The Reentry Court Act is a pilot project that would allow a judge to determine if an offender qualifies for a rehabilitation and workforce development program. The offender would have to plead guilty and waive his or her right to a trial to participate. Democratic Senator Juan Barnett chairs the Senate Corrections Committee.
“We realize a lot of people who are in prison for drugs aren’t necessarily bad people; they just got a habit, a problem. So this bill will try to help those individuals and to keep them out of the department of corrections,” said Barnett.
Sex and violent offenders as well as those whose crimes led to a death are among the cases that will not qualify. Those in the program would be in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections and have up to three years to complete rehab and workforce training. Republican Senator Daniel Sparks of Belmont, discussed the bill on the Senate floor.
“Upon successful completion of that program, they come back before the sentencing judge. At that point the judge would suspend the balance of that sentence and place them into reentry court, which to a great degree would be similar to our intervention courts on the backend,” said Sparks.
Intervention courts are similar to drug courts where offenders are under intense supervision. Senate Bill 2574 calls for the senior circuit court judges in three Mississippi districts to implement the pilot project. The bill passed the Senate and goes to the House for consideration.
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