ten (10) years of such life sentence, may be released on parole as hereinafter provided, except that:
(a) No prisoner convicted as a confirmed and habitual criminal under the provisions of Sections 99-19-81 through 99-19-87 shall be eligible for parole;
(b) Any person who shall have been convicted of a sex crime shall not be released on parole except for a person under the age of nineteen (19) who has been convicted under Section 97-3-67;
(c) (i) No person shall be eligible for parole who shall, on or after January 1, 1977, be convicted of robbery or attempted robbery through the display of a firearm until he shall have served ten (10) years if sentenced to a term or terms of more than ten (10) years or if sentenced for the term of the natural life of such person. If such person is sentenced to a term or terms of ten (10) years or less, then such person shall not be eligible for parole. The provisions of this paragraph (c)(i) shall also apply to any person who shall commit robbery or attempted robbery on or after July 1, 1982, through the display of a deadly weapon. This paragraph (c)(i) shall not apply to persons convicted after September 30, 1994;
(ii) No person shall be eligible for parole who shall, on or after October 1, 1994, be convicted of robbery, attempted robbery or carjacking as provided in Section 97-3-115 et seq., through the display of a firearm or drive-by shooting as provided in Section 97-3-109. The provisions of this paragraph (c)(ii) shall also apply to any person who shall commit robbery, attempted robbery, carjacking or a drive-by shooting on or after October 1, 1994, through the display of a deadly weapon. This paragraph (c)(ii) shall not apply to persons convicted after July 1, 2014;
(d) No person shall be eligible for parole who, on or after July 1, 1994, is charged, tried, convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment without eligibility for parole under the provisions of Section 99-19-101;
(e) No person shall be eligible for parole who is charged, tried, convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment under the provisions of Section 99-19-101;
(f) No person shall be eligible for parole who is convicted or whose suspended sentence is revoked after June 30, 1995, except that an offender convicted of only nonviolent crimes after June 30, 1995, may be eligible for parole if the offender meets the requirements in this subsection (1) and this paragraph. In addition to other requirements, if an offender is convicted of a drug or driving under the influence felony, the offender must complete a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program prior to parole or the offender may be required to complete a post-release drug and alcohol program as a condition of parole. For purposes of this paragraph, "nonviolent crime" means a felony other than homicide, robbery, manslaughter, sex crimes, arson, burglary of an occupied dwelling, aggravated assault, kidnapping, felonious abuse of vulnerable adults, felonies with enhanced penalties, except enhanced penalties for the crime of possession of a controlled substance under Section 41-29-147, the sale or manufacture of a controlled substance under the Uniform Controlled Substances Law, felony child abuse, or exploitation or any crime under Section 97-5-33 or Section 97-5-39(2) or 97-5-39(1)(b), 97-5-39(1)(c) or a violation of Section 63-11-30(5). In addition, an offender incarcerated for committing the crime of possession of a controlled substance under the Uniform Controlled Substances Law after July 1, 1995, including an offender who receives an enhanced penalty under the provisions of Section 41-29-147 for such possession, shall be eligible for parole. An offender incarcerated for committing the crime of sale or manufacture of a controlled substance shall be eligible for parole after serving one-fourth (1/4) of the sentence imposed by the trial court. This paragraph (f) shall not apply to persons convicted on or after July 1, 2014;
(g) (i) No person who, on or after July 1, 2014, is convicted of a crime of violence pursuant to Section 97-3-2, a sex crime or an offense that specifically prohibits parole release shall be eligible for parole. All persons convicted of any other offense on or after July 1, 2014, are eligible for parole after they have served one-fourth (1/4) of the sentence or sentences imposed by the trial court.
(ii) Notwithstanding the provisions in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph (g), a person serving a sentence who has reached the age of sixty (60) or older and who has served no less than ten (10) years of the sentence or sentences imposed by the trial court shall be eligible for parole. Any person eligible for parole under this subsection shall be required to have a parole hearing before the board prior to parole release. No inmate shall be eligible for parole under this subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph (g) if:
1. The inmate is sentenced as a habitual offender under Sections 99-19-81 through 99-19-87;
2. The inmate is sentenced for a crime of violence under Section 97-3-2;
3. The inmate is sentenced for an offense that specifically prohibits parole release;
4. The inmate is sentenced for trafficking in controlled substances under Section 41-29-139(f);
5. The inmate is sentenced for a sex crime; or
6. The inmate has not served one-fourth (1/4) of the sentence imposed by the court.
(iii) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a) of this subsection, any offender who has not committed a crime of violence under Section 97-3-2 and has served twenty-five percent (25%) or more of his sentence may be paroled by the parole board if, after the sentencing judge or if the sentencing judge is retired, disabled or incapacitated, the senior circuit judge authorizes the offender to be eligible for parole consideration; or if that senior circuit judge must be recused, another circuit judge of the same district or a senior status judge may hear and decide the matter;
(h) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an inmate who has not been convicted as a habitual offender under Sections 99-19-81 through 99-19-87, has not been convicted of committing a crime of violence, as defined under Section 97-3-2, has not been convicted of a sex crime or any other crime that specifically prohibits parole release, and has not been convicted of drug trafficking under Section 41-29-139 is eligible for parole if the inmate has served twenty-five percent (25%) or more of his or her sentence, but is otherwise ineligible for parole.
(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an inmate shall not be eligible to receive earned time, good time or any other administrative reduction of time which shall reduce the time necessary to be served for parole eligibility as provided in subsection (1) of this section.
(3) The State Parole Board shall, by rules and regulations, establish a method of determining a tentative parole hearing date for each eligible offender taken into the custody of the Department of Corrections. The tentative parole hearing date shall be determined within ninety (90) days after the department has assumed custody of the offender. The parole hearing date shall occur when the offender is within thirty (30) days of the month of his parole eligibility date. The parole eligibility date shall not be earlier than one-fourth (1/4) of the prison sentence or sentences imposed by the court.
(4) Any inmate within twenty-four (24) months of his parole eligibility date and who meets the criteria established by the classification board shall receive priority for placement in any educational development and job training programs that are part of his or her parole case plan. Any inmate refusing to participate in an educational development or job training program that is part of the case plan may be in jeopardy of noncompliance with the case plan and may be denied parole.
SECTION 8. Section 47-7-3.1, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
47-7-3.1. (1) In consultation with the Parole Board, the department shall develop a case plan for all parole eligible inmates to guide an inmate's rehabilitation while in the department's custody and to reduce the likelihood of recidivism after release.
(2) Within ninety (90) days of admission, the department shall complete a case plan on all inmates which shall include, but not limited to:
(a) Programming and treatment requirements based on the results of a risk and needs assessment;
(b) Any programming or treatment requirements contained in the sentencing order; and
(c) General behavior requirements in accordance with the rules and policies of the department.
(3) The department shall provide the inmate with a written copy of the case plan and the inmate's caseworker shall explain the conditions set forth in the case plan.
(a) Within ninety (90) days of admission, the caseworker shall notify the inmate of their parole eligibility date as calculated in accordance with Section 47-7-3(3);
(b) At the time a parole-eligible inmate receives the case plan, the department shall send the case plan to the Parole Board for approval.
(4) The department shall ensure that the case plan is achievable prior to inmate's parole eligibility date.
(5) The caseworker shall meet with the inmate every eight (8) weeks from the date the offender received the case plan to review the inmate's case plan progress.
(6) Every four (4) months the department shall electronically submit a progress report on each parole-eligible inmate's case plan to the Parole Board. The board may meet to review an inmate's case plan and may provide written input to the caseworker on the inmate's progress toward completion of the case plan.
(7) The Parole Board shall provide semiannually to the Oversight Task Force the number of parole hearings held, the number of prisoners released to parole without a hearing and the number of parolees released after a hearing.
SECTION 9. Section 47-7-3.2, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
47-7-3.2. (1) Notwithstanding Sections 47-5-138, 47-5-139, 47-5-138.1 or 47-5-142, no person convicted of a criminal offense on or after July 1, 2014, shall be released by the department until he or she has served no less than fifty percent (50%) of a sentence for a crime of violence pursuant to Section 97-3-2 or twenty-five percent (25%) of any other sentence imposed by the court.
(2) This section shall not apply to:
(a) Offenders sentenced to life imprisonment;
(b) Offenders convicted as habitual offenders pursuant to Sections 99-19-81 through 99-19-87;
(c) Offenders serving a sentence for a sex offense; or
(d) Offenders serving a sentence for trafficking pursuant to Section 41-29-139(f).
SECTION 10. Section 47-7-4, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
47-7-4. The commissioner and the medical director of the department may place an offender who has served not less than one (1) year of his or her sentence, except an offender convicted of a sex crime, on conditional medical release. However, a nonviolent offender who is bedridden may be placed on conditional medical release regardless of the time served on his or her sentence. Upon the release of a nonviolent offender who is bedridden, the state shall not be responsible or liable for any medical costs that may be incurred if such costs are acquired after the offender is no longer incarcerated due to his or her placement on conditional medical release. The commissioner shall not place an offender on conditional medical release unless the medical director of the department certifies to the commissioner that (a) the offender is suffering from a significant permanent physical medical condition with no possibility of recovery; (b) that his or her further incarceration will serve no rehabilitative purposes; and (c) that the state would incur unreasonable expenses as a result of his or her continued incarceration. Any offender placed on conditional medical release shall be supervised by the Division of Community Corrections of the department for the remainder of his or her sentence. An offender's conditional medical release may be revoked and the offender returned and placed in actual custody of the department if the offender violates an order or condition of his or her conditional medical release. An offender who is no longer bedridden shall be returned and placed in the actual custody of the department.
SECTION 11. Section 47-7-6, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
47-7-6. (1) The Parole Board, with the assistance of the Department of Corrections, shall collect the following information:
(a) The number of offenders supervised on parole;
(b) The number of offenders released on parole;
(c) The number of parole hearings held;
(d) The parole grant rate for parolees released with and without a hearing;
(e) The average length of time offenders spend on parole;
(f) The number and percentage of parolees revoked for a technical violation and returned for a term of imprisonment in a technical violation center;
(g) The number and percentage of parolees revoked for a technical violation and returned for a term of imprisonment in another type of department of corrections' facility;
(h) The number and percentage of parolees who are convicted of a new offense and returned for a term of imprisonment on their current crime as well as the new crime;
(i) The number of parolees held on a violation in county jail awaiting a revocation hearing; and
(j) The average length of stay in a county jail for parolees awaiting a revocation hearing.
(2) The Parole Board shall semiannually report information required in subsection (1) to the Oversight Task Force, and upon request, shall report such information to the PEER Committee.
SECTION 12. Section 47-7-13, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
47-7-13. A majority of the board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of all business. A decision to parole an offender convicted of murder or a sex-related crime shall require the affirmative vote of three (3) members. The board shall maintain, in minute book form, a copy of each of its official actions with the reasons therefor. Suitable and sufficient office space and support resources and staff necessary to conducting Parole Board business shall be provided by the Department of Corrections. However, the principal place for conducting parole hearings shall be the State Penitentiary at Parchman.
SECTION 13. Section 47-7-15, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
47-7-15. The board shall adopt an official seal of which the courts shall take judicial notice. Decisions of the board shall be made by majority vote.
The board shall keep a record of its acts and shall notify each institution of its decisions relating to the persons who are or have been confined therein. At the close of each fiscal year the board shall submit to the Governor and to the Legislature a report with statistical and other data of its work.
SECTION 14. Section 47-7-17, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
47-7-17. Within one (1) year after his admission and at such intervals thereafter as it may determine, the board shall secure and consider all pertinent information regarding each offender, except any under sentence of death or otherwise ineligible for parole, including the circumstances of his offense, his previous social history, his previous criminal record, including any records of law enforcement agencies or of a youth court regarding that offender's juvenile criminal history, his conduct, employment and attitude while in the custody of the department, the case plan created to prepare the offender for parole, and the reports of such physical and mental examinations as have been made. The board shall furnish at least three (3) months' written notice to each such offender of the date on which he is eligible for parole.
Before ruling on the application for parole of any offender, the board may require a parole-eligible offender to have a hearing as required in this chapter before the board and to be interviewed. The hearing shall be held no later than thirty (30) days prior to the month of eligibility. No application for parole of a person convicted of a capital offense shall be considered by the board unless and until notice of the filing of such application shall have been published at least once a week for two (2) weeks in a newspaper published in or having general circulation in the county in which the crime was committed. The board shall, within thirty (30) days prior to the scheduled hearing, also give notice of the filing of the application for parole to the victim of the offense for which the prisoner is incarcerated and being considered for parole or, in case the offense be homicide, a designee of the immediate family of the victim, provided the victim or designated family member has furnished in writing a current address to the board for such purpose. Parole release shall, at the hearing, be ordered only for the best interest of society, not as an award of clemency; it shall not be considered to be a reduction of sentence or pardon. An offender shall be placed on parole only when arrangements have been made for his proper employment or for his maintenance and care, and when the board believes that he is able and willing to fulfill the obligations of a law-abiding citizen. When the board determines that the offender will need transitional housing upon release in order to improve the likelihood of him or her becoming a law-abiding citizen, the board may parole the offender with the condition that the inmate spends no more than six (6) months in a transitional reentry center. At least fifteen (15) days prior to the release of an offender on parole, the director of records of the department shall give the written notice which is required pursuant to Section 47-5-177. Every offender while on parole shall remain in the legal custody of the department from which he was released and shall be amenable to the orders of the board. Upon determination by the board that an offender is eligible for release by parole, notice shall also be given within at least fifteen (15) days before release, by the board to the victim of the offense or the victim's family member, as indicated above, regarding the date when the offender's release shall occur, provided a current address of the victim or the victim's family member has been furnished in writing to the board for such purpose.
Failure to provide notice to the victim or the victim's family member of the filing of the application for parole or of any decision made by the board regarding parole shall not
constitute grounds for vacating an otherwise lawful parole determination nor shall it create any right or liability, civilly or criminally, against the board or any member thereof.
A letter of protest against granting an offender parole shall not be treated as the conclusive and only reason for not granting parole.
The board may adopt such other rules not inconsistent with law as it may deem proper or necessary with respect to the eligibility of offenders for parole, the conduct of parole hearings, or conditions to be imposed upon parolees, including a condition that the parolee submit, as provided in Section 47-5-601 to any type of breath, saliva or urine chemical analysis test, the purpose of which is to detect the possible presence of alcohol or a substance prohibited or controlled by any law of the State of Mississippi or the United States. The board shall have the authority to adopt rules related to the placement of certain offenders on unsupervised parole and for the operation of transitional reentry centers. However, in no case shall an offender be placed on unsupervised parole before he has served a minimum of fifty percent (50%) of the period of supervised parole.
SECTION 15. Section 47-7-18, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
47-7-18 (1) Each inmate eligible for parole pursuant to Section 47-7-3, shall be released from incarceration to parole supervision on the inmate's parole eligibility date, without a hearing before the board, if:
(a) The inmate has met the requirements of the parole case plan established pursuant to Section 47-7-3.1;
(b) A victim of the offense has not requested the board conduct a hearing;
(c) The inmate has not received a serious or major violation report within the past six (6) months;
(d) The inmate has agreed to the conditions of supervision; and
(e) The inmate has a discharge plan approved by the board.
(2) At least thirty (30) days prior to an inmate's parole eligibility date, the department shall notify the board in writing of the inmate's compliance or noncompliance with the case plan. If an inmate fails to meet a requirement of the case plan, prior to the parole eligibility date, he or she shall have a hearing before the board to determine if completion of the case plan can occur while in the community.
(3) Any inmate for whom there is insufficient information for the department to determine compliance with the case plan shall have a hearing with the board.
(4) A hearing shall be held with the board if requested by the victim following notification of the inmate's parole release date pursuant to Section 47-7-17.
(5) A hearing shall be held by the board if a law enforcement official from the community to which the inmate will return contacts the board or the department and requests a hearing to consider information relevant to public safety risks posed by the inmate if paroled at the initial parole eligibility date. The law enforcement official shall submit an explanation documenting these concerns for the board to consider.
(6) If a parole hearing is held, the board may determine the inmate has sufficiently complied with the case plan or that the incomplete case plan is not the fault of the inmate and that granting parole is not incompatible with public safety, the board may then parole the inmate with appropriate conditions. If the board determines that the inmate has sufficiently complied with the case plan but the discharge plan indicates that the inmate does not have appropriate housing immediately upon release, the board may parole the inmate to a transitional reentry center with the condition that the inmate spends no more than six (6) months in the center. If the board determines that the inmate has not substantively complied with the requirement(s) of the case plan it may deny parole. If the board denies parole, the board may schedule a subsequent parole hearing and, if a new date is scheduled, the board shall identify the corrective action the inmate will need to take in order to be granted parole. Any inmate not released at the time of the inmate's initial parole date shall have a parole hearing at least every year.
SECTION 16. Section 47-7-19, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
47-7-19. It shall be the duty of all correctional system officials to grant to the members of the board or its properly accredited representatives, access at all reasonable times to any person over whom the board may have jurisdiction under this chapter; to provide for the board or such representatives facilities for communicating with and observing the offender; and to furnish to the board such reports as the board shall require concerning the conduct and character of any offender in the Department of Corrections custody and any other facts deemed by the board pertinent in determining whether such offender shall be paroled.
It shall be the duty of any judge, district attorney, county attorney, police officer, or other public official of the state, having information with reference to any person eligible for parole, to send such information as may be in his possession or under his control to the board, in writing, upon request of any member or employee thereof.
SECTION 17. Section 47-7-27, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
47-7-27. (1) The board may, at any time and upon a showing of probable violation of parole, issue a warrant for the return of any paroled offender to the custody of the department. The warrant shall authorize all persons named therein to return the paroled offender to actual custody of the department from which he was paroled.
(2) Any field supervisor may arrest an offender without a warrant or may deputize any other person with power of arrest by giving him a written statement setting forth that the offender has, in the judgment of that field supervisor, violated the conditions of his parole or earned-release supervision. The written statement delivered with the offender by the arresting officer to the official in charge of the department facility from which the offender was released or other place of detention designated by the department shall be sufficient warrant for the detention of the offender.
(3) The field supervisor, after making an arrest, shall present to the detaining authorities a similar statement of the circumstances of violation. The field supervisor shall at once notify the board or department of the arrest and detention of the offender and shall submit a written report showing in what manner the offender has violated the conditions of parole or earned-release supervision. An offender for whose return a warrant has been issued by the board shall, after the issuance of the warrant, be deemed a fugitive from justice.
(4) Whenever an offender is arrested on a warrant for an alleged violation of parole as herein provided, the board shall hold an informal preliminary hearing within seventy-two (72) hours to determine whether there is reasonable cause to believe the person has violated a condition of parole. A preliminary hearing shall not be required when the offender is not under arrest on a warrant or the offender signed a waiver of a preliminary hearing. The preliminary hearing may be conducted electronically.
(5) The right of the State of Mississippi to extradite persons and return fugitives from justice, from other states to this state, shall not be impaired by this chapter and shall remain in full force and effect. An offender convicted of a felony committed while on parole, whether in the State of Mississippi or another state, shall immediately have his parole revoked upon presentment of a certified copy of the commitment order to the board. If an offender is on parole and the offender is convicted of a felony for a crime committed prior to the offender being placed on parole, whether in the State of Mississippi or another state, the offender may have his parole revoked upon presentment of a certified copy of the commitment order to the board.
(6) (a) The board shall hold a hearing for any parolee who is detained as a result of a warrant or a violation report within twenty-one (21) days of the parolee's admission to detention. The board may, in its discretion, terminate the parole or modify the terms and conditions thereof. If the board revokes parole for one or more technical violations the board shall impose a period of imprisonment to be served in a technical violation center operated by the department not to exceed ninety (90) days for the first revocation and not to exceed one hundred twenty (120) days for the second revocation. For the third revocation, the board may impose a period of imprisonment to be served in a technical violation center for up to one hundred and eighty (180) days or the board may impose the remainder of the suspended portion of the sentence. For the fourth and any subsequent revocation, the board may impose up to the remainder of the suspended portion of the sentence. The period of imprisonment in a technical violation center imposed under this section shall not be reduced in any manner.
(b) If the board does not hold a hearing or does not take action on the violation within the twenty-one-day time frame in paragraph (a) of this subsection, the parolee shall be released from detention and shall return to parole status. The board may subsequently hold a hearing and may revoke parole or may continue parole and modify the terms and conditions of parole. If the board revokes parole for one or more technical violations the board shall impose a period of imprisonment to be served in a technical violation center operated by the department not to exceed ninety (90) days for the first revocation and not to exceed one hundred twenty (120) days for the second revocation. For the third revocation, the board may impose a period of imprisonment to be served in a technical violation center for up to one hundred eighty (180) days or the board may impose the remainder of the suspended portion of the sentence. For the fourth and any subsequent revocation, the board may impose up to the remainder of the suspended portion of the sentence. The period of imprisonment in a technical violation center imposed under this section shall not be reduced in any manner.
(c) For a parolee charged with one or more technical violations who has not been detained awaiting the revocation hearing, the board may hold a hearing within a reasonable time. The board may revoke parole or may continue parole and modify the terms and conditions of parole. If the board revokes parole for one or more technical violations the board shall impose a period of imprisonment to be served in a technical violation center operated by the department not to exceed ninety (90) days for the first revocation and not to exceed one hundred twenty (120) days for the second revocation. For the third revocation, the board may impose a period of imprisonment to be served in a technical violation center for up to one hundred eighty (180) days or the board may impose the remainder of the suspended portion of the sentence. For the fourth and any subsequent revocation, the board may impose up to the remainder of the suspended portion of the sentence. The period of imprisonment in a technical violation center imposed under this section shall not be reduced in any manner.
(7) Unless good cause for the delay is established in the record of the proceeding, the parole revocation charge shall be dismissed if the revocation hearing is not held within the thirty (30) days of the issuance of the warrant.
(8) The chairman and each member of the board and the designated parole revocation hearing officer may, in the discharge of their duties, administer oaths, summon and examine witnesses, and take other steps as may be necessary to ascertain the truth of any matter about which they have the right to inquire.
(9) The board shall provide semiannually to the Oversight Task Force the number of warrants issued for an alleged violation of parole, the average time between detention on a warrant and preliminary hearing, the average time between detention on a warrant and revocation hearing, the number of ninety-day sentences in a technical violation center issued by the board, the number of one-hundred-twenty-day sentences in a technical violation center issued by the board, the number of one-hundred-eighty-day sentences issued by the board, and the number and average length of the suspended sentences imposed by the board in response to a violation.
SECTION 18. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2021.