Criminal justice reform could strengthen Miss. economy, workforce, report finds
Summary
Published by FWD.us, the organization advocates for efforts to reduce the number of people in prison and boost the economy. Additionally, the report finds that the states lengthy prison terms decrease the number of qualified workers in the labor force. "Long sentences contribute to that lack (of qualified workers) by removing people from the labor force and creating barriers to reentering it when they return home," the report states. Mississippi removed a law that suspended the drivers licenses of people with unpaid court fines and fees in 2019. Still, the report notes that Mississippi should advance more common-sense criminal justice reform to improve public safety and the states economy and business leaders can work to prioritize criminal justice reform as another way to strengthen the state workforce and economy.