(1) When it appearsto the satisfaction of any circuit court or county court in the Stateof Mississippi having original jurisdiction over criminal actions,or to the judge thereof, that the ends of justice and the best interestof the public, as well as the defendant, will be served thereby, suchcourt, in termtime or in vacation, shall have the power, after convictionor a plea of guilty, except in a case where a death sentence or lifeimprisonment is the maximum penalty which may be imposed, to suspendthe imposition or execution of sentence, and place the defendant onprobation as herein provided, except that the court shall not suspendthe execution of a sentence of imprisonment after the defendant shallhave begun to serve such sentence. In placing any defendant on probation,the court, or judge, shall direct that such defendant be under thesupervision of the Department of Corrections.
(2) When any circuitor county court places an offender on probation, the court shall givenotice to the Mississippi Department of Corrections within fifteen(15) days of the court’s decision to place the offender onprobation. Notice shall be delivered to the central office of theMississippi Department of Corrections and to the regional office ofthe department which will be providing supervision to the offenderon probation.
(3) When any circuitcourt or county court places a person on probation in accordance withthe provisions of this section and that person is ordered to makeany payments to his family, if any member of his family whom he isordered to support is receiving public assistance through the StateDepartment of Human Services, the court shall order him to make suchpayments to the county welfare officer of the county rendering publicassistance to his family, for the sole use and benefit of said family.