In response to a legislative request, PEER performed a policy analysis of the State Medical Examiner program. By state law, the State Medical Examiner is required to provide consultation, training, and assistance to county medical examiners; maintain records on "deaths affecting the public interest;" promulgate rules of conduct for death investigations; and perform autopsies. PEER determined that the State Medical Examiner’s office is not effective because workload demands exceed available resources, facilities for conducting forensic autopsies are not adequate, and laws concerning death investigations are inconsistent.
The report presents the Legislature with five options for addressing the medical examiner program. PEER recommends an option that upgrades the present system through increased funding and modification of substantive legal provisions. This option would require spending approximately $583,078 annually for the salaries of new personnel, and approximately $497,000 in the first year for the construction of a forensic morgue facility.
For a paper copy of this report, contact PEER by telephone at 601-359-1226 or by e-mail at reports@peer.ms.gov.