Mississippi Scores:
Overview
Mississippi's
Grade: 
Grading Justice in Mississippi
Grading Justice aims to comprehensively evaluate the laws and practices that define Mississippi’s justice system—from policing and pre-trial process, to trial and sentencing, to parole and re-entry. It also aims to honestly assess the reforms that have been enacted and to provide insights into future reforms that could help move the state’s system forward. Mississippi's overall score reflects the reforms that have been implemented across 15 different policy issues, within three issue areas: Pretrial, Sentencing, and Reentry. Grading Justice scores each policy issue. These scores contribute to the state's score in the three issue areas below, which determine the state's overall score.
Issue Areas
Pretrial
What reforms have been implemented in the following issue areas? Civil Asset Forfeiture, Good Samaritan Policies, Body-Worn Camera Policies, Diversion Programs, and Pretrial Detention Policies
500 points
Sentencing
What reforms have been implemented in the following issue areas? Problem Solving Courts,Mandatory Minimum Sentences, Public Defense, Reducing Criminalization and Incarceration for Drug Offenses, Parole Eligibility and Earned Time Provisions
500 points
Reentry
What reforms have been implemented in the following issue areas? Community Supervision, Fines and Fees, Freedom to Drive, Expungement and Record Sealing, Right to Work
500 points
State Overview
Mississippi receives an overall grade of D for its criminal justice policies. Although the state has made notable progress in recent years, its policies contribute to an incarceration crisis that has earned the state the dubious distinction of maintaining one of the nation's highest incarceration rates.
Mississippi's outdated sentencing provisions and lack of diversionary programs contribute to its high prison population, trapping thousands of Mississippians in a cycle of crime and incarceration. Notably, the state has implemented laudable reentry policies aimed at protecting the freedom to drive and limiting the negative impacts of fees and fines for people involved in the justice system. Importantly, Mississippi's progress in these areas reflect an effort by the state to fix its shortcomings and improve the lives of Mississippians. Recommendations for future reforms are detailed for each policy issue within the three areas scored below.
Details
Pretrial
Mississippi has a Good Samaritan law and some Diversion Programs, but its laws related to Pretrial Detention, Body-Worn Cameras, and Civil Asset Forfeiture give the state a failing grade.
140/500 points
Sentencing
Mississippi has a statewide system of Problem Solving Courts, and recent reforms improved the state's Parole and Earned Time Provisions. The state could improve its score by eliminating Mandatory Minimum Sentences, Reducing Criminalization and Incarceration for Drug Offenses, and improving Public Defense.
175/500 points
Reentry
Mississippi has made significant strides in Reentry reforms. The state receieved an A for its work expanding the Freedom to Drive. Recent reforms related to Fines and Fees give the state a B for that issue. Mississippi could improve its Reentry policies by updating its Community Supervision and Expungement policies, and protecting the Right to Work.