JACKSON, MS – FWD.us Mississippi State Director Alesha Judkins issued the following statement today addressing two dangerous mandatory minimum bills, SB 2174 and SB 2175, which advanced off the floor in the Mississippi House: 

“Passing harmful mandatory minimums will do nothing to improve public safety in our state. These bills, SB 2174 and SB 2175, would significantly increase Mississippi’s already long sentences, eliminate judicial discretion, and drive up the state’s dangerously high prison population at a huge cost to taxpayers. Even with the recent amendments, the current legislation needlessly increases sentences and would subject people to felony convictions for what are currently misdemeanor offenses. We know from decades of research that longer sentences won’t reduce recidivism or improve public safety.

“We urge elected leaders to follow the data, ensure these bills do not pass and to listen to the overwhelming majority of Mississippi residents who support safely lowering the prison population and prioritizing public safety.”