A new Mississippi law will make more inmates eligible for the possibility of parole in a state with one of the highest incarceration rates in the nation.
Republican Gov. Tate Reeves on Thursday signed Senate Bill 2795, and it will become law July 1.
“Criminal Justice reform. It means a lot of different things to different people,” Reeves wrote on Twitter after signing the bill. “A measured approach to 2nd chances is good — a knee-jerk reaction can harm public safety. My #1 focus in these troubling times will always be to protect MS communities.”
On March 30, the Senate voted 35-13 and the House voted 91-27 to pass the final version of the bill. Both chambers are controlled by Republicans, and some conservative groups pushed the governor to sign the bill.