But soon after, parole rates and hearings began dropping each month. Brair Parker Ballou/MCIR. Please reload the page and try again. Having a board with diverse backgrounds allows myself and others to bring a unique prospective to the table when making tough decisions.. However, we highly advice you to contact the above offices to get the most updated and official form. In the meantime, Cain is working to create 80 schools for inmates to gain certification in engine repair, plumbing, welding, carpentry and other fields. 21 Years of Age. Jeffery Belk named Mississippi Parole Board Chairman. Her 27-year-old son, Shelby Wilson, went to prison in 2019 after he sold his mothers prescription pills to a friend, who was working as a confidential informant. by Mina Corpuz, Mississippi Today September 19, 2022, This and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.. 1:16 JACKSON, Miss. Those who committed a violent crime must serve half their sentence or 20 years, and people convicted of robbery with a deadly weapon, a drive-by shooting or carjacking must serve 60% of their sentence or 25 years. Parole Board members say the biggest misconception is that prisoners will be . We center readers in everything we do, informingand engagingMississippians through reporting, podcasts, events and online communities. 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. Its not the job of the Parole Board to decide whether they agree with the Legislature [on parole eligibility]. The Parole Board released a statement Thursday evening, which appears below in its entirety,. It is dedicated to the process of promoting public safety. He had originally received a death sentence, but several court rulings in the past decade paved the way for him to be resentenced and become eligible for parole. code ann.47-7-3, has been amended many times to change and add to the statue. We believe that an informed Mississippi is a better Mississippi. 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 to be noted that the state parole board procedures and decisions are subject to federal judicial review. Help keep the momentum going by rejoining our member community today. The state Parole Board chairman told lawmakers Tuesday the board is more . Stewart will replace Nehemiah Flowers, who recently announced his retirement effective October 31, 2021. News, Mississippi News, Domestic Violence, domestic violence, abuse, murder suicide, domestic homicide, murdered children, fathers kill children, Greyson's law, revenge, control, Welfare, fraud, medicaid, poor Mississippians, embezzlement, Gov Bryant, welfare funds. Typically requires a Bachelors Degree and 0-3 years of related experience. In so doing, the Parole Board has essentially shut down parole in the state, said Brandon Jones with the Southern Poverty Law Centers Action Fund. JACKSON, Miss. Pay Grade: MS02. That caused some of the delays, he said. Keep this news free and accessible to all by becoming a member and giving a recurring donation of any amount today. Nobody asked him anything.. The earned release supervision date is the date that includes all earned time, as well as the 15% good behavior allowance. 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. PEER accused board members of failing to work as full-time employees an accusation Pickett denies. In April, five out of every six inmates were rejected. I asked myself, What would I do for my child?. BOARD MEMBERS Updated January Search: In September 2015, a federal judge ordered him to pay $260,000 in sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a former deputy. however the mandatory language set forth in miss.code ann.47-7-3 which h Tate Reeves named a new head of the Mississippi State Parole Board. Phone (601) 359-1406 Fax (601) 488-2903. The collaborative includes the Clarion Ledger, the Jackson Advocate, Jackson State University, Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting, Mississippi Public Broadcasting and Mississippi Today. Maintains a central registry of paroled inmates. a proud member of the For those wanting to send in a letter, they can be mailed to the five-member parole board at: 660 North St., Suite 100 A, Jackson MS 39202. This is managerial type of work responsible for a division or a team of supervisors and subordinates in a correctional facility or as part of statewide parole program involving the compilation and computation of parole information on inmates. Pre-release Programs prepare offenders for integration into society. Senate Bill 2795, known as the Mississippi Earned Parole Eligibility Act, became law in July 2021 with the goal of giving more people the opportunity to be heard by the Mississippi Parole Board and potentially be released from prison. Belk said the board does look at the prison population numbers, but we do not let the numbers drive our decisions., On Dec. 30, Belk received a call from Gov. 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. OCCU:9144 Other means of reducing sentences and receiving early paroles include Meritorious Earned Time. Judkins said parole is an evidence-based policy that gives people second chances, reunites them with their families and community and curbs taxpayer spending. Belk said there is a misunderstanding that a parole eligibility date means automatic release or sentence reduction. Bell was convicted in the Circuit Court of Grenada County of capital murder and sentenced to death in 1993. Everybody that comes before you is no longer addicted to drugs and theyve found Jesus.. Her reply? Mississippi is paroling fewer inmates now than it did before expanding parole eligibility in 2021. Tate Reeves signed a law that created the new state flag with magnolia at the center, six months after the state retired the last state flag in the . She has remained drug-free since her arrest. If the offender commits certain types of crimes, such as murder, arson, felony child abuse, drug trafficking, or sex crimes, the inmate is not eligible for parole. In September 2013, Mississippi had as many as 22,490 inmates behind bars. Sign up for our newsletter. You can follow him on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. PEER accused board members of failing to work as full-time employees an accusation Pickett denies. Mina, a California native, covers the criminal justice system. .500 Prohibited activities of probation and parole officers. Similarly, many inmates being considered for Mississippi parole work at a prison-sanctioned job to gain skills and develop work ethic that will benefit them on release. And the [victims] families were having to relive this every six months.. Persons who committed crimes on or following the June 30, 1995 date who have not been convicted of a violent crime and are serving at least a one year minimum sentence, may be eligible for Mississippi parole. Jury in Murdaugh murder trial to visit Moselle Wed. Man arrested after chase through multiple MS cities, Stokes to host march after two teens killed in Jackson, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. We do not sell or share your information with anyone. OCCU: 9141 Pay Grade: MS10. Mississippi Parole Board 201 West Capitol Street, Suite 800 Jackson, MS 39201 If you dig deep enough on the internet, you might be able to find a sample clemency or pardon application. Pay Grade: MS12. In September 2013, Mississippi had as many as 22,490 inmates behind bars. Jerry Mitchell/MCIR. The work includes reviewing and collecting files and data, participating in classification decisions, providing information on inmates to authorized persons, and completing Risk Matrix information on inmates. The Mississippi Parole Board responds to a state legislative watchdog report that cites issues members need to correct such as working full time. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Help keep the momentum going by rejoining our member community today. Trials are tentatively set for Dec. 5. It is also a way to address Mississippis long prison sentences. 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. Upon successful completion of a RID program, the offender is often placed on probation instead of ERS. May train and mentor lower level parole staff. Maintains a central registry of paroled inmates. My position on the parole board provided me a different kind of opportunity to help others, by giving a second chance to those who earned it and denying it to those who remain a threat to public safety.. 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. Those situations also dont improve public safety and can cost taxpayers more. In July, the Parole Board sent a letter to Gene Bell about its decision to parole Frederick Bell because members found he had been rehabilitated. "It's gut-wrenching," he said. A revocation may happen if a person commits a new crime or fails to report to a parole officer for a certain period of time. You can follow him on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Starbucks olive oil drinks a curiosity in Italy, Three new lottery scratch-off games debut in March, Two arrested, one injured in officer-involved shooting, Man shot multiple times at Wood Village Apartments, Louisiana man killed in Wilkinson County crash. Tate Reeves, . People are getting no benefit from doing the right thing, he said. The Board also may hear cases for the revocation of Mississippi parole and/or Earned Release Supervision. Thats in contrast to more than three-fourths of the remaining states, which received flunking grades. In a Nov. 7 phone interview, Stewart told the Mississippi Free Press that everyone under supervision had to pay. Typically requires a Bachelors Degree and 5-7 years of work experience. But under Belks leadership, that trend has reversed itself. This allows for a ten-day reduction in sentence for every month that an inmate participates in an educational or vocational institutional program. Caring for that many more inmates would cost taxpayers an extra $51 million, based on the per-day cost computed by the states legislative watchdog. He served six months house arrest. With the exception of Jones, all have joined the board within the past year. On Dec. 31, Pickett retired after serving a decade. 0:57. Belk said he is looking forward to continuing to serve Mississippians in his new role. Belk has a decidedly different approach than his predecessor. 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. Typically requires a Bachelors Degree and 3-5 years of related experience. Frederick Bell has spent the past 31 years in prison for two murders he committed when he was 19. This program lasts from one to three months based on each individual offender's needs and progress. The Life Sentence Unit (LSU . Despite it being his first felony, he never had the option of drug court, she said. This request will be granted at the discretion of the corrections agent, sometimes with advice from the Mississippi Parole Board. Krecic is now held at Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Rankin County. Reviews recommendations proposed for inmate release, reviews files of inmates to determine eligibility for parole, and conditions for which the inmate may be released. JACKSON, Miss. Most people couldnt afford it, he said. Both White and PEER criticized the travel expenses of Parole Board member Betty Lou Jones, who received more than $20,000 in travel reimbursements. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. 585, passed in 2014 to address Mississippi's rising prison population and "to implement research-driven criminal justice policies to produce a greater public safety return on corrections spending. OCCU: 9147 The State Parole Board is composed of five members. But despite being granted parole . Jeffrey Belk spoke to a legislative committee Tuesday. Meanwhile, Mississippis prison population is skyrocketing. Pickett has spent 30 years in government work, including nine years on the five-member Parole Board. Oversees the review of inmates eligible for parole. After then-Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps was indicted in 2014 for receiving bribes from prison contracts, Reeves appointed Belk to the Contracts Review Board to make sure all contracts were proper. Due to prison reform efforts, its the opposite today 60% are eligible. Typically requires a Bachelors Degree and 2-4 years of related experience. Sirhan Sirhan will once again appear before the 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. Pickett was reappointed by Governor Tate Reeves in 2020. Stewart will replace Nehemiah Flowers,. .485 Probation and parole officer's position considered hazardous duty for retirement purposes. He pleaded guilty in March 2014 to one state charge of intimidating a witness and one federal count of misleading conduct. The MacArthur Justice Center has heard from families about parole hearings for their loved ones being delayed four to eight years, rather than a hearing each year as the board has done in the past, Johnson said. Nov. 29JACKSON Under questioning from lawmakers on Tuesday, the head of the state parole board said greater scrutiny of inmates' prison records has led to a decline in the parole rate.. To help attack this problem, Commissioner Cain has started an alcohol and drug program at the once-shuttered Walnut Grove Correctional Facility that houses 32 inmates in a 90-day addiction program. Information you can trust. The new Mississippi state flag flies under the eagle at the top of the Capitol rotunda following the ceremonial unfurling in Jackson, Monday, Jan. 11, 2021. The prison population has grown and is higher than last year when parole eligibility expansion became law, according to MDOC records. By rejoining our member community today drugs and theyve found Jesus he committed when he was 19 never had option... Six inmates were rejected based on each individual offender 's needs and progress has reversed itself of promoting public and. 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