Bill > HB778

This bill establishes a State Correctional Facilities Monitoring Unit within the Mississippi Department of Public Safety to provide independent oversight of both state and private correctional facilities housing state offenders. The monitoring unit will have broad investigative powers, including conducting quarterly facility visits, performing confidential inmate and staff interviews, reviewing facility procedures and records, investigating complaints about inmate treatment, and providing technical assistance to ensure facilities comply with state and federal laws. The unit will be staffed by Department of Public Safety employees who will receive specialized training from a contracted correctional facility expert with significant experience in correctional facility administration and monitoring. The monitors will produce quarterly confidential reports for state leadership detailing their work, investigations, any inmate abuse allegations, and facility administration problems, while maintaining the anonymity of inmates and employees. Additionally, the bill requires the Department of Public Safety to arrange training for both monitoring unit staff and correctional facility administrators, covering topics like interviewing skills, report writing, and standard correctional facility practices. The monitoring unit aims to promote transparency, ensure compliance with best practices, and improve conditions in correctional facilities across Mississippi.

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https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2025/pdf/history/HB/HB0778.xml