By C1 Staff
JACKSON, Miss. — Two new reports rank Mississippi near the top for most incarcerations and inmate deaths.
The Clarion-Ledger reports that a new comparison states Mississippi locks up more people per capita than Russia and China combined. Statistics show that the state had 686 inmates per 10,000 population in 2013; China had 121, while Russia had 475.
A new law allowing judges to hand down alternative sentences is being blamed for keeping people behind bars for longer.
A larger number of paroles are helping to alleviate some of the overcrowding, but the new law classifies habitual offenders and those convicted of drug sales, burglary of an occupied dwelling and arson as “violent” offenders, making them all ineligible for parole.
In spite of the high number of inmates, Mississippi has one of the lowest costs per inmate per day at $42.14, well below the national average of $64.31.
A low recidivism rate of 32.98 percent is credited to rehabilitation programs, education programs and workforce training programs.
Still, taxpayers spend more to keep people in prison than on economic development, disaster relief, drug enforcement, hospitals, hospital schools and the state’s entire judicial system combined: $398 million.
On top of that, the Clarion-Ledger also reports that the state is ranked number one for prison mortality in 2007, but fell to eighth overall between 2001 and 2011.
Health problems killed a vast majority of inmates, with cancer and heart attacks leading the list, while preventable violence and suicide claimed less than seven percent.