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HB1733 • 2026

State Correctional Facilities Monitoring Unit; establish.

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE STATE CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES MONITORING UNIT; TO PROVIDE THAT THE MONITORING UNIT SHALL BE WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY; TO PROVIDE THAT THE MONITORING UNIT SHALL PROVIDE CERTAIN INVESTIGATION AND EVALUATION OF THE STATE CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES AS WELL AS ANY PRIVATE CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES THAT ARE UTILIZED BY THE STATE TO HOUSE STATE OFFENDERS; TO REQUIRE THE MONITORING UNIT TO MAKE AVAILABLE CERTAIN REPORTS PERTAINING TO ITS MONITORING OF THE STATE CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY TO CONTRACT WITH A CORRECTIONAL FACILITY EXPERT WHO SHALL PROVIDE CERTAIN TRAINING FOR THE MONITORS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

Labor
Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor
Rosebud, Anthony
Last action
2026-02-03
Official status
Dead
Effective date
Passage

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass and its exact impact is uncertain.

State Correctional Facilities Monitoring Unit

This bill establishes a State Correctional Facilities Monitoring Unit within the Department of Public Safety to investigate and evaluate state-run and private correctional facilities.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates a State Correctional Facilities Monitoring Unit inside the Department of Public Safety.
  • Requires this unit to conduct investigations and evaluations of state-run and private correctional facilities used by the state to house offenders, ensuring compliance with national best practices and laws.
  • Makes the unit provide quarterly reports on its monitoring activities, findings from reviews or investigations, allegations of abuse or injury, and problems concerning facility administration to government leaders.
  • Ensures that people can contact the monitoring unit privately if they have concerns or complaints.

Who It Names or Affects

  • State correctional facilities (both public and private).
  • Inmates in these facilities.
  • Department of Public Safety employees.

Terms To Know

Monitoring Unit
A group that checks on how well prisons are run and makes sure they follow rules.
Best Practices
The best methods or standards used in a field to achieve the best results.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This bill did not pass during its session.
  • It is unclear how much funding would be needed for this unit and if it will get enough support from lawmakers.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-03 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    02/03 (H) Died In Committee

  2. 2026-01-19 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    01/19 (H) Referred To Corrections

Official Summary Text

State Correctional Facilities Monitoring Unit; establish.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
H. B. No. 1733 *HR31/R588* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
26/HR31/R588
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To: Corrections
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representatives Rosebud, Anthony

HOUSE BILL NO. 1733

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE STATE CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES 1
MONITORING UNIT; TO PROVIDE THAT THE MONITORING UNIT SHALL BE 2
WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY; TO PROVIDE THAT THE 3
MONITORING UNIT SHALL PROVIDE CERTAIN INVESTIGATION AND EVALUATION 4
OF THE STATE CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES AS WELL AS ANY PRIVATE 5
CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES THAT ARE UTILIZED BY THE STATE TO HOUSE 6
STATE OFFENDERS; TO REQUIRE THE MONITORING UNIT TO MAKE AVAILABLE 7
CERTAIN REPORTS PERTAINING TO ITS MONITORING OF THE STATE 8
CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC 9
SAFETY TO CONTRACT WITH A CORRECTIONAL FACILITY EXPERT WHO SHALL 10
PROVIDE CERTAIN TRAINING FOR THE MONITORS; AND FOR RELATED 11
PURPOSES. 12
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 13
SECTION 1. (1) There is established the State Correctional 14
Facilities Monitoring Unit within the Department of Public Safety. 15
The unit shall be responsible for investigating and evaluating 16
state correctional facilities, which includes private correctional 17
facilities, that are utilized by the state to house state 18
offenders to ensure that the facilities operate in compliance with 19
national best practices, state and federal law. All monitors 20
shall be employees of the Department of Public Safety. The 21
inspections by the unit shall encompass the following: 22
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(a) To review and evaluate (i) all procedures set by 23
correctional facilities and (ii) all records containing 24
information related to the operations of the correctional 25
facilities; 26
(b) To review and investigate all complaints filed with 27
the monitoring unit concerning inmate's treatment in correctional 28
facilities; 29
(c) To conduct quarterly monitoring visits of all 30
correctional facilities. The monitor shall have access to an 31
entire correctional facility and shall conduct confidential 32
interviews with inmates and facility staff; 33
(d) To advise a correctional facility on how to meet 34
the needs of inmates who require immediate attention; 35
(e) To provide technical assistance and advice to 36
correctional facilities that will assist the facilities in 37
complying with state and federal law. 38
To carry out the duties in this subsection (1) a monitor may 39
consult with any administrator, employee, inmate, expert or other 40
individual in the course of monitoring or investigating. In 41
addition, the monitor may review court documents and other 42
confidential records as necessary to fulfill these duties. 43
(2) Additional duties of the monitoring unit are as follows: 44
(a) To make available on a quarterly basis to the 45
Governor, Lieutenant Governor and each member of the Legislature 46
a report that describes: 47
H. B. No. 1733 *HR31/R588* ~ OFFICIAL ~
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(i) The work of the monitoring unit; 48
(ii) The results of any review or investigation 49
undertaken by the monitoring unit; 50
(iii) Any allegations of abuse or injury of an 51
inmate; and 52
(iv) Any problems concerning the administration of 53
a correctional facility. 54
The reports described in this subsection shall keep the names 55
of all inmates and employees confidential. 56
(b) To promote awareness among the public and the 57
inmates held in a correctional facility by providing the 58
following: 59
(i) How the monitoring unit may be contacted; 60
(ii) The purpose of the monitoring unit; and 61
(iii) The services that the monitoring unit 62
provides. 63
(3) The records of a monitor shall be confidential. Any 64
inmate, staff member or other interested individual may 65
communicate to a monitor in person, by mail, by phone, or any 66
other means. The identity of reporters shall remain confidential. 67
SECTION 2. The Department of Public Safety shall contract 68
with a correctional facility expert who has substantial experience 69
in the administration of constitutionally compliant correctional 70
facilities and significant experience monitoring correctional 71
facilities for a local jurisdiction, state, or as a 72
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court-appointed monitor. The contractor shall provide training to 73
all of the State Correctional Facilities Monitoring Unit employees 74
within six (6) months of the effective date of this act. All 75
employees of the monitoring unit must successfully complete the 76
training as determined by the correctional facility expert through 77
the use of a pretest and posttest, facility tour, or any other 78
criteria the expert selects. The training shall include 79
interviewing skills, report writing, and information regarding 80
standard practices in correctional facilities. In addition to the 81
training for the State Correctional Facilities Monitoring Unit, 82
the Department of Public Safety shall arrange for at least eight 83
(8) hours of training with the correctional facility expert for 84
the administrators of the state correctional facilities, including 85
administrators of private correctional facilities that are 86
utilized by the state to house state offenders. The Department of 87
Public Safety shall ensure that its contract with the correctional 88
facility expert includes a provision for technical assistance to 89
the staff of the State Correctional Facilities Monitoring Unit for 90
at least six (6) months after the completion of the training. 91
SECTION 3. The Department of Public Safety is authorized to 92
establish a State Correctional Facilities Monitoring Unit pursuant 93
to Sections 1 and 2 of this act. 94
SECTION 4. Section 3 of this act shall be codified in 95
Chapter 1, Title 45, Mississippi Code of 1972. 96
H. B. No. 1733 *HR31/R588* ~ OFFICIAL ~
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ST: State Correctional Facilities Monitoring
Unit; establish.
SECTION 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from 97
and after its passage. 98