It is also a way to address Mississippis long prison sentences. Brair Parker Ballou/MCIR. The study found that the Mississippi Earned Parole Eligibility Act will save at least $584 million with a "low parole grant rate" or as much as $988 million over a 30-year-period with a "moderate parole grant rate." If someone is not ready for parole, he said the board will give them time, maybe a year, to be reconsidered. Mississippi Parole Board member Marlow Stewart said a hardship waiver procured from the court will preclude the parolee from paying a $55 monthly fee. Code Section 47-7-5 (2) We're dedicated to keeping Mississippians informed with our thorough reporting. He compared the program to a top-of-the-line rehabilitation program offered by places like the Betty Ford Center. . Keep this news free and accessible to all by becoming a member and giving a recurring donation of any amount today. In a Monday interview with Supertalk Radio, Gene Bell said the notice of Frederick Bells release was advertised in the Clarion Ledger rather than the local paper, the Grenada Star. LISTEN HERE 00:00 01:36 A study by the Mississippi Legislative PEER Committee reports one member of the state parole board was reimbursed more than $20,000 in 2020, for commuting to Jackson. Jeffrey Belk told a legislative committee the board is not seeking to release a . Ive seen folks with money get off for way more, says his mother, Amanda Hamilton. Her work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe and USA Today. See Miss. 21 Years of Age. About one in three inmates who leave prison return, according to MDOC statistics. If we dont believe in grace, redemption, mercy and second chances, then we need to take In God We Trust off our flag.. Belk said the board, appointed by the governor, has since addressed this problem by keeping such minutes. By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with Mississippi Today. People who have reached the age of 60 and served at least 10 years of their sentence for a parole-eligible crime can also receive it. It raises some concerns, he said. We talked to BestReviews nutrition expert, Molly Bremer, about her favorite whole grains and how to use them. I trust my Parole Board appointees to make wise decisions.. The Mississippi Parole Board consists of four regular Board members and a chairman. .510 Information obtained by probation or parole officer to be privileged -- Exception. Newly-parole eligible people have had hearings, Belk said, but some may not be ready for release because they have not had access to programs such as skills and job training to succeed outside of prison. Tate Reeves appointed him as a member of the Mississippi Parole Board beginning Nov. 1. Despite it being his first felony, he never had the option of drug court, she said. He said he often gets emails from family members of incarcerated people asking why they havent been released. We dont think we should just lock em up and throw away the key, Belk told MCIR in an exclusive interview. Upon successful completion of a RID program, the offender is often placed on probation instead of ERS. Pickett said there is no question the number one driver of inmates behind bars is drugs and addiction. May train and mentor lower level parole staff. PEER criticized the board for failing to maintain minutes documenting parole decisions. A Mississippi man serving life for murder will not be paroled, the Parole Board decided Wednesday, reversing a previous decision to free him after more than 30 years in prison. To learn more about our cartoon syndication services. TD. State of Mississippi Parole Board 660 North Street Suite 100A Jackson, MS 39202 Phone: (601) 576-3520 Fax: (601) 576-3528 For questions and information about parole matters, contact send email to MsStateParoleBoard@mdoc.state.ms.us Parole Board Members Jackson Parole Staff Jackson main number-601-576-3520 Jackson fax number-601-576-3528 MPB is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Belk said Reeves was referring to the December 2020 report by State Auditor Shad White and the July 2021 report by PEER on the Parole Board. In 2021, the Parole Board held an average of 870 hearings each month, paroling 74% of those considered. You can follow him on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. But despite being granted parole . OCCU: 9147 The Board also may hear cases for the revocation of Mississippi parole and/or Earned Release Supervision. In keeping with Parole Board requirements, she found him a sober living house, a job and transportation. Tate Reeves signed legislation last year aimed at expanding parole eligibility, believing it could be a net positive for Mississippi.. In the years since, reforms and an aggressive Parole Board, headed by a veteran law enforcement officer, reduced the number of inmates to the lowest level in two decades. For instance, he said he knew an inmate was serious about leaving gangs behind when the inmate revealed he was being kept in close custody because they want to kill me, because Im telling the young ones to not get involved in that mess.. The Mississippi State Parole Board has the exclusive responsibility to grant, refuse or revoke parole. In Mississippi, provisions relating to pardon and parole are provided under Miss. Belk said the numbers dont dictate decisions, and the board looks at a range of available information to decide whether to grant parole. Photo courtesy of Crossroads Ministries. Seasoned level professional work involving the compilation and computation of parole information on inmates. Those situations also dont improve public safety and can cost taxpayers more. Please reload the page and try again. He faced his biggest challenge when Byrd resigned in the wake of a state and federal investigation that led to 31 charges that included fraud, extortion, embezzlement, witness tampering, perjury and using his office to retaliate against his enemies. Gov. In the past, the board may have rejected advice by parole officers on revocation, but now were more in tune to support them, he said. By doing this, he said, well reduce recidivism, and well reduce violence. A similar program at the Louisiana State Penitentiary saw the recidivism rate drop to less than 10%. Fewell, McDowell Road, High Street, Pearl street, I-55, water pressure. Parole Board Members are satisfied that the individual being considered is capable of being a law-abiding and productive citizen. "Theyre eligible for parole and a lot of them are due a second chance for an opportunity to get out, turn their life around and do some good.". The sentence in Rankin County was enhanced to 13 years because the sale took place within 1,000 feet of a church. Tate Reeves about taking over as chairman of the Parole Board a board Belk said was in disarray., Reeves three words of advice to him? Her work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe and USA Today. Tate Reeves to ask that Frederick Bells parole be denied. That fall mirrored the nation, which saw the prison population decline more than 16% in all states but one between 2019 and 2021. It is a well-established principle that such boards speak only through their minutes, the report said. The Chairman of the Parole Board, for example, together with the Director of Offender Services, will comprise a joint placement committee and may contribute to an inmate being placed into the Intensive Supervision Program, commonly called house arrest. Candidates must meet the following requirements to qualify*: U.S. She wrote board members and asked them to reconsider. There are eight distinctly different categories in which a. In 2021, a California parole board voted to free Robert F. Kennedy's assassin but the decision was overturned by the governor. Dies geschieht in Ihren Datenschutzeinstellungen. The Transitional Services Unit (TSU) schedules, monitors, and prepares all Parole Board hearings that are held at the correctional facilities, which are referred to as institutional hearings. He said the board is aware that since hes become chairman, the parole grant rate has fallen. Code Ann. Prepares responses to inquiries for inmate release and may interview inmates to make recommendations. Tate Reeves, . In selecting Belk, Reeves praised his experience in the private and public sector, saying that made Belk a prime candidate to serve as chairman of the State Parole Board., The governor also thanked the former Chevron executive in advance for stepping up to serve Mississippians.. In signing last years law expanding parole, Reeves bragged that the change still kept habitual offenders from qualifying for parole. On Feb. 7, that population fell to 16,499. Shelby Wilson, 27, went to prison on his first offense for selling prescription drugs rather than being referred to drug court. The incumbent reviews pertinent inmate information and prepares synopsis for the Parole Board so eligible inmates can be considered for parole in a timely manner. Editorial cartoons and photo essays are not included under the Creative Commons license and therefore do not have the "Republish This Story" button option. When an inmate is granted parole, he or she will enter the supervisory period and will remain under supervision until his or her maximum term expires. Daten ber Ihr Gert und Ihre Internetverbindung, wie Ihre IP-Adresse, Browsing- und Suchaktivitten bei der Nutzung von Yahoo Websites und -Apps. We are poor. (601) 576-3520. That means 392 inmates like Tameka Drummer will continue serving their life without parole sentences. Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting, If we dont believe in grace and second chances, then we need to take In God We Trust off our flag., News, Mississippi News, Public Health, mental health, Coronavirus Pandemic, Julie Whitehead, covid-19, Dillion Swindle, work from home, suicide, Joe Turner, pandemic, mental health, fragile society, substance abuse, stress, anxiety, depression, previous health conditions, dread, pandemic life changes, can't control, News, Mississippi Spotlight, Mississippi News, Tainted, Tap water, Mississippi Spotlight, Water pipes, South Jackson, Mayor Lumumba, J.H. (AP) Mississippi is paroling fewer inmates now than it did before expanding parole eligibility in 2021. Please reload the page and try again. Pickett has spent 30 years Editorial cartoons and photo essays are not included under the Creative Commons license and therefore do not have the "Republish This Story" button option. Once the law was implemented, results were encouraging; the parole grant rate climbed and the prison population rate declined to its lowest point in more than 20 years, the group said. The parolee must be in compliance with the terms of his or her current parole. Nine out of 10 cases before the Parole Board are nonviolent and have no registered victim, he said. The group's Mississippi director, Alesha Judkins, said in a statement Thursday that the . Typically requires a Bachelors Degree or a high school diploma and 4 years of work experience. On Dec. 31, Pickett retired after serving a decade. For example, a sentence of one to two years must make the inmate serve at least nine months; whereas, a sentence of thirty years requires the inmate to serve at least ten. The PEER compliance report reviewed the laws policies governing the Parole Board and found several instances of non-compliance. Petitioning the parole board each time Lisa comes up for early release takes its toll, Jeff said. In a Nov. 7 phone interview, Stewart told the Mississippi Free Press that everyone under supervision had to pay. I would rather have the numbers be true and accurate and go back and look at them then just we did whatever we did to get the numbers down mentality, he said during an interview with Missisisppi Today. Mississippi legislators will decide next year whether to keep the state Parole Board as a separate entity or transfer the board's functions to the Department of. If youre not able to add the byline, please include a line at the top of the story that reads: This story was originally published by Mississippi Today and include our website, You cannot republish our editorial cartoons, photographs, illustrations or graphics without specific permission (contact our managing editor. Instead, he said, the prison population is back on the rise, just as it was before reforms in 2014, when the erratic parole rate caused the prison population to skyrocket. 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