Bill Text: MS HB917 | 2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Prison Industries Corp.; may only sell its goods and services to the Dept. of Corrections.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)
Status: (Failed) 2015-02-03 - Died In Committee [HB917 Detail]
Download: Mississippi-2015-HB917-Introduced.html
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2015 Regular Session
To: Corrections; Appropriations
By: Representative Weathersby
House Bill 917
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 47-5-533, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE THE LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS PERTAINING TO THE MISSISSIPPI PRISON INDUSTRIES ACT OF 1990; TO AMEND SECTION 47-5-549, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THE MISSISSIPPI PRISON INDUSTRIES CORPORATION SHALL ONLY SELL ITS GOODS AND SERVICES TO THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS; TO AMEND SECTION 47-5-555, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT ANY INMATE THAT IS UTILIZED BY THE CORPORATION MUST BE WITHIN FIVE YEARS OF HIS OR HER RELEASE DATE AND THAT SUCH INMATE MAY NOT BE UTILIZED BY THE CORPORATION FOR MORE THAN FIVE YEARS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. Section 47-5-533, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
47-5-533. (1) It is the finding of the Legislature that prison industry programs of the State Department of Corrections are uniquely different from other programs operated or conducted by other departments in that it is essential to the state that the prison industry programs provide inmates with useful activities that can lead to meaningful employment after release in order to assist in reducing the return of inmates to the system.
(2) It is further the finding of the Legislature that the mission of a prison industry program is:
(a) To reduce the cost
of the Mississippi Department of Corrections by operating prison industries
primarily with inmate labor, which industries do not * * * compete with private
enterprise and such industries shall not use inmate labor to produce goods
or services for private sale or consumption;
(b) To serve the
rehabilitative goals of the state by duplicating as nearly as possible, * * *
an educational and
rehabilitation service that employs inmates where ninety percent (90%) of such
inmates are no more than five (5) years away from release; and
(c) To serve the security goals of the state by reducing the idleness of inmates and by providing an incentive for good behavior while in prison.
SECTION 2. Section 47-5-549, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
47-5-549. Any service or item manufactured, processed, grown or produced by the corporation from its prison industries may be furnished or sold only to the Mississippi Department of Corrections. The corporation shall make reasonable efforts to purchase raw materials from in-state vendors. The prices for industry-made products shall be established by the board of directors of the corporation or its designee.
SECTION 3. Section 47-5-555, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
47-5-555. The department shall, subject to the necessary security requirements and the needs of the corporation, provide to the corporation sufficient inmate labor for the various prison industry programs. The department may adopt rules and regulations as may be necessary to govern the use of inmates by the corporation. The corporation shall establish policies and procedures, subject to the approval of the department, relating to the use of inmates in the prison industry programs; however, no inmate shall serve in the prison industry programs for more than five (5) years. Ninety percent (90%) of the inmate population that is utilized by the corporation must be no more than five (5) years away from being released.
SECTION 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2015.
