Miss. lawmakers push sentencing flexibility, house arrest

Miss. lawmakers push sentencing flexibility, house arrest

Lawmakers are considering giving judges more discretion in sentencing related to some crimes and making house arrest an option for them and Department of Corrections officials.

Under existing state law, a theft of more than $500 in property value is a felony. That threshold increases to $1,000 or $1,500 under the two companion bills in the House and Senate. Doing so would allow judges to sentence more non-violent offenders on misdemeanor charges, lessening the likelihood of prison time.

Both bills also would allow judges and MDOC discretion to place low-risk, nonviolent offenders on intense supervision, commonly referred to as house arrest.

Clarion Ledger
2/4/13