Department of Corrections; authorize to enter into contract with Forrest County for the housing of state inmates.

HB 1079 authorizes Mississippi's Department of Corrections to enter into contracts with Forrest County and Wayne County to house state inmates in their correctional facilities. This bill specifically adds these two counties to the list of local governments eligible to contract with the state for inmate housing, building on existing provisions that allow contracts with other counties. The law requires contracted facilities to meet American Correctional Association standards, constitutional requirements, and court orders, without changing existing capacity limits or facility standards. The bill was introduced to expand housing options for state inmates but died on the legislative calendar in March 2025.