Advocates urge Mississippi lawmakers to pass criminal justice reform, decrease recidivism

Advocates lined the stairwell of the Capitol rotunda, holding signs that read “four out of five individuals who leave incarceration will return at some point in the future.”

"Far too often, people leave prison without having access to reentry services. This is why reentry service providers have made it our mission to reduce barriers and make sure our community members return successfully and safely,"  founder of the Mississippi Center for Reentry Cynetra Freeman said.

Her organization, along with other reentry groups, like New Way Mississippi and the Reaching and Educating for Community Hope (RECH) Foundation, gathered at the state Capitol on Feb. 24, calling on lawmakers to pass bills that will reduce recidivism and help formerly incarcerated people transition into society.

"After leaving prison, I could not get the resources to help me reintegrate properly back into society," RECH Foundation founder Pauline Rogers said.

The coalition of reentry organizations are urging lawmakers to pass three bills. House Bill 592 would keep people from accruing child support debt while in prison. Senate Bill 2275 would establish more work release programs across the state, and Senate Bill 2273 would streamline information between probation and parole officers, formerly incarcerated people and their employers.

"We ask lawmakers to keep these bills alive and support smart solutions to the issues faced in our criminal legal system," Rogers said.

The ACLU of Mississippi helped organize this advocacy event and continues to assemble organizations from across the state to increase reentry support for incarcerated people.