Bill > HB273

This bill revises regulations for habitual offenders in Mississippi by clarifying that the enhanced penalties and restrictions apply specifically to those convicted of a "crime of violence," as defined by Section 97-3-2 of the Mississippi Code, and who have two prior felony convictions for separate incidents, with at least one of those prior felonies also being a crime of violence. For individuals sentenced as habitual offenders for crimes of violence, the bill mandates the maximum prison term for the current felony, requires a written explanation from the court for any deviation from this maximum, and generally prohibits sentence reduction, suspension, parole, or probation. It also extends the repeal date for these provisions to July 1, 2029. Furthermore, the bill amends regulations concerning parole eligibility for inmates, specifying that habitual offenders convicted of crimes of violence are not eligible for parole, and clarifies that for early release purposes, life sentences under these habitual offender statutes are calculated as fifty years. Finally, it modifies rules regarding earned time and trusty-time allowances, making inmates serving sentences for crimes of violence and classified as habitual offenders ineligible for these sentence reductions.

Justice

https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2026/pdf/history/HB/HB0273.xml