Longtime state Representative Danny Guice has resigned from the Mississippi House to take an appointment on the state Parole Board.

The 56-year-old Guice, a Republican from Ocean Springs, had been a member of the House since 1984.

Governor Haley Barbour appointed Guice to the five-member full-time Parole Board on Tuesday after the lawmaker resigned from the House.

Barbour said he expects to call a special election soon to fill the unexpired term.

The Parole Board decides whether prisoners can be released from prison before completing their sentence. The board also maintains records and keep track of parolees. Board members earn $77,000 a year.