Missouri Enacts Sentencing Reform Law Establishing Minimum Time Served Requirements

Missouri Senate Bill 882 establishes explicit minimum sentencing requirements tied to felony classifications statewide. The legislation requires individuals convicted of felonies to serve a defined percentage of their sentences before becoming eligible for parole. Additional provisions narrow the circumstances under which juvenile offenders can be certified as adults—limiting eligibility to serious felonies, sex offenses, or cases in which a minor commits three felonies within a 180-day period.

Under the revised sentencing framework, the portion of a sentence that must be served prior to parole eligibility varies by felony class, ranging from 85% to 25%. Individuals convicted of Class . . .