Mississippi lawmakers did not act on a bill aimed at improving oversight of prison deaths before the legislative session’s deadline Wednesday. House Bill 1739, which was inspired by an investigation by Mississippi Today and other outlets, was not brought up for a vote in the Senate on the final day for bill consideration.
The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Becky Currie, a Brookhaven Republican and chair of the House Corrections Committee, sought to require the Corrections and Criminal Justice Oversight Task Force to investigate and publicly report on unexpected inmate deaths. Currie emphasized that many prison deaths go unexplained and that internal investigations often remain incomplete. She said the bill would have provided necessary data to prevent future fatalities.
Senate Corrections Chairman Juan Barnett had planned to review the bill before bringing it to a vote but was unable to do so. Barnett, a Heidelberg Democrat, has been recovering from an illness, leaving Vice Chairwoman Lydia Chassaniol to handle committee business. Chassaniol opted not to advance the bill on the Senate calendar, citing other priorities.
The bill would have expanded the task force membership to include leaders from several legislative committees and the public safety commissioner, addressing concerns about conflict of interest, as much of the current review process involves Department of Corrections staff reviewing their own cases. Supporters argued the measure was necessary after reports of nearly 50 inmate deaths since 2015, many unresolved or with unknown causes, often amid prison understaffing and gang violence.
Despite commitments from prison officials to review unresolved cases, no indictments or convictions have resulted in recent months. Currie’s legislation was intended to increase transparency and accountability, but it remains stalled in the legislature as the session concludes.
