Mississippi Code 1972 (2024)
Title 99 - CRIMINAL PROCEDURE (§§ 99-1-1 — 99-51-3)
Chapter 37 - RESTITUTION TO VICTIMS OF CRIMES (§§ 99-37-1 — 99-37-25)
Section 99-37-5 - Payment; order; enforcement

• (1) When a defendant is sentenced to pay a fine or costs or ordered to make restitution, the court may order payment to be made forthwith or within a specified period of time or in specified installments. If a defendant is sentenced to a term of imprisonment, an order of payment of a fine, costs or restitution shall not be enforceable during the period of imprisonment unless the court expressly finds that the defendant has assets to pay all or part of the amounts ordered at the time of sentencing.

• (2) When a defendant sentenced to pay a fine or costs or ordered to make restitution is also placed on probation or imposition or execution of sentence is suspended, the court may make payment of the fine or costs or the making of restitution a condition of probation or suspension of sentence. Such offenders shall make restitution payments directly to the victim. As an alternative to a contempt proceeding under Sections 99-37-7 through 99-37-13, the intentional refusal to obey the restitution order or a failure by a defendant to make a good faith effort to make such restitution may be considered a violation of the defendant's probation and may be cause for revocation of his probation or suspension of sentence.

Laws, 1978, ch. 400, § 3; Laws, 1979, ch. 462, § 5, eff. 7/1/1979.