JACKSON — Rep. Becky Currie introduced several bills in the Mississippi State House of Representatives Corrections committee this session. Two of those bills were deemed sufficient by the committee and are now on the house calendar.

House Bill 1001 would create the Mississippi Inmate Labor Accountability and Rehabilitation Act. The bill would authorize the Mississippi Department of Corrections Commissioner to authorize the sale of merchandise, goods, wares and services by inmates. Proceeds from sales would be required to be allocated in a certain manner such as paying dependents and fines with up to 50 percent of proceeds being placed in an account for inmates to have after release. 

The commissioner would be required to establish an oversight committee to review and approve types of services and goods. The department would also be required to provide certain educational programs and financial literacy courses to inmates. 

Currie told The Daily Leader in the past her goal as the chairwoman of the Corrections committee was to help reduce the state’s recidivism rate. HB1001 would aim to do so. 

HB1476 would create a work release program at the Delta Correctional Facility. The facility houses 300 female inmates and is located south of Greenwood. Under the bill there would be a limit of 100 people in the work program at one time. 

Persons sentenced for a sex crime or multiple violent felonies in the past 10 years are not eligible for the work release program. Inmates would become eligible for the program three years before their parole date or earned time release date.