Mississippi legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Mississippi HB1517: "Mississippi Second Chance Act"; enact.
Status: Failed, February 3, 2026
AN ACT TO BE KNOWN AS THE "MISSISSIPPI SECOND CHANCE ACT"; TO AMEND SECTION 47-7-3, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE PAROLE ELIGIBILITY FOR PERSONS SENTENCED FOR CRIMES OF VIOLENCE; TO PROVIDE THAT PERSONS SENTENCED FOR CERTAIN VIOLENT OFFENSES SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR PAROLE AFTER SERVING FIFTY PERCENT OR FIFTEEN YEARS, WHICHEVER IS LESS, OF THE SENTENCE OR SENTENCES IMPOSED; TO PROVIDE PAROLE ELIGIBILITY FOR PERSONS SENTENCED FOR MURDER IN THE FIRST DEGREE AFTER SERVING TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AND FOR PERSONS SENTENCED FOR MURDER IN THE SECOND DEGREE AFTER SERVING TWENTY YEARS; TO AMEND SECTION 47-7-3.2, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO DECREASE THE NUMBER OF YEARS SERVED FOR COMMITTING CERTAIN CRIMES OF VIOLENCE BEFORE BEING RELEASED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS; TO AMEND SECTIONS 99-19-81, 99-19-83, AND 99-19-87, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE PAROLE ELIGIBILITY FOR PERSONS SENTENCED AS HABITUAL OFFENDERS AFTER SERVING TEN YEARS; TO PROVIDE THAT THESE AMENDMENTS SHALL APPLY RETROACTIVELY; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
What the bill says
An act to be known as the "mississippi second chance act"; to amend section 47-7-3, mississippi code of 1972, to revise parole eligibility for persons sentenced for crimes of violence; to provide that persons sentenced for certain violent offenses shall be eligible for parole after serving fifty percent or fifteen years, whichever is less, of the sentence or sentences imposed; to provide parole eligibility for persons sentenced for murder in the first degree after serving twenty-five years and for persons sentenced for murder in the second degree after serving twenty years…
From the introduced text:
AN ACT TO BE KNOWN AS THE "MISSISSIPPI SECOND CHANCE ACT"; TO AMEND SECTION 47-7-3, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE PAROLE ELIGIBILITY FOR PERSONS SENTENCED FOR CRIMES OF VIOLENCE; TO PROVIDE THAT PERSONS SENTENCED FOR CERTAIN VIOLENT OFFENSES SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR PAROLE AFTER SERVING FIFTY PERCENT OR FIFTEEN YEARS, WHICHEVER IS LESS, OF THE SENTENCE OR SENTENCES IMPOSED; TO PROVIDE PAROLE ELIGIBILITY FOR PERSONS SENTENCED FOR MURDER IN THE FIRST DEGREE AFTER SERVING TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AND FOR PERSONS SENTENCED FOR MURDER IN THE SECOND DEGREE AFTER SERVING TWENTY YEARS; TO AMEND SECTION 47-7-3.2, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO DECREASE THE NUMBER OF YEARS SERVED FOR COMMITTING CERTAIN CRIMES OF VIOLENCE BEFORE BEING RELEASED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS; TO AMEND SECTIONS 99-19-81, 99-19-83, AND 99-19-87, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE PAROLE ELIGIBILITY FOR PERSONS SENTENCED AS HABITUAL OFFENDERS AFTER SERVING TEN YEARS; TO PROVIDE THAT THESE AMENDMENTS SHALL APPLY RETROACTIVELY; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: SECTION 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Mississippi Second Chance Act". SECTION 2. Section 47-7-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows: 47-7-3. (1) Every prisoner who has been convicted of any offense against the State of Mississippi, and is confined in the execution of …