Report: Mississippi laws cause extreme prison sentences

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – An advocacy group founded by technology and business executives says in a new report that Mississippi’s habitual-offender laws are causing extreme prison sentences and costing the state millions of dollars.

The report by FWD.us – also known as Forward – was released Tuesday. It says that in June, Mississippi had more than 2,600 inmates sentenced as habitual offenders. More than 900 of them were sentenced at least 20 years in prison, with more than 400 sentenced to at least 50 years.

The report says African American men are 13% of Mississippi’s population but are 75% of those receiving sentences of at least 20 years.

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