New law could free nearly 7,000 inmates

The Clarion-Ledger, 4/8/8

Nearly 7,000 Mississippi inmates could be eligible for early parole under a bill Gov. Haley Barbour signed in to law Monday.

Senate Bill 2136 would allow some nonviolent offenders to come out from under a Mississippi law that requires prisoners to serve at least 85 percent of their sentences.

The goal, Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps told The Clarion-Ledger, is to attempt to cut down on the department’s ballooning budget, which has more than doubled in a little more than a dozen years.

Another measure – House Bill 494 – also aimed at reducing the state’s prison populations was approved by Barbour last week. It would allow immediate medical release for some terminally ill inmates.