The 85% requirement is still in effect in Mississippi and there is no straightforward way around it. Mississippi is one of the stricter states when it comes to truth-in-sentencing laws, and the 85% rule means exactly what it says. An inmate must serve at least 85 percent of their sentence before becoming eligible for release consideration. On a 35-year sentence, that works out to a minimum of 29.75 years served before any release is possible. There is no parole board consideration, no good time reduction that gets around that floor, and no program we are aware of within the Mississippi Department of Corrections that meaningfully cuts into that requirement.
Some states have educational and programming credits that can shave months off a sentence on top of standard good time, but Mississippi's framework is more restrictive than most, and we do not have specific information about MDOC programs that would apply here.
On the 30 for 30 question, this refers to a provision that applies to inmates serving very long sentences in Mississippi. The way it generally works is that an inmate who has served 30 years and has reached the age of 60 may become eligible for early release consideration regardless of the percentage of the sentence served. On a 35 year sentence, if your person serves 30 years and meets the age requirement, that threshold opens a path that the 85% rule alone would not. The exact eligibility criteria and the review process are determined by MDOC and the parole board, and having an attorney who knows Mississippi sentencing law look at the specific case is the most reliable way to understand how these provisions interact with a particular sentence.