MS HB1230

Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and local law enforcement must be notified within one hour of an inmate or detainee escape from any prison facility, with sheriffs notifying for local jails/regional facilities and the Department of Corrections notifying for state prisons.

Law enforcement agencies must notify the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and local law enforcement within one hour after an escaped inmate or detainee is apprehended and returned to custody.

Local law enforcement must notify crime victims of escapes from local jails, regional correctional facilities, or state prisons, and again when the inmate or detainee is apprehended.

Violations of notification requirements result in escalating fines: $1,000 for first offense, $2,500 for second offense, and $5,000 for third and subsequent offenses.

The act becomes effective July 1, 2025.