We're dedicated to keeping Mississippians informed with our thorough reporting. Prisons and Prisoners; Probation and Parole MS ST Section 47-7-5. Capital offenses, murder, drug trafficking, sex crimes and being a habitual offender are among the crimes in the state that are not eligible for parole. Tate Reeves about taking over as chairman of the Parole Board a board Belk said was in disarray., Reeves three words of advice to him? Tate Reeves' appointment of Jeffery Belk as chairman of the State Parole Board is costing the state dearly. I believe in second chances, he said. Other crimes are subject to the 85% law, which states that an inmate is eligible for parole, if he or she has complied with good conduct codes, after serving 85% of his or her sentence. In 2021, a California parole board voted to free Robert F. Kennedy's assassin but the decision was overturned by the governor. 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.. The Mississippi legislature is currently considering several bills aimed at reforming the state's criminal justice system, including bills expanding parole eligibility.A new report indicates that these measures could have huge financial impacts on the state's budget, saving taxpayers millions of dollars per year.. Before joining Mississippi Today, she was a reporter for the Clarion Ledger and newspapers in Massachusetts. Information about parole in Mississippi, including the current Parole Board Members, Parolee Search, and Victim Parole Notification. Corrections Commissioner Burl Cain requested and received pay raises for correctional officers, but recruiting and retaining those officers has proved a struggle. Hamilton said sobriety is tough in prison because drugs are so plentiful. The Mississippi State Parole Board has the exclusive responsibility to grant, refuse or revoke parole. In the past 14 years and especially the past seven, I have never had an empty bed, said Executive Director Vicki DeMoney. They include Pickett who has served for nine years, Betty Lou Jones who has served for 13 years, Nehemiah Flowers who has served for 8 years, Jim Cooper who has served for one year, and Anthony Smith who has also served for one year. (601) 576-3528. In signing last years law expanding parole, Reeves bragged that the change still kept habitual offenders from qualifying for parole. Pickett, a veteran law enforcement officer, began his career in 1996 as a deputy to Hinds County Sheriff Malcolm McMillin. Some of the vocations an inmate can be trained for include industrial sewing, cosmetology, computer repair, and business technology. The Mississippi Parole Board is an important part of the criminal justice system. Parole provides incarcerated people the opportunity to make the case for their release at a hearing before the Parole Board after serving a portion of their sentence in prison. His new parole chairman is Jeffery Belk, who retired from Chevron as a project procurement manager. Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization. He or she must be a resident of the receiving state, or must have family living within the state who is willing to assist in housing. In selecting Belk, Reeves praised his experience in the private and public sector, saying that made Belk a prime candidate to serve as chairman of the State Parole Board., The governor also thanked the former Chevron executive in advance for stepping up to serve Mississippians.. You have to credit Mississippi Today. 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. 47-7-31. Candidates must meet the following requirements to qualify*: U.S. Due to prison reform efforts, its the opposite today 60% are eligible. Vocational level work involving providing technical support to parole staff in the compilation and computation of parole information on inmates. She regularly emailed with Pickett while he chaired the Parole Board, but she said she hasnt gotten any responses from the new chairman. 660 North St. Suite 100A. Frederick Bell was convicted of capital murder for the May 1991 shooting of death 21-year-old Robert "Bert" Bell (no relation) during a store robbery in Grenada County. Belk said the board has 15 to 20 parole hearings scheduled for Wednesday. Typically requires a Bachelors Degree and 0-3 years of related experience. The Board of Parole consists of 14 members. Belk has a decidedly different approach than his predecessor. Tate Reeves, . Parole Board Chairman Jeffrey Belk discusses the role of the board in an interview with MCIR. The clients we have represented typically have participated and excelled in multiple prison rehabilitative programs prior to being considered for release., He wonders if the board even read his last clients request: I sent it, waited six weeks to give them time to review and respond and at six weeks I sent it again just as a reminder and I got a one-sentence response that said, The Boards decision to deny parole stands., Vicki DeMoney is executive director of Crossroads Ministriesin Ridgeland., Miss. Trials are tentatively set for Dec. 5. Typically requires a Bachelors Degree or a high school diploma and 4 years of work experience. Through no fault of their own, those pensioners were put in a bad situation.. Having a board with diverse backgrounds allows myself and others to bring a unique prospective to the table when making tough decisions.. 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. He says board members pay attention to how many inmates receive parole, but . If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using. All Rights Reserved document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting. She had served time before for a pair of violent felonies. by Trone Dowd. OCCU:9144 The Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting is a nonprofit news organization which relies on donations to inform, educate, and empower Mississippians. He faced his biggest challenge when Byrd resigned in the wake of a state and federal investigation that led to 31 charges that included fraud, extortion, embezzlement, witness tampering, perjury and using his office to retaliate against his enemies. Some basic types of programs are found in all facilities, such as the Alcohol and Drug Program. 0:57. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Belk said there is a misunderstanding that a parole eligibility date means automatic release or sentence reduction. Our stories may appear on pages with ads, but not ads specifically sold against our stories. May train and mentor lower level parole staff. He said the board is aware that since hes become chairman, the parole grant rate has fallen. She has remained drug-free since her arrest. The number of people coming out should increase.. Addiction is treated, but its never cured.. Photo courtesy of MDOC, Jones said Mississippi already has a terrible thicket of sentencing laws one that permits juveniles to be sentenced to life without parole and another that is one of the most unforgiving habitual offender arrangements in the world.. Our stories may appear on pages with ads, but not ads specifically sold against our stories. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern. We prefer Author Name, Mississippi Today in the byline. Some people have broken into houses with guns and had all their charges dropped. Bachelor's degree from an accredited 4-year college or university. Code Section 47-7-5 (2) OCCU: 9146 Pay Grade: MS15 Parole Board Chairman Serves as Chairman of the State Parole Board. A Mississippi man serving life for murder will not be paroled, the Parole Board decided Wednesday, reversing a previous decision to free him after more than 30 years in prison. 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. By doing this, he said, well reduce recidivism, and well reduce violence. A similar program at the Louisiana State Penitentiary saw the recidivism rate drop to less than 10%. Tate Reeves, who recently bragged about the significant reduction in inmates at Parchman, drew widespread praise last year when he signed a bipartisan bill that could extend parole eligibility to 3,000 more inmates. Sign up for our newsletter. Im going to reach out to the new chair and find out why., State Public Defender Andr de Gruy said, with the 2021 Earned Parole Act, we have a lot more people eligible. In 2015, Belk began serving as president of the board, which tried to salvage the pension system and keep the hospital open. The Life Sentence Unit (LSU . You cannot have a deny all the criminals and throw away the key mentality., Its not the job of the board, he said, to carry out a second punishment without a jury., He recalled questioning a young woman who suffered from an addiction and had been caught shoplifting. (10) This section shall stand repealed on July 1, 2018. . Typically requires a Bachelors Degree and 5-7 years of work experience. The numbers surprised Pickett, who chaired the board between 2013 and 2021. Pre-release Programs prepare offenders for integration into society. Help keep the momentum going by rejoining our member community today. 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. (AP) Mississippi is paroling fewer inmates now than it did before expanding parole eligibility in 2021. An acceptable score on the COMPASS, ASSET, SAT, ACT, or CPE test. ( WJTV) - Governor Tate Reeves announced the appointment of Marlow Stewart to serve on the State Parole Board beginning November 1, 2021. Mississippi parole, often called earned release supervision, is granted based on many contributing factors. We want them to get skills and be successful.. On the form the board sent him, she said, there were no boxes checked for reasons favoring parole, such as his good prison record, community support, provisions for care, mitigating circumstances and participating in rehabilitative programs. Both White and PEER criticized the travel expenses of Parole Board member Betty Lou Jones, who received more than $20,000 in travel reimbursements. Citizenship. Last year, our state leaders worked hard to pass criminal justice reform, said Alesha Judkins, state director for criminal justice reform at FWD.us. Maintains a central registry of paroled inmates. Keep this news free and accessible to all by becoming a member and giving a recurring donation of any amount today. This program is specifically designed to increase the offenders' employability, improve social and relationship skills, and educate. Number of employees at Mississippi Department of Corrections, Mississippi Parole Board in year 2021 was 8. Cliff Johnson, director of the MacArthur Justice Center at the University of Mississippi School of Law, said the Department of Justice documented the low staffing levels inside the State Penitentiary at Parchman, which is suffering from grisly violence, gang control and other woes that the department says are violating inmates constitutional rights. In the years since, reforms and an aggressive Parole Board, headed by a law enforcement official, reduced the number of inmates to the lowest level in two decades. She wrote board members and asked them to reconsider. What the Parole Board is doing undermines all that work, which helps to keep our communities safe.. The Mississippi State Penitentiary operates a fully functional farm, which raises crops, pigs and chickens for laying. 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. Pay Grade: MS16, Copyright Mississippi State Personnel Board - 210 East Capitol Street, Suite 800 Jackson, Mississippi 39201 As chairman of the Parole Board, Belk faces his share of challenges, but he doesnt regard his lack of experience in corrections as a problem. (AP) The Mississippi Parole Board chairman says the state is releasing fewer inmates because the board is looking more closely at the inmates' records. With the exception of Jones, all have joined the board within the past year. following organizations: Whoops! Code Ann. Editorial cartoons and photo essays are not included under the Creative Commons license and therefore do not have the "Republish This Story" button option. Typically requires a Bachelors Degree or a high school diploma and 4 years of work experience. Actions, however, speak louder than words, he said. We didnt have a lawyer.. Prepares responses to inquiries for inmate release and may interview inmates to make recommendations. Please be aware that GovernmentRegistry.org is not a Consumer Reporting Agency as defined by Fair Credit Reporting Act. Email Jerry.Mitchell@MississippiCIR.org. Our DIY expert, Beth Allen, founder of HIP Chicks (Home Improvement Project Chicks), knows which tools you need to take on big projects by yourself. .490 Repealed, 1960. 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. If this current trend continues, it would take only a year for Mississippi to top more than 19,000 inmates. The state boasted one of the nations highest incarceration rates, putting more people per capita behind bars than China, North Korea or Russia. Jobs in this family perform professional work involving the compilation and computation of parole information on inmates. Some inmates in need of minimal supervision are released to community restitution centers where they are referred to as residents. Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license. Supervisory work responsible for a group of subordinates in a correctional facility or as part of statewide parole program involving the compilation and computation of parole information on inmates. .485 Probation and parole officer's position considered hazardous duty for retirement purposes. In March, three out of every four inmates who appeared before the Parole Board were rejected for parole. Department officials say they are unable to comment on the Justice Department findings. After that, he aided the boards transition under the Department of Finance and Administration. Pickett has spent 30 years in government work, including nine years on the five-member Parole Board. The collaborative includes the Clarion Ledger, the Jackson Advocate, Jackson State University, Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting, Mississippi Public Broadcasting and Mississippi Today. When she appeared before the Parole Board, he asked her what she had shoplifted. November 30, 2022. Gov. We're dedicated to keeping Mississippians informed with our thorough reporting. 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. People who have reached the age of 60 and served at least 10 years of their sentence for a parole-eligible crime can also receive it. The State Parole Board is composed of five members. a proud member of the There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. JACKSON, Miss. 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. But MPB has a list of reasons it has found to deny her parole. Jackson lawyer Robert G. Parrish has handled dozens of parole cases over the last 16 years. Brair Parker Ballou/MCIR. My thirty years of public service in law enforcement, with the courts, and on the parole board have provided me the opportunity to make a difference in many peoples lives, Pickett said in a letter. . The parolee must be in compliance with the terms of his or her current parole. 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. Journey level professional work involving the compilation and computation of parole information on inmates. The board is made up of five members appointed by the governor. PEER criticized the board for failing to maintain minutes documenting parole decisions. Prison records show no rule violations, and her son resisted joining a gang. We dont think we should just lock em up and throw away the key, Belk told MCIR in an exclusive interview. But soon after, parole rates and hearings began dropping each month. Ive seen folks with money get off for way more, says his mother, Amanda Hamilton. In many ways, these problems are staffing problems, he said, and rising numbers of inmates will make it more and more dangerous for those who live in prisons and those who work there.. One member is designated by the Governor to serve as Chair and Chief Executive Officer of the Division. Mississippi legislators will decide next year whether to keep the state Parole Board as a separate entity or transfer the board's functions to the Department of. Lucy and Noreen are in charge of making the decision about Coombs. Eligibility for parole has expanded in recent years. Belk said Mississippis prison population is rising now because the board operates with a little more scrutiny. The board voted two years ago to release Dominic Cinelli, a career criminal who later allegedly killed a police officer in a botched robbery attempt north of Boston. Through your support we are able to shine light so that our democracy works as our forefathers intended. Mississippi Corrections Commissioner Burl Cain talks to inmates following the first graduation on April 1, 2022, of the new comprehensive Betty Ford-type alcohol and drug treatment program at the Walnut Grove Correctional Facility in Leake County. Look for the "Republish This Story" button underneath each story. That means 392 inmates like Tameka Drummer will continue serving their life without parole sentences. BOARD MEMBERS Updated January Search: Despite it being his first felony, he never had the option of drug court, she said. Pay Grade: MS05. Our clients had never been denied release once they obtained parole eligibility, he said. 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. You cant edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style. Belk said the board has 15 to 20 parole hearings scheduled for Wednesday. Bell was convicted in the Circuit Court of Grenada County of capital murder and sentenced to death in 1993. A California parole board voted in 2021 to free Robert F. Kennedy's assassin, but the decision later was overturned by the governor. Show your support>>. Any member of the board must possess at least a bachelor's degree or a high school diploma and four years' work experience. Byrd died of COVID in November 2020 on his 71st birthday. 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. The Board also may hear cases for the revocation of Mississippi parole and/or Earned Release Supervision. Both White and PEER criticized the travel expenses of Parole Board member Betty Lou Jones, who received more than $20,000 in travel reimbursements. The work includes reviewing and collecting files and data and providing information on inmates to authorized persons, Typically requires a High School Diploma and 0-4 years of related experience. 21 Years of Age. 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. On Aug. 17, Mississippis prison population hit a high of 18,200. After being admitted to a correctional facility, some inmates may be assigned to the Regimented Inmate Discipline program, which is essentially a boot camp for first-time offenders. The group's Mississippi director, Alesha Judkins, said in a statement Thursday that the . 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. The five members of the state Parole Board are nominated by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate. Pay Grade: MS04. If we dont believe in grace, redemption, mercy and second chances, then we need to take In God We Trust off our flag.. Photo courtesy Marlow Stewart. The state Parole Board chairman told lawmakers Tuesday the board is more closely examining inmates' prison records. If an offender wishes to travel to another state without moving to it permanently, he or she must seek the permission of his or her corrections agent prior to leaving the state. JACKSON, Miss. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Please reload the page and try again.