Mississippi Department of Corrections (Photo from MDOC website)
- The funding bill limits regional correctional facilities to spending no more than $32.71 daily on housing inmates.
The Mississippi Department of Corrections budget for Fiscal Year 2026 could total more than $450.5 million dollars, some $12.5 million less than the prior year, if the legislation passed by the Senate Appropriations Committee Tuesday morning becomes law.
After questions ranging from the cost of aging facilities to reimbursement programs for medical expenses, the committee passed a bill that appropriates $419,769,725 from the general fund and another $30,739,901 from special funds.
Mississippi has one of the nation’s highest incarnation rates per capita. As of February 11, 2025, the state housed 19,174 inmates, according to MDOC.
During committee debate, Senator Brice Wiggins (R) closely questioned Senator Scott DeLano (R), chairman of the Appropriations Committee’s corrections subcommittee, about the corrections healthcare contractor.
DeLano said the new contracts “were a little bit higher than we anticipated,” adding, “There are some teeth put into his particular contract for performance and some opportunities for claw backs to come back into the general fund.”
DeLano said the additional $4 million for the contract award is for a shorter term than usual.
“I expect us to have some changes in it next time we go out for bid,” he said.
Wiggins continued by asking if the state would see the trends of higher cost of healthcare in correction come to an end. DeLano said the purpose of the contract is to try to minimize that trend, also noting the cost-saving measures built into contract and the general state of increasing healthcare costs.
“But I am sure efficiencies can be found,” he said of the roughly $128 million contract.
Senator Rod Hickman (D) asked about offsetting medical expenses incurred by MDOC, specifically Medicaid. DeLano said that during the debate on Medicaid expansion, getting inmates covered was discussed, but nothing more has come of that at this point.
Senate Corrections Chair Juan Barnett (D) said that over the last six years, Mississippi has spent more than $100 million on facility maintenance.
“My question has always been how much longer can Mississippi afford this type of expenses on this one particular agency?” Barnett asked.
Other expenditures included in the MDOC appropriations legislation:
- Community Corrections – $40.7 million
- Local Corrections – $10 million
- Central Mississippi Correctional – $38.3 million
- Parchman – $38.7 million
- South Mississippi Correctional – $27 million
- Marshall County Correctional – $9.8 million
- Walnut Grove Correctional – $10.7 million
- Delta Correctional – $8.2 million
The funding bill also limits regional correctional facilities to spending no more than $32.71 daily on housing inmates.
The bill must now be considered by the House, with conference likely during the budget process.
