The eighty-five percent (85%) drug laws in Mississippi are not designed to give First-Time Nonviolent Offenders a second chance. The negative impacts of these current laws regarding mandatory minimum sentencing and forbidding early parole have had a devastating effect on the African American and Hispanic population and must be changed. This widespread incarceration of Nonviolent Drug Offenders has increased the burdens on the African American/Hispanic family unit and the entire community. This disparity undermines efforts to stabilize communities and reduce the impact of drug use and abuse. Dear Lawmakers, Legislatures and the Criminal Justice System of the State of Mississippi. We the undersigned are dedicated to working together to implement preserve and reform these drug laws. Mississippi laws should be amended for the following reasons: