Mississippi Sen. Juan Barnett, a Democrat from Heidelberg who chaired the Senate Corrections Committee, announced his retirement effective immediately, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said in a Monday social media post.

ā€œThroughout his tenure, he has been a dedicated public servant and a respected member of the Mississippi Senate, particularly through his work on corrections matters,ā€ the Republican lieutenant governor said in a Monday social media post. ā€œWe thank Senator Barnett for his years of service to the State of Mississippi and wish him a happy and well-deserved retirement.

The senator represented Covington, Jasper and Jones counties in Senate District 34.

In February, Barnett, 56, suffered from a stroke that prevented him from appearing at the Mississippi Capitol for a large part of the 2026 regular session. But he returned in April, when the Legislature was reviewing vetoed bills from the governor, and was present for the two-day special session in July. He thanked his colleagues for praying for him while he was recovering.

ā€œI just ask this body, going forward, the same love you all showed for me in my moment of health issues, I pray that we show each other on a daily basis that same kind of love,ā€ Barnett said when speaking during a moment of personal privilege on the Senate floor on April 15. ā€œI just pray that we can find it in ourselves to not wait until the hospital, not wait until the funeral, but letā€™s share that with each other on a daily basis because, again, tomorrow may be too late.ā€

The senator became the chairman of the Senate Corrections Committee in 2020, just after about 14 incarcerated people died in Mississippi prisons within a two-month span, most of which occurred during violent confrontations. He advocated for rehabilitating incarcerated people and helping them obtain driverā€™s licenses before release so that they can find work and become productive members of society upon their release from prison. The senator said prisons should do more than house inmates; they should help them reform so they do not return to prison.

Barnett, whose own father was the victim of homicide early in his life, fought hard during the 2021 legislative session to achieve criminal-justice reform through the softening of stiff automatic penalties and expansions in parole eligibility. He remained adamant that addressing Mississippiā€™s high prison populationā€”roughly 19,000 in its state prisons at that timeā€”required accessible parole eligibility, which guarantees only a hearing before the parole board, not release.Ā 

His bill passed 90-27 in the House and 35-13 in the Senate, with significant support from both parties, and Gov. Tate Reeves signed it into law in April 2020.

ā€œWeā€™ve got a corrections budget that is out of sight,ā€ Barnett told the Mississippi Free Press on April 1, 2021. ā€œWe keep wanting to incarcerate people from 20 years ago for committing armed robbery for 10 bucks. Weā€™re gonna incarcerate this individual for 30 years, at $30,000 a year, for $10 dollars. You tell me what sense that makes.ā€

Barnett was also the vice chair of the Senate Enrolled Bills Committee and was a member of the Senate committees for Appropriations; County Affairs; Energy; Judiciary Division A; Judiciary Division B; Public Health and Welfare; and Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. He previously served as vice chairman of the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus.

ā€œAs a former Vice Chairman of the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus, Senator Barnett also contributed valuable leadership to our collective work,ā€ the caucus said in a Tuesday social media post. ā€œOn behalf of the MLBC, we commend him for his service as a mayor, legislator, and colleague.

Before he began his tenure in Senate District 34 in 2016, Barnett was mayor of Heidelberg from 2001 to 2015. 

ā€œThe City of Hattiesburg extends its appreciation to Senator Juan Barnett for his 11 years of service to Hattiesburg, the Pine Belt and the people of Mississippi,ā€ the Forrest County city said in a Tuesday social media post, though Hattiesburg was not among the areas he represented. ā€œThroughout his time in the Mississippi Senate, Senator Barnett has been a strong partner in work that has supported neighborhoods, public spaces and quality-of-life improvements across our community.ā€

The governor has not announced a special election to fill Barnettā€™s vacancy. Special elections will be held on Nov. 3, the same day as the federal midterm elections, to fill the seats of two representatives who passed away in June.

Read more of the Mississippi Free Pressā€™ coverage of the Mississippi Legislature here.

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State Reporter Heather Harrison has won more than a dozen awards for her multi-media journalism work. At Mississippi State University, she studied public relations and broadcast journalism, earning her Communication degree in 2023. For three years, Heather worked at The Reflector student newspaper: first as a staff reporter, then as the news editor and finally, as the editor-in-chief. This is where her passion for politics and government reporting began.
Heather started working at the Mississippi Free Press three days after graduation in 2023. She also worked part time for Starkville Daily News after college covering the Board of Aldermen meetings.
In her free time, Heather likes to sit on the porch, read books and listen to Taylor Swift. A native of Hazlehurst, she now lives in Brandon with her wife and their Boston Terrier, Finley, and calico cat, Ravioli.