Persons wrongfully sentenced; allow compensation for in same manner as persons wrongfully convicted.

HB 1518 would expand Mississippi's compensation program for wrongfully imprisoned individuals to include people sentenced beyond the legal maximum term for their felony conviction. It requires claimants to prove they served time exceeding the statute's maximum sentence for their crime, with compensation set at $50,000 per year of excessive incarceration (capped at $500,000 total). The bill aligns the process for these claims with existing wrongful conviction procedures, requiring documentary evidence of an overturned conviction or pardon based on innocence. This policy change directly affects individuals imprisoned for longer than legally permitted, offering them financial redress similar to those wrongfully convicted.