MS SB2223

Amends Mississippi's habitual violent offender sentencing law (Section 99-19-83) to require that both prior felony convictions be crimes of violence, rather than just one, before mandatory life imprisonment applies

Under current law, a person can receive mandatory life without parole if they have two prior felony convictions and only one was a violent crime; this bill raises that threshold

Crimes of violence are defined elsewhere in Mississippi Code (Section 97-3-2)

The mandatory life sentence provisions remain unchanged: no reduction, suspension, parole, probation, or early release from physical custody

Effective date: July 1, 2026