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Adams County Correctional
Facility
Natchez, Mississippi
CCA
United States of America v. Juan Lopez-Fuentes:
August 8, 2012, 5 pages. Damning FBI statement regarding CCA's Adams County
Correctional Facility where one of its guards was killed during a riot.
Private Prison, Public Problem: June 6,
2012, Jackson Free Press. Excellent piece on how this prison was built
and CCA's operations.
May 18, 2013 www.clarionledger.com
The Corrections Corporation of
America board chairman reportedly denied a request at Thursday’s annual
stockholders meeting for a moment of silence in memory of murdered prison
guard Catlin Carithers. Monday will mark one year
since Carithers was killed after being called in on
his day off to help quell a prison riot at the CCA-owned Adams County
Correctional Center facility near Natchez. Thursday was the first
stockholders meeting since the May 20 riot. Stockholder Alex Friedmann said when he asked for the moment of silence,
CCA Board Chairman John D. Ferguson refused to honor the request, saying CCA
had honored Carithers in other ways. The meeting
was at CCA headquarters in Nashville, where approximately 30 people stood
outside, some with signs, protesting the privately-run prison company. The
meeting inside was formal and businesslike, Friedman said, as only
stockholders, executives and staff are allowed to attend. Friedman, who said
he owns CCA stock in order to communicate issues with executives, previously
served a six year sentence at a CCA prison and is president of a watchdog
nonprofit group that opposes private prisons called Private Corrections
Institute. “In that one meeting CCA would not give 30 seconds of respect (for
Carithers),” Friedman said. “It speaks volumes how
the company thinks of its employees and how it treats them.” CCA spokesman
Steve Owen said in an emailed response that Friedman “would stop at nothing”
to disparage CCA and its employees. “Yesterday, professional corrections
critic Alex Friedman shamefully attempted to exploit the tragic death of
Catlin for his own personal agenda,” Owens said. “These antics do not honor
his memory.” Friedman said a number of other “activist stockholders” attended
Thursday’s meeting, including members of the Jesuits religious order and other
religious groups. Owens said CCA has “honored his memory in a number of ways,
both at the Adams County Correctional Facility and throughout the company.”
The family of Carithers filed a lawsuit this month
in connection with the May 20 riot saying CCA was negligent in Carithers’ death. The lawsuit cites information from an
informant predicting the riot and suggesting Carithers
was on a “hit list.” Friedman said he attended a CCA stockholders meeting in
2008 when the board honored someone’s memory with a moment of silence, but he
believed the board had a different chairman at the time. “This is the only
time, at the annual meeting, that shareholders could recognize Mr. Carithers,” Friedman said. Owen said CCA takes the safety
and well-being of the staff very seriously, and the entire CCA family has
been “deeply saddened” by Carithers’ loss. A
federal judge recently rescheduled the trial of an inmate who is accused of
being the first person to attack Carithers during
the riot, in which 20 others were injured, for Aug. 19. In other CCA news,
The Natchez Democrat reports that a new company will take over operations of
a facility in Wilkinson County, which is currently run by CCA, in July.
Management and Training Corporation, a Utah-based private corrections company,
reportedly received a five-year contract with the Mississippi Department of
Corrections to operate the facility.
May 13, 2013 www.clarionledger.com
At least one email allegedly sent
by an inmate informant to the chief of security at the Adams County
Correctional Center predicted the riot that broke out the next day resulting
in a guard’s death. Other emails described a “hit list” of prison guards, one
of whom was the guard killed. In a lawsuit filed in connection with the May
20 riot, the family of Sgt. Catlin Carithers, the
prison guard who was killed, point to these emails and information from the
informant as reason to believe Corrections Corporation of America was
negligent in Carithers’ death. CCA is the
Nashville-based parent company of the Natchez prison. According to copies of
the emails obtained by The Clarion-Ledger, the security chief was warned that
the leadership of certain prison groups wanted to meet with the warden to ask
for changes in medical, food, recreation and laundry arrangements. The emails
appear to have been sent to the prison’s security chief from an inmate who had
a cellphone inside the facility. At 10:14 p.m. on
May 19, the email writer says that the situation is more serious than prison
officials seemed to think. He indicated there would be meetings the next day
for the heads of the groups to list their requests to Warden Vance Laughlin.
The email characterizes one of the new leaders as having a “couple riots on
his belt,” and the informant believed most of the inmates would follow him.
“People will be ready 4 war tomorow (sic), I am not
joking,” he writes, going on to say, “Any officer that disrespect an inmate
will be punish (sic).” In the same email, the informant warns leaders would
present changes, and if the facility did not comply, they “will burn the
place down.” He then warns that it would be a peaceful demonstration, but if
the staff interfered, it could “get ugly.” He ends the email by telling them
to get ready, that this was serious, and could involve as many as 1,600
inmates. Up to 700 inmates are believed to have participated in the riot. The
prison holds nearly 2,500 inmates convicted of crimes while being in the U.S.
illegally. CCA officials would not comment on the informant’s warnings but
condemned the actions of the inmates. “CCA takes the safety and well-being of
our staff very seriously, and we work diligently to provide our dedicated
correctional officers, chaplains, nurses and teachers the training, security
and support systems they need in this very challenging field,” said CCA
spokesman Steve Owen. “In addition to conducting our own thorough review, we
have cooperated fully with law enforcement throughout their investigation of
the incident, and we support full prosecution of those inmates responsible
for this disturbance. There is never an appropriate justification for an
inmate to instigate and participate in violence against a correctional
officer.” Alex Friedmann, an associate editor at
Prison Legal News, said he corresponded with the informant for several
months. He said the informant told him when Laughlin met with two men he
thought were leaders, they assured him there would
be no problem. What the warden didn’t know was that those men were no longer
“shot callers.” “CCA didn’t know and these guys didn’t say they’d been forced
out by the other inmates. They weren’t aware these guys had no say anymore
and no power to control the guys in their groups. The next day the inmates
begin congregating on the yard,” he said. “The guys who were there at the
time took a strong, hard response, and they threw tear gas from the roof to
break up the congregation, and they climbed up on the roof and assaulted the
guards throwing tear gas at them.” Carithers, 24,
was on that roof. According to one of the emails, the writer also told prison
officials Carithers was one of several guards who
was on a “hit list,” designated to be injured or worse if there was any
trouble. Inmates stacked food carts to get to the roof to attack Carithers and the others. During the riot, fire also
broke out. Carithers wasn’t supposed to work on the
Sunday of the riot. He recently had received a promotion to senior
corrections officer that took him off the weekend shift. “They called him in
for backup,” his brother Josey Carithers
said at the time. “I know my brother, and I bet he got in his truck and
hauled butt to go help. He was ready.” Emails supposedly from the inmate to
the chief of security a few days later said he couldn’t accept that someone
as young as Carithers died because of the warden’s
“stupidity.” The security chief wrote back saying he felt terrible about it
because he was the one who called Carithers to come
into work on his day off, resulting in his death. The lawsuit brought against
CCA by Carithers’ family is based on the claims
that CCA was aware of the hit list and was aware that officers on the hit
list would be injured or punished. Carithers was
not warned when he was called into work that day. “The inmate informant
further asked why the Facility security officer put Catlin on the front line
when the facility administration knew he would be ‘eaten alive’ by the
inmates,” the complaint states. The complaint also states CCA officials put
their guards in further danger by maintaining a less than adequate staff with
underequipped and undertrained officers. In addition, the complaint states,
CCA “further created a dangerous atmosphere for the correction officers by
depriving the inmates of basic needs and treating them inhumanely.” The suit
asks CCA for past medical expenses, pain and suffering, emotional distress,
funeral and related costs, future lost income, future emotional distress,
loss of consortium, attorney fees, punitive damages, prejudgment and post
judgment interest and any other damages warranted under the circumstances.
The family’s attorneys did not return calls for comment, and both the FBI and
the U.S. attorney’s office said they could not comment on the ongoing
investigation. The FBI has said in court records that the riot was started by
a group of Mexican inmates, known as Paisas. Paisas are a loosely affiliated group within the prison,
one of many groups referred to as “nations,” because they usually congregate
based on what country they are from or what language they speak, Friedmann explained. Several inmates have been charged
with rioting in the case. One of them, Marco Perez-Serrano, has been identified
as the first person to attack Carithers when he hit
him with a food tray. Carithers was beaten to death
with a lunch tray.
8 May 2013 Associated Press Newswires
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - The family
of a guard killed during a prison riot in Mississippi filed a federal lawsuit
Wednesday that says inadequate staffing and poor treatment created a
dangerous environment at the facility. Correction officer Catlin Carithers was beaten to death during the May 20, 2012,
riot at the privately run Adams County Correctional Facility in Natchez. It
took hours for authorities to control the riot, which grew to involve
hundreds of inmates and injured at least 20 people. The lawsuit was filed in
U.S. District Court in Natchez against Nashville, Tenn.-based Corrections
Corporation of America, which runs the prison. A CCA spokesman didn't
immediately respond to phone and email messages Wednesday. CCA "created
a dangerous atmosphere for the correction officers by depriving inmates of
basic needs and treating them inhumanely," the lawsuit says. It also
says that prison officials were told by an informant in the days before the
riot that the situation was becoming volatile and that the officials failed
to warn Carithers that he and other guards were on
an inmate "hit list." Carithers was off
the day of the riot but was called in to help, his family has said. The
prison holds nearly 2,500 inmates convicted of crimes while being in the U.S.
illegally. The FBI has said in court records that the riot was started by a
group of Mexican inmates, known as Paisas, who were
angry about what they considered poor food and medical care and disrespectful
guards. Paisas are a loosely affiliated group
within the prison, without ties to organized gangs, FBI spokeswoman Deborah
Madden has said. Several inmates have been charged with rioting in the case.
One of them, Marco Perez-Serrano, has been identified as the first person to
attack Carithers when he hit him with a food tray.
A complaint filed by an FBI agent says prisoners took food service carts out
of the dining hall and kitchen and stacked them on top of each other to climb
onto the roof, where Carithers was working. Carithers joined CCA in 2009. His cousin, Jason Clark,
told The Associated Press in an interview after the riot that Carithers was engaged to be married and excited about a
recent promotion that took him off weekend shifts. He had been trained in
recent years as part of the prison's special response team and was called to
work Sunday to help with the uprising, Clark said at the time. The prison's
special response team and the Mississippi Highway Patrol's SWAT team worked
to end the riot while state and area law enforcement officers, some from
neighboring Louisiana, helped secure the outside.
October 12, 2012 THE
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NATCHEZ, Miss. — A federal grand jury has indicted an inmate who authorities
have identified as an alleged instigator of the May 20 prison riot at the Adams
County Correctional Center that left a guard dead. The Natchez Democrat
reports (http://bit.ly/X0841l ) that Yoany Oriel Serrano-Bejarano
has been charged with instigating and conspiring to cause the riot. Court
records say prisoners were angry about their treatment the day the riot
erupted. In September, an FBI agent stated in an affidavit that Serrano-Bejarano was one of a number of inmates who stacked food
carts in order to reach correctional officers on the roof of one of the
prison's buildings during the riot. Prison guard Catlin Carithers
was assaulted on the roof and later died from his injuries. At least 20
people were injured. Authorities say Serrano-Bejarano
had a prison staff radio during the riot, assaulted a hostage and contributed
to the destruction at the facility. The prison holds nearly 2,500 illegal
immigrants convicted of crimes in the United States. It's owned by Nashville,
Tenn.-based Corrections Corporation of America, one of the nation's largest
private prison companies. An FBI agent's affidavit in the case said the riot
was started by a group of Mexican inmates, known as Paisas,
who were angry about what they considered poor food and medical care and
disrespectful guards. Paisas are a loosely
affiliated group within the prison, without ties to organized gangs, FBI
spokeswoman Deborah Madden said. Court records show Serrano-Bejarano was released from prison Aug. 28 for his
previous crimes, but has been in federal custody since Sept. 5. Another
inmate, Juan Lopez-Fuentes, pleaded guilty in August to charges related to
the riot and is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 19.
September 6, 2012 AP
One inmate has pleaded guilty to participating in a deadly prison riot in
Mississippi, while a second prisoner has been charged in the case. One guard
was killed and 20 people were injured in the May 20 riot at the privately-run
Adams County Correctional Facility in Natchez, which holds illegal immigrants
convicted of crimes in the United States. Yoany
Oriel Serrano-Bejarano was charged Tuesday. A complaint
filed by an FBI agent says he assaulted a guard and helped other inmates
climb onto the roof of a building where correction officer Catlin Carithers was beaten to death. The affidavit says
prisoners took food service carts out of the dining hall and kitchen and
stacked them on top of each other to climb onto the roof where Carithers was assaulted. "Serrano-Bejarano has been identified as one of the inmates who
held the food carts so the inmates could access the roof," the complaint
says. The court documents also say that Serrano-Bejarano
assaulted a different guard, was seen with a prison guard's radio, and
destroyed cameras and windows. Serrano-Bejarano is
at least the second inmate charged in the case. Court records did not list an
attorney for him. Juan Lopez-Fuentes pleaded guilty to participating in the
riot during a hearing Aug. 27 in U.S. District Court in Natchez. He faces up
to 10 years in prison at sentencing on Nov. 19. Lopez-Fuentes was charged
with leading a group of inmates who took hostages in one section of the
prison. He forced one of the hostages to relay orders for tactical teams to
drop their weapons and back off, according to court records in his case.
Lopez-Fuentes was serving time for two previous felonies at the time and was
facing deportation. The FBI affidavit doesn't say why Serrano-Bejarano was being held in the prison, though it says he
was released Aug. 28 and turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs
enforcement for deportation. The criminal charge will allow authorities to
hold him pending the outcome of the case. Court records say the prisoners
were angry about their treatment the day the riot erupted. The prison holds
nearly 2,500 illegal immigrants, most of them convicted on charges of coming
back to the U.S. after being deported. The prison is owned by Nashville,
Tenn.-based Corrections Corporation of America, one of the nation's largest
private prison companies. The FBI says in court records that the riot was
started by a group of Mexican inmates, known as Paisas,
who were angry about what they considered poor food and medical care and
disrespectful guards. Paisas are a loosely
affiliated group within the prison, without ties to organized gangs, FBI
spokeswoman Deborah Madden has said. It took hours for authorities to control
the riot, which grew to involve hundreds of inmates and caused an estimated
$1.3 million in damage. The prison's special response team and the
Mississippi Highway Patrol's SWAT team worked to end the riot while state and
area law enforcement officers, some from neighboring Louisiana, helped secure
the outside.
August 14, 2012 Commercial
Appeal
A deadly riot at a prison for illegal immigrants in Mississippi was started
by a group of Mexican inmates angry about what they considered poor food and
medical care and disrespectful guards, according to an FBI agent's affidavit.
One guard was killed and 20 people were injured in the May 20 riot at the
privately-run Adams County Correctional Facility in Natchez, which holds
illegal immigrants convicted of crimes in the U.S. The leaders of the Mexican
inmates, known as the Paisas, demanded to take a
list of grievances to the warden that day and told others in the group to
disobey orders from prison staff, according to the FBI affidavit. The
affidavit, filed last week in U.S. District Court in Jackson, is part of a
complaint charging one of the inmates with rioting. Correction officer Catlin
Carithers was beaten to death during the riot,
which officials have said involved as many as 300 inmates and left the prison
badly damaged. The affidavit does not say who killed Carithers.
The affidavit says the Paisas were the most
influential group in the prison. But it had recently gone through a shake-up
in its leadership because members thought the old leaders weren't effective
in communicating complaints to prison officials. The new leaders — Ernesto
"Neto" Granados and Juan
"Bobby" Arredondo — allegedly ordered the Paisas
to disobey prison staff by refusing to return to their cells until their
demands were met. FBI spokeswoman Deborah Madden said Paisas
are a loosely affiliated group within the prison, without ties to organized
gangs. "The Paisas were further instructed by
their new leaders to destroy the prison if staff made any attempts to break
up the riot," the affidavit said. It says damages to the prison are
estimated at more than $1.3 million. "In addition to destroying the
prison, Paisas planned to assault the correction
officers." At one point, the inmates gained access to a section of the
prison by telling the warden they wanted to go back to their cells, but they
ended up taking more hostages once they got into that part of the facility,
the affidavit said. Other inmates were able to break through a fence and get
a 32-foot ladder, which they used to get on the roof of a building. That's
where Carithers was killed. The affidavit describes
a chaotic scene in which inmates were picking up tear gas canisters and
hurling them back at guards. Some guards locked themselves in safe rooms, but
the inmates used keys taken from other officers to get into the rooms. They
also looted the kitchen and commissary. The affidavit is part of a criminal
complaint that alleges that Juan Lopez-Fuentes was in charge of a group of
inmates who took hostages in one section of the prison. Lopez-Fuentes
allegedly forced one of the hostages, a prison guard, to relay orders for
tactical teams to drop their weapons and back off. The prison's special
response team and the Mississippi Highway Patrol's SWAT team worked to end
the riot while state and area law enforcement officers, some from neighboring
Louisiana, helped secure the outside, officials have said. The prison holds
nearly 2,500 low-security inmates, with most serving time for coming back to
the United States after being deported. The facility is owned by Nashville,
Tenn.-based Corrections Corp. of America, one of the nation's largest private
prison companies.
May 22, 2012 Colorlines.com
A Mississippi jail is on lockdown today after a Sunday night riot left one
prison guard dead and as many as 20 inmates and guards injured. According to
sheriff’s reports, the violence began as a gang feud and soon engulfed the
privately operated facility, which holds 2,500 non-citizens incarcerated for
reentering the United States after deportation and for other charges. But the
fragments of information that have emerged from inmates and advocates suggest
that the violence had more to do with a pattern of abuse and neglect that has
emerged at privately run, for-profit prisons. The Adams County sheriff’s office
and the Corrections Corporation of America, the behemoth prison company that
operates the facility for the federal Bureau of Prisons, have tightly
controlled news of the riot and what caused it. In statements, officials say
the violence emerged out of thin air and soon “turned into a mob mentality,”
according to Adams County Sheriff Chuck Mayfield. “This could have happened
anywhere, anytime,” Mayfield told the Associated Press. Prison watchdogs say
that’s not necessarily true. What little independent information that has
emerged from inside Adams County Correctional Center suggests a different
story—one of mistreatment and abuse at the hands of guards that may have
reached a breaking point. At 5 p.m. on Sunday evening, an inmate reportedly
phoned a local TV station with a cell phone, sending photos to confirm that
he was indeed held inside the facility. “They always beat us and hit us,” the
prisoner told the local reporter. “We just pay them back. We’re trying to get
better food, medical (care), programs, clothes, and we’re trying to get some
respect from the officers and lieutenants.” According to the news report, the
prisoner said that nine guards had been taken hostage. In an interview with
Colorlines.com, Patricia Ice, who directs the legal program at the
Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance, said that her organization has heard
reports of neglect and abuse inside the Adams County facility. Ice said she
received a call last month from a California woman who reported medical
neglect of a family member in the jail. “I got a complaint from a family
member saying that a man had lung cancer and was being ignored,” Ice said.
“Three weeks earlier, he was examined by a doctor and diagnosed with lung
cancer but had not received any treatment at all.” Prisoners' rights
advocates say that the accounts of these inmates are consistent with
documented conditions in private prison facilities around the country.
“Private prisons have a financial incentive to spend as little as possible in
order to make a greater profit,” said Bob Libal of
Grassroots Leadership. Libal is a longtime advocate
for the rights of prisoners held in private facilities. “They skimp on staff
salaries and training, which leads to high turnover rates. They spend as
little as possible on services in order to maximize profit. This mentality
leads to poorly run facilities where abuse, neglect and prisoner uprisings
are common.”
May 22, 2012 Clarion
Ledger
A U.S. Representative is calling for an investigation into the Adams County
Correctional Center, where a riot on Sunday left a guard dead and several
other people injured. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., is the ranking Democrat on
the House Homeland Security Committee, and thus oversees the Bureau of
Prisons. WAPT-16 reports he has called the inspector general to start the
inquiry into the facility and how it manages inmates. "There are some
issues with the privately run facilities, so I think between the Bureau of
Prisons and the Department of Homeland Security, you will see some
restricting of that process," Thompson said.
May 21, 2012 Clarion
Ledger
At least one former employee of the Adams County Correctional Center said
he was sad but not surprised when he heard that things had turned violent
inside the facility. Donnie Hedgepeth of Lincoln
County said he worked there when the facility opened in 2009 until sometime
in 2010. He said he quit his job because he believed the jailers were
outnumbered. "I told everyone before I left, 'I know what's going to
happen,'" he said. "It was too unsafe the way it was. There were
too many prisoners for each guard." Hedgepeth
said when he worked there the ratio was somewhere between 200 and 300
prisoners per guard. There was one guard per pod of up to 300 prisoners, and
three pods per dorm. Each dorm had one officer per pod, he said. "I
don't know that it's still like that. It could have changed," he said.
"But I didn't like working there. It was too unsafe for me." Emilee
Beach, a prison spokeswoman, did not return an email seeking comment on how
many corrections officers there were as opposed to prisoners.
May 21, 2012 AP
As many as 300 inmates, some of them armed with makeshift weapons such as
broomsticks, rioted at a privately run prison for illegal immigrants, beating
a guard to death and injuring 19 people, a sheriff said Monday. More than two
dozen officers were held hostage at some point during the hours-long spate of
violence Sunday, including a group of 15 who had to be rescued by special
response teams, Adams County Sheriff Chuck Mayfield said. A gang fight set off
the violence, the sheriff said. The guard was killed on the roof of one of
the prison buildings. Sixteen prison employees were treated for various
injuries and released from a hospital. Three inmates were hurt, officials
said. The Adams County Correctional Facility holds nearly 2,500 illegal
immigrants, with most serving time for coming back to the United States after
being deported, said Emilee Beach, a prison spokeswoman. Some of the inmates
have also been convicted of other crimes. The guard killed was identified as
Catlin Carithers, who joined Corrections
Corporation of America in 2009 and was a senior correctional officer, the
Nashville, Tenn.-based company said on its website. CCA is one of the largest
private prison companies in the country. Carithers'
cousin, Jason Clark, said the slain guard was engaged and was excited about a
recent promotion that took him off the weekend shifts. He had been trained in
recent years as part of the prison's special response team and was called
into work Sunday to help with the uprising. "He liked protecting
people," Clark said, adding that his cousin had worked as a volunteer
firefighter. It wasn't immediately clear if the gang fight started between
members of the same gang or rival groups, but the situation escalated quickly
and spread throughout the prison, Mayfield said. "They had makeshift
weapons, broom handles, mop handles, anything they could pull apart, trashcan
lids for shields, anything they could grab," Mayfield said. At one
point, the inmates set a fire in the prison yard. Frank Smith, who runs the
online prison watchdog group Private Corrections Working Group, said riots
are usually caused by poor conditions, but the sheriff said that was not the
case. "The big problem is CCA tries to cut corners in every possible
way. They short-staff, the don't fix equipment, and things just get more and more
out of control, and that's what leads to these riots. It's just about
maximizing short-term profits," he said.
May 20, 2012 CNN
A prison guard was killed and several employees injured Sunday in a riot
at the Adams County Correctional Facility in Natchez, Mississippi, officials
said. The 23-year-old guard appeared to suffer "blunt trauma to the
head," said Adams County Coroner James Lee. The riot, which began about
2:40 p.m., was still going on Sunday night, the facility's operator said in a
statement. Local and state law enforcement officials as well as authorities
from the Federal Bureau of Prisons were helping the facility quell the
violence. "The disturbance is contained within the secure perimeter of
the facility, with no threat to public safety," the statement said. Five
employees and one inmate were taken to a hospital for treatment of
unspecified injuries, while additional staff members were being treated at
the prison. Johar Lashin
told CNN that he'd heard a lot of noise and commotion when he talked around 6
p.m. with his brother Jawad, an inmate at the
Natchez facility serving time for aiding and abetting illegal immigrants. His
brother said he was not participating in the riot, despite pressure from
other inmates to do so. The cause of the incident is under investigation.
Rusty Boyd, a spokesman with the Mississippi Highway Patrol, said Sunday
evening that 45 to 55 units from that state agency are helping corrections
officers deal with the situation. The facility is a 2,567-bed prison that
houses adult men who are in the United States illegally and charged with
crimes. It is owned by the Tennessee-based Corrections Corporation of
America. Warden Vance Laughlin described the facility as quiet and with
"few problems" in a March 2010 article in The Natchez Democrat, a
few months after it opened to incarcerate illegal immigrants detained for
mostly low-security crimes. At that point, it contained more than 2,000
inmates -- more than two-thirds of whom were of Mexican descent, although
scores of nationalities were then represented.
April 21, 2009 Natchez
Democrat
Eric Staiger just moved to Natchez and now he
and his family need a place to live. Staiger is a
newly hired assistant warden at the Correction Corporations of America
facility and has not been able to find rental housing since he began
searching prior to his move to Natchez. “It’s been a challenge so far,” Staiger said of locating a rental house for himself, his
wife and their two kids. He started his search on the Internet before he left
his home in Ohio. “I thought it would be easier,” he said. “Now I’m just
relying on word of mouth and working with my Realtor.” And Natchez Realtor
Sue Stedman said while she’s thrilled to see job growth in the community, she
isn’t surprised by Staiger’s struggle. “There
aren’t many rentals out there right now,” Stedman said. “And some people are
going to notice a shortage.” But Stedman said while rentals can be hard to
come by, the sale market in Natchez is doing well. Stedman said the number of
houses for sale in the area has reached pre-Katrina levels. But that won’t
help Staiger. CCA Warden Vance Laughlin said upper
level management at the prison is being hired from within the company.
Laughlin said his group of managers is coming to the area with the intent of
being promoted out of Adams County, and are not in the market to buy a house.
“They need rentals,” Laughlin said.
March 15, 2009 Natchez
Democrat
Last week, as most of the Adams County Supervisors were in town taking care
of county business, one supervisor was in the nation’s capital taking county
business to a whole other level. Supervisor Darryl Grennell
was in Washington D.C. for the National Association of Counties’ Legislative
Conference, and in the midst of lectures and meetings Grennell
was able to meet with some of the nation’s higher-ups to talk county
business. On Monday, Grennell was able to meet with
U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran to discuss several issues pertinent to Adams County.
“I think it was a very productive meeting,” Grennell
said. “He was very receptive.” Grennell said while
no formal actions came from the meeting, he was glad to have had the
opportunity to make Cochran aware of what’s going on in Adams County. Grennell said he and Cochran were able to discuss the
repair projects at Marblestone Alley and West Stiers Lane, acquisition of federal stimulus money for
road repairs in the county and the new Corrections Corporation of America
prison. “Basically he said he’d make some phone calls on the county’s
behalf,” Grennell said. “It went well.” While work
on the Marblestone Alley and West Stiers projects isn’t new, Grennell
said he was grateful to have had a chance to talk about stimulus funding and
the CCA prison. The county hasn’t gotten any firm commitments on stimulus
funding and the prison is currently without prisoners since it has not
secured any contracts that would provide inmates. “Hopefully this can get the
ball rolling,” Grennell said. Supervisor Mike Lazarus
said he hopes the county will be able to see positive results from Grennell’s visit. “It’s always good to have connections,”
Lazarus said. “It’s big. It keeps our name at the top of the list when
projects come up. It’s very helpful for us.”
January 8, 2009 Natchez
Democrat
On Dec. 1 Corrections Corporation of America completed construction at its
new prison on U.S. 84, but the facility is without prisoners. Warden Vance
Laughlin said the facility looks great. The halls are quiet, the beds are
empty and there aren’t any guards on duty. And that won’t change anytime
soon. Laughlin said he’s not expecting any inmates until at least June. The hold up comes from a missing, but crucial, federal
contract. Once in place, it’s the contract that will fill the jail with the
all-important prisoners. The contract, which was originally expected to be in
place by Oct. 1, is “delayed indefinitely,” Laughlin said. Laughlin said he’s
hoping it will be in place by the first quarter of this year. But once the contract
is in place it will be at least 120 days before the prison sees its first
inmate. That 120-day period will be used for hiring and training guards and
other employees. And there’s no clear answer on exactly what’s stalling the
contract. Laughlin said he thinks the general economic slow-down has had an
impact on the contract. Additionally, the money to be used for the contract
has not been finalized. CCA marketing director Steve Owen said he attributes
some of the delay to administrative changes as high up as the White House.
Owen said those changes have an impact on Congress, which ultimately controls
the budget for the Federal Bureau of Prisons. And Congress has yet to
finalize the bureau’s 2009 budget. “Government contracts can move slowly,”
Owen said. “Sometimes these things can just drag out.” But the slow pace of
progress isn’t reason for concern, Owen said. Owen said he’s confident the
federal contract will come through — but if it doesn’t there are other
options. “Still our focus is on what we pitched the facility for,” he said of
CCA’s intent to pursue a federal contract. Both Laughlin and Owen said if the
federal contract fails, the prison can, and will, pursue other contracts.
November 3, 2008 Natchez
Democrat
If country music songs are to be believed, prison cells are the loneliest
places to be, but being warden of a prison with no prisoners isn’t much fun
either. Vance Laughlin, warden of the new Adams County Correctional Facility,
told members of the Rotary Club of Natchez that he’s got plenty of time on
his hands in the next couple of months. Just call if you need a hand with
anything, he told the crowd, joking, at least a little. Laughlin said
Wednesday that a delay in granting a federal prison contract means the new
facility is vacant for just a little while longer. Originally, Corrections
Corporation of America, the owner of the private prison, expected the
contract would be announced Oct. 1, Laughlin said, but now it looks like it
will be in the first quarter of 2009. Originally, CCA had announced they
would start accepting job applications in October, but Laughlin said the
delay in the contract has delayed the need for hiring just a bit longer.
“We’re (still) coming,” Laughlin said. “Once we start hiring, it’s going to
be very, very visible … lots of big ads … just give us some time.” The time
is no problem, Laughlin said, in fact he said he’s looking at it as a
positive factor. “From my perspective, as warden, it gives me another two to
three months to get things set up,” he said. Construction on the $140
million, 2,500-bed facility is expected to be complete by Dec. 1, he said.
But even if CCA receives the much-anticipated contract to house illegal
immigrant prisoners — ones who will likely be deported after their sentences
are served — the first prisoner would not report to the facility until 120
days after the contract is awarded. But, Laughlin said, CCA would begin
screening applicants the very next day after the contract is awarded. “We’re
very hopeful for this contract, but we could not get it,” he said. “If so, we
have a plan B and we have a plan C. “The (Federal) Bureau (of Prisons) is a
very important customer so they get first shot,” he said.
April 21, 2008 AP
Gov. Haley Barbour has signed into law a bill that gives a privately
owned jail in Natchez the authority to house federal and state inmates. The
Adams County Correctional Center is currently under construction and is
slated to be completed in December 2008. Barbour said signing "this
legislation is appropriate as the state continues to find alternative housing
solutions for our growing inmate population." Governor. The correctional
facility is located on more than 140 acres in southwest Mississippi near
Natchez. It is owned and operated by Corrections Corporation of America.
August 1, 2007 Clarion
Ledger
A 1,668-bed private prison being built in Adams County secured the final
$500,000 in matching funds today to extend the Natchez sewer lines to the
site. The Delta Regional Authority will provide that money for the
Corrections Corporation of America prison, which is scheduled to be completed
by the end of 2008. Funding for the sewer project will accelerate completion
of the project, which is expected to create approximately 300 jobs. The
funding was announced today in a joint news release from Sens. Thad Cochran
and Trent Lott, Gov. Haley Barbour and 3rd District U.S. Chip Pickering.
"Southwest Mississippi is an important part of our state and this new
facility will help create economic confidence in the area by generating hundreds
of new jobs," Cochran said in the news release. Lott noted in the news
release that the sewer project has an additional benefit. "Anytime you
expand or upgrade water or waste water service, it is a well-placed,
long-term investment in the community that can promote new residential and
commercial growth," he said.
12, 2007 Natchez
Democrat
The board of aldermen agreed on a more binding agreement between the city
and county governments regarding water and sewer services to a private prison
Tuesday. Walter Brown, who represents the private prison company CCA and the
city waterworks, asked the aldermen to sign an interlocal
agreement. The agreement would spell out more specific responsibilities of
the parties involved, Brown said. The city and county are applying for grants
to fund the water and sewer infrastructure to the proposed prison near Cranfield. An interlocal
agreement would help secure those grant monies, Brown said. The project will
still require no city or county taxpayer money, he said. The interlocal agreement would simply say, “We’re doing our
part of the project, and they’re doing theirs,” Brown said. Because CCA wants
to meet the GO Zone deadline to benefit from financial incentives, time was
short, Brown said. “CCA still wants to take the deed by July 1,” Brown said.
“We’re really under the gun to meet their timeline.” Some of the parties
involved, such as Adams County Water Association and the county have asked
for changes to the original draft of the agreement, he said, so he did not
have the final document at Tuesday’s meeting. That didn’t sit well with
Alderman James “Ricky” Gray. “It’s kind of unusual for me to sit up here and
vote for something I haven’t seen and the city attorney hasn’t read over,”
Gray said. “I like to read over something before I vote and sign it.” Since
time was of the essence, Alderman Jake Middleton suggested the board give the
mayor and board attorney authorization to review the document before they
signed it. “I don’t think they’re going to sign off on something that’s not
beneficial,” Middleton said. Brown said he would be happy to get copies of
the draft to anyone interested. The board voted authority to the mayor to
sign the agreement.
May 3, 2007 Natchez
Democrat
The new prison needs $4 million in water and sewer infrastructure, but if all
goes as planned, the county and city won’t have to
shell out a penny of their own. If plans fall through, the money may come out
of taxes the company would be paying to the county. Adams County Water
Association plans to provide the water, and Natchez
Water Works will provide the sewer for the Corrections Corporation of America
private prison near Cranfield. However, they need
the money for things like labor, pipes and a water tank. So the city and
county are looking to get money through grants that private CCA can’t get.
The county board of supervisors approved the project Tuesday and asked the
Southwest Mississippi Development District to hunt for grants and loans. Such
grants could come from several places, including federal funds and the Delta
Regional Authority, attorney Walter Brown said. Hopefully, the grants won’t
require matching funds, said Brown, who represents CCA locally and Natchez
Water Works. “A 10 percent match is normally required, but we’ve asked for it
to be waived,” Brown said. “If not, we’ll figure out how to handle it. Most
logical would be a tax increment financing bond.” Such a bond would use the
company’s future taxes to pay off the debt. That way, the county isn’t losing
any money it currently has, Brown said. Previously, CCA and county
representatives said no city or county money would be required if the prison
located in Adams County. That worries Supervisor Henry Watts. “Full
disclosure is always my concern — full disclosure on the front end, letting
the supervisors know,” Watts said. “Give us a good idea what kind of money
the taxpayers of Adams County are having to put up,
not only on the prison but on any proposal.” Tuesday’s supervisors meeting
was the first time Watts said he had heard the county might need to play a
role in the prison project. “It was the first time I’d heard we were actually
going to have to put up money,” Watts said. “Am I scared of that? No. But
right now, we have no idea how much money we’d have to put up.”
Central Mississippi
Correctional Facility
Rankin, Mississippi
Wexford (formerly run by Correctional Medical Services)
For Jamie
Scott, an $11 Robbery in Mississippi May Carry a Death Sentence,
By James Ridgeway and Jean Casella
December 2, 2008 Clarion Ledger
William Morris Byrd Jr. had been in and out of prison most of his life, but
Charlotte Boyd, his sister, said he did not have to die there. Byrd, 53, died
Nov. 21 after what Boyd described as months of wasting away at Central
Mississippi Correctional Facility in Pearl. While the family is waiting for
the autopsy, Boyd said the initial cause of death is Crohn's
Disease, a chronic but treatable inflammation of the
digestive path that she said had blocked her brother's esophagus. "He
literally starved. We watched him turn into a skeleton," she said. Byrd
was serving a lengthy sentence for rape and was not eligible for parole until
2020. Boyd realizes her brother may not be a sympathetic figure to most, but
after reading a story last week in The Clarion-Ledger, she said her brother
may not be alone. "If they are doing him that way, they are going to let
somebody else die, too," she said. "Even a dog needs medical
attention." Mississippi Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps said Byrd
received appropriate medical care from the prison. "We provided timely,
quality medical care for the inmate," he said, "as we do for all of
our inmates." Mississippi's per-capita death rate for prisoners has
spiked in recent years. In 2001, the state's death rate was at the national
average, but in 2006 Mississippi's inmate death rate was the second highest
in the nation. In 2007, inmate deaths rose again. The majority of those
deaths are from natural causes, and former inmates and family members of
current inmates say medical care in the state's prison system is inadequate.
Epps blames the higher death rate on several factors, including an
increasingly aged prison population and generally unhealthy lifestyles that
have made the state a leader in medical problems like heart disease and
diabetes. Epps expressed confidence in MDOC's medical contractor, Pittsburgh,
Pa.-based Wexford Health Sources, but the Legislative Joint Committee on
Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review last year released a report
criticizing the prison system's response to chronic-care issues. PEER also
found that Wexford's medical staffing was not in compliance with the terms of
its contract with the state. The report found 13 percent staffing shortages
at the MDOC prisons in Pearl, Parchman and
Leakesville. Officials at MDOC referred questions about current Wexford
staffing levels to the contractor. Wexford did not return a telephone call
Monday but last week referred questions to MDOC. Senate Corrections Chairman
Willie Simmons, D-Cleveland, said the increase in the prisoner death rate is
worth keeping an eye on, but he said Epps' explanation of the increase is
plausible. It's something lawmakers would want to pay attention to and
monitor, "get a little more information on," he said. "It didn't
come across as there was any kind of serious problem of neglect." But
the rising number of deaths worries people like Diane Rowell, whose
hypoglycemic son is in South Mississippi Correctional Facility serving a
short sentence for a parole violation. She said her son has lost weight and
complains of being tired. "It worries me. I cry a lot about it,"
she said. "I know they broke the law, but they are still human
beings."
July 16, 2005 Clarion
Ledger
A state prisoner suffering from life-threatening illnesses has been denied
medical treatment for more than a month, a lawsuit claims. The lawsuit,
filed this week in U.S. District Court in Jackson, seeks immediate medical
treatment for Raymond Winne of Gulfport, an inmate
at Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Rankin County. The Eighth
Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees an inmate the right to receive
necessary medical attention, the suit says. Named as defendants
are the correctional facility Superintendent Margaret Bingham and Correctional
Medical Services, Inc., which provides medical treatment for state
inmates. The lawsuit comes after an American Civil Liberties Union
class- action lawsuit was filed in June on behalf of roughly 1,000 inmates in
Unit 32 at the state Penitentiary in Parchman.
The lawsuit's allegations include that inmates in the super maximum security
unit are subjected to inadequate medical, mental health and dental
care. In 2003, the ACLU filed a lawsuit and won improvements in Unit 32
for death row inmates.
Delta Correctional Facility/Leflore County Jail
Greenwood, Mississippi
CCA
July 11, 2012 AP
Leflore County's Board of Supervisors has been told it could cost more than
$3.1 million to fully repair the Leflore County Jail. The estimate presented
to the board this week is considerably more than the $1 million the county
has earmarked for the work out of proceeds from a $4 million bond issue. Two
plans that leave out some fixes at the jail would cost $1.4 million and $1.9
million, according to The Greenwood Commonwealth. Sheriff Ricky Banks, jail
consultant Ed Hargett and architect G.G. Ferguson
explained the projections to the board Monday. Hargett
recommended the least expensive option. He said it would provide the
"bare minimum" of what is needed for accreditation by the American
Correctional Association. Hargett called the three
plans a Cadillac, a Chevrolet and a Pinto. Banks, who preferred the term
"Model T" for the final plan, declined to say Monday which plan he
recommended when asked by Supervisor Anjuan Brown.
"We can live with whatever y'all vote for," the sheriff said.
Leflore County took over operation of its jail from Corrections Corporation
of America in February. One of the reasons cited for leaving by the private
prison operator — which also ran the adjacent and now-closed state prison —
was the anticipated high cost of repairs. Initial estimates by Hargett had been about $1 million, far less than even the
lowest cost plan presented Monday.
November 10, 2011 AP
Mississippi Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps said Thursday that a
privately run prison in Leflore County will close in January. Epps said the
state and Nashville, Tenn.-based Corrections Corporation of America mutually
agreed to cease operations. "This decision wasn't reached overnight,"
Epps told The Associated Press. He said the state's cost per day for taking
care of inmates was $34.61 for medium custody beds. By state law, Epps said
CCA had to accept a rate of 10 percent less, or about $31.15 per inmate per
day. "They said they couldn't make it on that," Epps said. Epps
said there will be more savings to the state because he will move the inmates
to facilities where he won't have to spend anything extra other than
providing meals, clothing and medical care. Delta Correctional Facility, which
opened in 1996, has about 218 employees. There are presently about 900
inmates housed in the medium-security prison and another 125 in the adjacent
Leflore County Jail, which CCA also has been under contract to operate. CCA
announced it will be pulling out of operating the jail as well. Epps and CCA
officials said plans are to cease operations of the 1,172-bed Delta
Correctional Facility in Greenwood, Miss. on Jan. 15, 2012. Epps said he has
over 4,000 vacant beds in the corrections system, which includes state
facilities, community work centers and regional prisons. "Eight hundred
of them are going to regional facilities and the others to state
facilities," he said.
September 13, 2011 Tennessean
Former Metro Police Sgt. Mark Chesnut has
settled a lawsuit against Corrections Corporation of America that blamed the
private prison company of negligence after an escapee shot and nearly killed
him. Chesnut was shot five times by Joseph Jackson
Jr. on June 25, 2009, after pulling over Jackson and his cousin on Interstate
40 near Bellevue. Unbeknownst to Chesnut, Jackson
had just been sprung from a Mississippi prison owned by CCA. Jackson is
serving 45 years in prison and his cousin Courtney Logan is serving 31 years.
Chesnut sued CCA, accusing the company of not properly
supervising Jackson. The lawsuit asked for $16.5 million, but court records
do not indicate how much the case settled for. Court records show the
settlement was reached in late August with a mediator.
September 1, 2011 AP
Leflore County Sheriff Ricky Banks says authorities have filled a hole where
a contraband gun was found in a jail cell. The .25-caliber automatic pistol
was found this past Saturday in a cell where inmates are taken as they're
being booked into the county jail. Banks tells The Greenwood Commonwealth
(http://bit.ly/nclLP20 ) that the gun was in a pipe
casing. He says 17 or 18 inmates went through the room since the last time
the pipe casing was inspected a day or two before the gun was found.
Corrections Corporation of America contracts with Leflore County to run the
jail. Investigators will run a check on the gun with the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, but Banks says they're unlikely to find
anything because it's a cheap pistol.
August 18, 2011 AP
The Greenwood Police Department has concluded its investigation into a July
fight that left one man dead at Delta Correctional Facility. The Greenwood
Commonwealth ( ) reports that Chief Henry Purnell
plans to release the findings soon. Twenty-six-year-old Derek Criddle was fatally stabbed during a fight in a housing
pod on July 6; six other inmates were injured during the clash. Police and
officials from the Mississippi Department of Corrections and Corrections
Corp. of America — which contracts with the state to run the 1,172-bed,
medium-security prison — have released few details of what happened.
July 8, 2011 AP
Authorities have released the name of an inmate killed this week at the Delta
Correctional Facility in Leflore County. Greenwood Police Chief Henry Purnell says 26-year-old Derek Criddle
was fatally stabbed during a fight in a housing pod Wednesday. He was serving
25 years for an armed robbery in Grenada County. Six other inmates were
injured. Purnell says the investigation is
continuing.
July 7, 2011 AP
Corrections Corp. of America says one inmate is dead and two others remain
hospitalized after a disturbance at Delta Correctional Facility in Leflore
County. Nashville-based CCA spokesman Steve Owen told The Associated Press
that six inmates were hurt Wednesday night at the privately-run prison. He
says one was treated at the prison while five others were taken to nearby
hospitals. He says three of those five have been returned to the prison. CCA
officials said in a statement that the fight began at about 6:35 p.m. inside
a housing pod as inmates returned from supper. CAA says guards quickly broke
up the fight. One inmate was pronounced dead at the scene. His name has not
been released.
December 1, 2010 Tennessean
Two cousins involved in the near-fatal shooting of a Metro Police officer
after a Mississippi prison escape were sentenced Wednesday morning to decades
in prison. Joseph Jackson Jr. was sentenced to 45 years in prison and
Courtney Logan to 31 years behind bars for the June 25, 2009, shooting of
Sgt. Mark Chesnut. Chesnut
stopped the cousins on Interstate 40 near Bellevue. Unbeknownst to him, Logan
had just helped Jackson escape from prison in Mississippi. While Chesnut checked their licenses, Jackson walked up and
shot Chesnut five times. The pair fled, but Chesnut was able to radio a distress call. Backup arrived
shortly thereafter and the cousins didn’t get far before being caught. Chesnut suffered grievous wounds in the shooting, but
survived and was even able to return to work at the police department on light
duty. His police cruiser had a video camera that caught much of the
encounter. Jackson pleaded guilty to attempted murder and two felony weapons
charges in the shooting. Logan was found guilty by a jury of attempted murder
and a weapons charge. Chesnut is also suing
Corrections Corporation of America, accusing the company of negligent conduct
that allowed Jackson to escape a medical appointment outside of prison. The
company has countered that the shooting was just part of the normal risks
associated with being a police officer. The civil case continues in Davidson
County Circuit Court.
September 22, 2010 AP
A jury on Wednesday convicted a Kentucky man of attempted first-degree murder
for his role in the shooting of a Nashville police officer. Jurors deliberated
for about four hours before finding 27-year-old Cortney
Logan of Louisville, Ky., guilty. Logan was accused of helping his cousin -
Joseph Jackson Jr. - escape from the Delta Correctional Facility in
Greenwood, Miss., in June 2009 while the prisoner was at a doctor's
appointment. Prosecutors said the pair were fleeing
to Louisville when police Sgt. Mark Chesnut stopped
their vehicle on Interstate 40 west of Nashville because Logan was not
wearing a seatbelt. Jackson shot Chesnut, who
survived. Jackson, 32, pleaded guilty to attempted murder earlier this week.
September 21, 2010 The
Tennessean
Blood trickled from underneath Sgt. Mark Chesnut's
bulletproof vest as he sat alone in his patrol car on the side of Interstate
40 near Bellevue. He knew backup was on the way, but he needed help fast. So,
the 22-year police veteran coached himself through his own survival. His
hands cramped, but, dazed, he somehow reached for his radio. "I've been
shot, I've been shot," the father of three announced over the radio.
Monday, the 46-year-old began telling a seven-man, seven-woman jury how the
day unfolded on June 25, 2009 — when a traffic stop changed his life. His
testimony resumes at 9 a.m. today in Davidson County Criminal Court. Minutes
before jury selection began, Joseph Jackson Jr., 32, pleaded guilty to
attempted murder and two felony weapons charges stemming from Chesnut's shooting. He will be sentenced Nov. 11 by Judge
Seth Norman. Jackson was to be a co-defendant with his cousin, 27-year-old
Courtney Logan, who also is charged in the June 2009 shooting. He also has
one felony weapons charge. Logan, of Louisville, Ky., is accused of helping
Jackson escape from a Mississippi prison earlier that day and driving through
Nashville on his way to Kentucky when he was stopped for not wearing a seat
belt. Chesnut was driving the unmarked patrol car
that pulled him over. Assistant District Attorney John Zimmermann told jurors
that both men were determined to kill and evade Chesnut
that day even though Jackson was the shooter. "The state has to prove
that Logan had the same mindset as Jackson," said defense lawyer David
Hopkins. Man in the back seat In a composed, methodical delivery, Chesnut testified that he stopped the dark-colored Dodge
Magnum driven by Logan, walked to the passenger side window, and asked for
his driver's license and vehicle registration. The car was a rental, Logan
told him, but he couldn't find the rental papers. Chesnut
asked Logan to exit the car, which he did. As Chesnut
walked to the back of the car to meet Logan, he noticed another man, in the
back seat. "Where did you rent the car?" Chesnut
asked. "Thrifty. Or maybe Alamo," Logan said. "Who's the guy
in the back?" Chesnut continued. "James
Gibbs," Logan said. Chesnut asked the man in
the back for his name. "Joseph Jackson," he replied. Then, the
officer saw a pair of handcuffs on the car's floorboard. He went to his
police car and called another officer for backup. "I've got a good
one," he told him. Shouts, shots, flight As he was checking Logan's
driver's license against crime databases, he noticed that Jackson had gotten
out of the car and was walking toward the police car's passenger-side window.
Jackson asked the sergeant if he would like his father's phone number to
verify the information. Chesnut said he would.
Jackson walked back to the Magnum and returned moments later. "I
remember he shouted something about wanting me dead and something about me
being white," Chesnut testified. "He
pulled his gun from his waistband and started shooting." Jackson walked
back to his car, with Logan in the driver's seat. "I remember seeing
blood squirting out of my shirt," he said. "I was sitting there,
trying to breathe, when I saw (Jackson) walking back toward my window. "I just thought, 'Don't be paralyzed.' " Chesnut said he somehow
put one of his hands on the steering wheel and the other on the gear shaft.
He reversed his unmarked patrol car as Jackson and Logan drove away. Jurors
are expected today to see a video of the traffic stop and shooting taken from
the officer's dashboard camera. Chesnut has not
been able to return to work as a full-time patrol sergeant since the
shooting.
September 20, 2010 News
Channel 5
The prosecution called Metro Sergeant Mark Chesnut
to the stand Monday afternoon in the trial of Courtney Logan. He is one of
two men charged with shooting Chesnut in 2009. The
jury was seated in the trial around 2 p.m. The other man charged, Joseph
Jackson Jr., pleaded guilty Monday morning to attempted first degree murder
and two lesser charges. Jackson shot Sergeant Mark Chesnut
during an I-40 traffic stop in June of 2009. Investigators said Chesnut had no idea when he pulled over the two men that
Courtney Logan had just helped Jackson, his cousin, escape from a prison in
Mississippi. While checking their licenses, Jackson walked up to Chesnut's police car and shot him. Police caught both
Jackson and Logan just a short time later. Jury selection for Logan's trial
began Monday morning. Jackson will be sentenced by Judge Seth Norman on
November 10. Chesnut has still not fully recovered
from his injuries. Sergeant Chesnut has also filed
a civil lawsuit against the Corrections Corporation America. The CCA
allegedly did not follow their rules allowing Logan to help Jackson escape.
February 15, 2010 Greenwood
Commonwealth
Joseph Leon Jackson Jr., a former inmate at Delta Correctional Facility
who escaped from custody in June during a visit to a Greenwood optician’s
office, and his alleged accomplice will face trial on Sept. 20 in Nashville,
Tenn. Jackson and his cousin, Courtney Logan, were accused of shooting a
Nashville police officer during a traffic stop. The two are facing charges of
attempted murder and evading arrest for the June 25 shooting of Sgt. Mark Chesnut. Both pleaded not guilty in November and declared
they were indigent. A judge appointed defense attorneys to represent them. Chesnut, 44, has returned to light duty with the police
department since the shooting. Police say Chesnut
stopped the men on Interstate 40 near Bellevue, Tenn., hours after Logan
helped Jackon escape. Chestnut was shot five times
while checking the suspects’ driver’s licenses. Jackson, 30, and Logan, 25,
were caught a short time later after Chestnut backed his car away from the
shooters and radioed descriptions of the men and the car they were driving. Chesnut has also filed a civil suit against Corrections
Corporation of America, which operates the Delta Correctional Facility,
alleging the company failed to follow its own security policies and was
responsible for the shooting. CCA has denied liability in the shooting.
Chestnut is seeking $14 million and his wife, Michelle Chestnut is seeking
$2.5 million.
February 5, 2010 Greenwood
Commonwealth
The Leflore County Jail is awaiting autopsy results for an inmate who died
Thursday in his cell. Eddie Moore, 43, 214 E. Percy St., did not respond when
called to eat at about 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Sheriff Ricky Banks said. The jail
issued a medical alert and tried unsuccessfully to revive Moore. MedStat also responded and finally the coroner. The body
has been sent to Mississippi Mortuary Services in Jackson for an autopsy,
which Banks said is required for all inmates who die in jail. Moore had been
arrested about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday and charged with public drunkenness,
public profanity and disturbing a family. Banks said Moore had been arrested
five times in the past year and a half on similar charges. “From what we know
about him, he has a history of seizures,” Banks said. “He’s been in and out
of here a good bit.” A nurse checked Moore when he entered jail Wednesday and
said he was quite drunk but did not have any other apparent symptoms,
according to the sheriff. Banks said corrections officers said when Moore
came in he was typically drunk and would sleep for quite a while. He had been
counted in several bed checks but was not called upon to respond until the
chow call, Banks said. Moore was alone in a two-bunk cell, Banks said.
Corrections Corp. of America contracts with Leflore County to run its jail.
CCA also operates the state-owned Delta Correctional Facility at the same
location on Baldwin Road. Banks said it was the first death of a prisoner at
the jail since the facility moved from the courthouse in 2004.
February
5, 2010 Greenwood Commonwealth
The Leflore County Jail is awaiting autopsy results for an inmate who
died Thursday in his cell. Eddie Moore, 43, 214 E. Percy St., did not respond
when called to eat at about 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Sheriff Ricky Banks said. The
jail issued a medical alert and tried unsuccessfully to revive Moore. MedStat also responded and finally the coroner. The body
has been sent to Mississippi Mortuary Services in Jackson for an autopsy,
which Banks said is required for all inmates who die in jail. Moore had been
arrested about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday and charged with public drunkenness,
public profanity and disturbing a family. Banks said Moore had been arrested
five times in the past year and a half on similar charges. “From what we know
about him, he has a history of seizures,” Banks said. “He’s been in and out
of here a good bit.” A nurse checked Moore when he entered jail Wednesday and
said he was quite drunk but did not have any other apparent symptoms,
according to the sheriff. Banks said corrections officers said when Moore
came in he was typically drunk and would sleep for quite a while. He had been
counted in several bed checks but was not called upon to respond until the
chow call, Banks said. Moore was alone in a two-bunk cell, Banks said.
Corrections Corp. of America contracts with Leflore County to run its jail.
CCA also operates the state-owned Delta Correctional Facility at the same
location on Baldwin Road. Banks said it was the first death of a prisoner at
the jail since the facility moved from the courthouse in 2004.
January 22, 2010 Tennessean
A jury will decide the fate of two men accused of shooting a Metro police
officer during a traffic stop last summer. The trial of Joseph Jackson Jr.
and Courtney Logan has been scheduled for Sept. 20, Judge Seth Norman said.
The pair did not appear in court on Thursday for the short hearing.
"Typically when all the attorneys are going to do is set a date, both
sides have already decided they're going to trial," Davidson County
District Attorney spokeswoman Susan Niland said.
"The hearing only takes about 30 seconds at the most." Jackson and
Logan are accused of attempted murder and evading arrest in connection with
the June 25 shooting of Metro police Sgt. Mark Chesnut.
The men entered pleas of not guilty to the charges in November. Both declared
that they were indigent, and a judge appointed defense attorneys to represent
them. Chesnut, 44, is still recovering and has
returned to light duty with the Metro police department. On the day of the
shooting police say Chesnut stopped the men on
Interstate 40 near Bellevue just hours after Logan helped Jackson, his
cousin, escape from a prison in Mississippi run by the Corrections
Corporation of America. While Chesnut was checking
their licenses, according to police, Jackson walked up to the car and shot Chesnut, who suffered life-threatening injuries. Chesnut was shot five times. Jackson, 30, and Logan, 25,
were caught a short time later after Chesnut backed
his car away from the shooters and radioed in descriptions of the men and the
car they were driving. Chesnut, a 22-year police
veteran, has since filed a civil suit against CCA, alleging the company
failed to follow its own security policies and was responsible for the
shooting. Chesnut is seeking $14 million and his
wife, Michelle Chesnut, is seeking $2.5 million.
December 9, 2009 Tennessean
The Corrections Corporation of America has responded to allegations that Sgt.
Mark Chesnut's shooting was because of its
negligence, saying that it wasn't reasonable to foresee that their escaped
prisoner would shoot him. What happened to Chesnut,
the private prison giant said in its response to the lawsuit, is part of the
risk inherent to being a police officer. Chesnut
filed suit in October, alleging that Nashville-based CCA's negligence contributed
to him being shot multiple times. Joseph Jackson Jr., who was serving a life
sentence at a CCA-operated prison in Greenwood, Miss., and his cousin
Courtney Logan have been charged with attempted murder in the shooting. David
Raybin, Nashville attorney representing Chesnut, declined to comment on the response. CCA
spokesman Steve Owen also declined to comment. Jackson had escaped from
prison hours earlier — with the help of Logan — after Logan showed up armed
to Jackson's off-site doctor's appointment, police say. Chesnut
alleged in the suit, filed by Raybin, that Jackson
was told in advance about the appointment and had access to cell phones to
arrange the escape. CCA denied in the court filings that Jackson was told in
advance about his doctor's appointment by a prison nurse or that he had
access to a cell phone. They also denied that the armed guard went for her
cell phone instead of her gun, though they admitted that the gun and phone
were taken from her by Jackson and Logan. The company overall denied that its
actions caused Chesnut's shooting and said the
liability rests more with the two men charged. Chesnut,
who is still recovering, has returned to work on light duty.
November 10, 2009 WSMV
The two men accused of trying to kill a Metro police officer during a
traffic stop received public defenders at a Tuesday arraignment. Courtney
Logan and Joseph Jackson were in court, where attorneys entered not guilty
pleas in their defense. Investigators said Logan helped Jackson escape police
custody in Mississippi in June. When Sgt. Mark Chesnut
pulled the pair over for a traffic violation in west Nashville, Logan is
accused of grabbed a gun and shooting Chesnut
several times. Logan and Jackson both face charges of attempted first-degree
murder. Chesnut filed a lawsuit Oct. 30 against
Corrections Corporation of America for $14 million. CCA operates the prison
that held Jackson before his escape in June. According to the lawsuit,
Jackson was given two weeks advance notice of the appointment and was able to
access a cell phone to plan the escape with Logan. The weapon used to shoot Chesnut was taken from one of the CCA guards who
accompanied Jackson to the appointment. Chesnut's
attorney said the entire incident wouldn't have occurred if CCA hadn't been
negligent with its policies.
November 10, 2009 NewsChannel 5
The two men accused of critically injuring a Metro police officer during a
traffic stop have been scheduled to answer to the charges in court Tuesday.
Joseph Jackson and Courtney Logan will be arraigned Tuesday on attempted
first degree murder charges. Police said Jackson, an escaped inmate from
Mississippi, shot Sgt. Mark Chesnut several times
in June 2009 while the officer was sitting in his patrol car on Interstate 40
near Bellevue. Chestnut had just stopped the pair for a seatbelt violation. Chesnut has since returned to work following his
recovery. Chesnut also filed a $14 million lawsuit
against the Corrections Corporation of America, claiming they are responsible
for his injuries because Jackson escaped from custody under the supervision
of their guards at a doctor's appointment.
October 30, 2009 Tennessean
Sgt. Mark Chesnut, the Metro police officer shot by
an escaped prisoner in June has filed suit against the Corrections
Corporation of America, alleging the company is responsible for the failures
that led to the escape and subsequent shooting. Chesnut
was critically injured on June 25 when he was shot five times during a
traffic stop. Police later arrested Joseph Jackson, Jr., who escaped from prison
in Mississippi earlier that day, and his cousin Courtney Logan, accused of
helping Jackson escape, for the shooting. Chesnut
is still recovering from the injuries. CCA spokesman Steve Owen said the
company has not been served with the suit and is not in a position to
comment. According to the lawsuit, filed late Friday by Nashville attorney
David Raybin, the company was negligent in
following its own policies to prevent and respond to an escape. Chesnut is seeking $14 million from the Nashville-based private
corrections giant, and his wife, Michelle Chesnut,
is seeking an additional $2.5 million. “They give (Jackson) advanced warning,
the means to escape, they give him a gun and he’s out in a few hours shooting
a police officer,” Raybin said. “To me, it’s
foreseeable that any police officer who stopped these guys was in mortal
danger.” Jackson had two weeks notice that he was
going to an off-site doctor’s appointment and didn’t prevent him access from
cell phones that he used to plan his escape, the lawsuit said. The advance
notification was against the policies of CCA, which operated the Delta
Correctional Facility in Greenwood, Miss., where Jackson was held. Police
said that Logan entered the doctor’s office during the scheduled time to help
Jackson escape. Logan fired several shots into the ceiling, and ordered
everyone to get down. The lawsuit adds new details about the escape, saying
that Jackson, who was in prison for violent offenses and serving a life
sentence, was escorted by an armed female guard and two unarmed male guards.
When Logan pulled the gun, according to the lawsuit, the armed guard reached
not for her gun but for her cell phone. Jackson took the gun and the phone,
and the two fled toward Nashville. Just a few hours later, they were pulled
over by Chesnut. “For the few extra dollars it
might have cost this for-profit institution to have a house call, Sgt. Chesnut wouldn’t have eight bullets in him,” Raybin said. Chesnut was
running Logan’s driver’s license when Jackson walked back to talk to the
officer. He walked away, but came back and drew the gun he took from the CCA
guard, shooting Chesnut five times. Two bullets
lodged in his bulletproof vest, but he was struck by the other three. Despite
the injury, Chesnut threw the car into reverse when
the gunman returned and radioed in the shooting, giving a description of the
suspects and the car to officers that were looking for them within minutes.
They were arrested within hours by Metro police and taken into custody
without incident. “He radioed in not only to report own injury, but in hope
that other officers could stop these guys,” Raybin
said. “It’s about as heroic a thing as I’ve ever seen.” CCA was under heavy
criticism for security in February 2008, when Terrell Watson escaped from the
Metro Detention Facility in Nashville. When Watson was discovered missing,
jail employees notified authorities and put the jail on lockdown, and an
exhaustive search inside the prison and around the grounds went on for two
days. They didn’t file an escape warrant that would let other police agencies
know he was an escaped prisoner for two days. The internal procedure to
handle a possible escape dictates only that police should be notified, CCA
officials said at the time.
September 26, 2009 AP
An escaped inmate from a Mississippi prison and another
man have been indicted on attempted first-degree murder charges in the
wounding of a Nashville police officer during a traffic stop. Joseph Jackson,
29, the escapee, and Cortney Logan, 25, of
Louisville, Ky., were indicted by a Davidson County grand jury in the June 25
shooting of Sgt. Mark Chesnut. Chesnut,
44, was shot in the abdomen after he pulled Jackson and Logan over along
Interstate 40 west of downtown Nashville. Chesnut
has been in a rehabilitation center since then and says he'd like to return
to work. Jackson was serving a life sentence at the Delta Correctional
Facility for two aggravated robberies and aggravated assault. According to
Mississippi prison officials, Jackson escaped earlier June 25 during a visit
to an eye doctor in Greenwood, Miss. Police have said Logan entered the
office, fired a shot into the air and one of them took a weapon from
Jackson's guard.
September 9, 2009 Greenwood
Commonwealth
Another violent incident involving a Delta Correctional Facility inmate
serving a life sentence has brought increased intensity to concerns about the
level of prisoner held there. Leflore County Supervisor Wayne Self said
during a board meeting Tuesday that an inmate assaulted a guard at the
medium-security Greenwood prison a couple of weeks ago. Accounts of the
altercation leaked out of the facility, and Self heard about it recently, he
said. He called for the Board of Supervisors to put standards in place for
Corrections Corp. of America, the private company that manages Delta
Correctional for the state. “I don’t think a life-sentence or
two-or-three-life-sentence person should be at that facility,” Self said. “I
just don’t think it’s safe out there — not only for
a lot of the officers that’s there, but I don’t think it’s safe for this
community.” The supervisors passed an order Aug. 24 requesting Chris Epps,
who is the Mississippi Department of Corrections commissioner, and CCA
officials to appear before it to explain how classification works at Delta
Correctional. Self asked County Administrator Sam Abraham to get Epps and CCA
personnel to come to the next board meeting on Monday. Steve Owen, director
of marketing for Nashville-based CCA, said this morning that company guards
treat every inmate as potentially dangerous, regardless of classification.
“We train our folks to be extra safe and to be prepared,” he said. Owen, a
former corrections officer, said inmates classified as minimum-security often
pose a greater threat than those classified as medium-security. “The sentence
alone isn’t the only factor,” he said. The June escape of Joseph Leon Jackson
Jr. from a Greenwood eye doctor’s office prompted the initial inquiry.
Jackson, who was serving a life sentence at DCF for armed robbery, later shot
a Nashville, Tenn. police officer during a traffic stop. He remains jailed in
Tennessee along with Courtney Logan, his cousin who helped spring him, on
charges of attempted murder and possession of a firearm by a felon. CCA
officials have remained tight lipped regarding the escape, but Epps told the
Clarion-Ledger that Jackson used a cell phone to craft his scheme. The
Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is leading an investigation. Self echoed
comments made last week by Leflore County Sheriff Ricky Banks that inmates
who receive life sentences have their status level reduced based on good
behavior. “This is a serious issue that’s going on out there at that facility
that I think we need to try to get our hands on before it goes too far,” Self
said. District 2 Supervisor Robert Moore asked Board Attorney Joyce Chiles to
prepare advice on how the county can influence its contract with Delta
Correctional and the agreement CCA has to manage the prison.
August 25, 2009 Greenwood
Commonwealth
The Leflore County Board of Supervisors is asking the head of the state
Department of Corrections and the private company that runs Delta
Correctional Facility to appear before it and explain what classifications of
inmates are housed at the Greenwood prison. Supervisor Preston Ratliff said
the coordinated June escape of Joseph Leon Jackson Jr., who was serving a
life sentence for armed robbery, raised concerns that more dangerous
criminals are present than the specified medium security. “What happened in
Nashville could have easily happened in Greenwood,” Ratliff said, referring
to the Nashville police officer whom Jackson has admitted to shooting after
fleeing Mississippi. The board voted Monday to request an explanation from
MDOC Commissioner Christopher Epps and Corrections Corp. of America officials
from its Nashville headquarters. “It might be a good idea at some point for
them to come and address the local community and assure them that they done
closed the gate,” Supervisor Robert Moore said. “Couldn’t hurt, could it?”
The local CCA warden, Danny Scott, appeared before supervisors earlier this
month but provided few answers.
August 13, 2009 Greenwood
Commonwealth
A man arrested in June for aggravated assault and possession of a firearm
by a convicted felon was inadvertently released from custody Monday, but his
mother later returned him to jail, Leflore County Sheriff Ricky Banks said.
Cedric Gordon, 30, 505 Cypress Ave., was returned to the Leflore County Jail
around noon Tuesday, the sheriff said. Gordon, who goes by the street name
“Main Jones,” is the suspect in the June 16 shooting of Christopher Young in
the 200 block of Noel Street. In addition to aggravated assault and the
weapons charge, Gordon was charged with misdemeanor domestic violence on June
17. Banks said the mix-up on Gordon’s jail status started Monday when Gordon
was taken to Greenwood Municipal Court in connection with the domestic
violence charge. Once his case was heard, the court sent a fax ordering his
release from jail, the sheriff said. Corrections Corp. of America, which runs
the Leflore County Jail, released Gordon around 10:30 p.m. Monday, Banks
said. Banks said the slip-up could have been avoided if jailers had looked at
the docket before releasing Gordon and noticed the more serious charges still
pending against him. On Wednesday, Gordon was awaiting transfer to a
Mississippi Department of Corrections facility before his trial for
aggravated assault and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
August 4, 2009 Greenwood
Commonwealth
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is in charge of finding out how an
inmate planned an escape from a Greenwood eye doctor’s office June 25,
according to Delta Correctional Facility’s warden. When asked Monday outside
a Leflore County Board of Supervisors meeting about the results of an
internal investigation into Joseph Leon Jackson Jr.’s
escape, Warden Danny Scott referred questions to MBI. Jackson, who was
serving a life sentence at DCF for armed robbery, was sprung by his cousin,
Courtney Logan, from The Eye Station on Park Avenue during a routine exam.
Logan fired a shot into the building’s ceiling and helped Jackson free
himself from shackles. They fled in a Dodge Magnum. Some five hours later,
Nashville Police Sgt. Mark Chesnut was shot five
times after making a traffic stop of the vehicle. Jackson later admitted to
the shooting, which was captured on video from Chesnut’s
cruiser. Jackson and Logan face charges of attempted murder and possession of
a firearm by a convicted felon. Supervisor Preston Ratliff said Monday that
citizens had voiced concerns to him since the escape about the level of
inmates housed at the prison. After Scott told him Delta Correctional is a
medium-custody facility, Ratliff asked how that status is defined. Scott
responded only that “in MDOC, inmates are either minimum,
medium or a higher custody level, and our inmates that we receive from MDOC
are medium custody inmates.” Ratliff then asked if the length of convicts’
sentences had anything to do with classification. Scott said inmates are
assessed after they are sentenced. “When inmates are classified, their length
of sentence and their history of offenses is taken
into consideration,” he said. The prison is run by Nashville, Tenn.-based
Corrections Corp. of America (CCA). CCA officials were at the meeting to
amend their annual contract to house state prisoners. The money is routed
from the state through the county and requires supervisors’ approval. The
board approved increasing the daily charge per state prisoner from $32.07 to
$32.56 beginning Aug. 1. The rate change will not affect what the county pays
CCA, which also contracts to manage the Leflore County Jail. County
Administrator Sam Abraham said the county’s rate had already been increased
for next year.
July 14, 2009 Nashville
City Paper
Moments after Metro Police Sgt. Mark Chesnut
was shot five times by an escaped Mississippi convict on June 25, accomplice Cortney Logan smiled before getting into a rental car
along with his cousin and speeding away, according to police. “I’ve seen the
video,” Metro Police Chief Ronal Serpas said of the
onboard video camera, which captured virtually the entire traffic stop made
by Chesnut on I-40 near Bellevue. “It’s disturbing.
It’s very disturbing that [Logan] could call himself a human with the face he
made.” Logan and alleged trigger man Joseph Jackson had their preliminary
hearings in General Sessions Court on Tuesday where Judge Leon Ruben
forwarded the case to the Davidson County Grand Jury. The pair stand charged
of attempted murder of a police officer. Chesnut
remains in stable condition and has been moved from Vanderbilt University
Medical Center to a rehabilitation facility. He is expected to make a full
recovery, according to Metro Police. It was Jackson who approached Chesnut during the traffic stop while the 22-year police
force veteran sat in his unmarked car. According to Metro Detective Norris
Tarkington, Jackson first approached the car to see if there was another
officer present and then circled back a second time with a 38-caliber Smith
and Wesson handgun. Jackson then fired five shots at Chesnut.
Two of those shots were absorbed by protective body armor, but three hit Chesnut’s arm and abdomen area. Jackson dropped the gun
inside the police car and ran back to the rental car, which Logan had
allegedly rented to help his cousin escape from a Mississippi prison.
Tarkington said the video on Chesnut’s camera shows
Logan smiling and “almost laughing” before boarding the rental car and
driving away. Logan and Jackson were apprehended a short while later and are
being held in lieu of $3 million bond. During his testimony at the
preliminary hearing, Tarkington shed some light on Jackson’s escape from the
custody of prison guards employed by Nashville-based Corrections Corporation
of America. According to Tarkington’s testimony, Logan entered a Greenwood,
Mississippi optometrist office where Jackson was receiving care. Logan fired
two shots into the ceiling and demanded at gunpoint that a CCA guard remove
the handcuffs from Jackson. Logan then took one of the CCA guard’s weapon,
which was the Smith and Wesson gun used to shoot Chesnut.
Multiple investigations by state and local authorities in Mississippi
continue into Jackson’s escape from custody. Jackson was serving a life
sentence for robbery and aggravated assault.
June 28, 2009 Hattiesburg
American
IT SOUNDED LIKE THE SCRIPT FROM HOLLYWOOD. But it was real. Here's the
scenario: Mississippi inmate Joseph Jackson, 29, serving a life sentence for
armed robbery and aggravated assault at the Delta Correctional Facility in
Greenwood, was taken to a Greenwood optometrist's office Thursday after he
had complained about having eye problems. Shortly after arriving at The Eye
Station guarded by at least three armed transportation officers, an armed man
walked into the office, fired his gun into the air and ordered everyone on
the floor. They grabbed one of the officer's guns and fled in a waiting car.
Witnesses said another person was in the car. Mississippi law enforcement
agencies began an intensive search for the men but Jackson and his
accomplices managed to leave the state and make their way to Tennessee. The
scene then shifted to Nashville, where the rental car in which Jackson and
Courtney R. Logan, 25, of Louisville, Ky., were in was stopped by Sgt. Mark Chesnut on Interstate 40 Thursday afternoon. Logan, who
was driving the car, was not wearing a seat belt. According to The Tennesseean newspaper in Nashville, while Chesnut, a 22-year police veteran, checked the license
plate on a computer, Jackson walked back to the officer's car and shot him
multiple time through the passenger window. He
dropped the gun on Chesnut's front seat. It was
described as a routine stop that turned into something that was anything but routine. Chesnut was shot in the
abdomen. Jackson and Logan fled but were later cornered by police and
surrendered. Chesnut remained in critical condition
on Saturday. Nashville police later said that Jackson confessed to shooting Chesnut because he "didn't want to go back to
prison." The incident raises some serious questions, such as: How could
the three armed transportation officers allow Jackson's armed accomplice to
get inside the optometrist's office? Why was Jackson brought to a private
optometrist instead of having an optometrist go to the correctional facility?
A prison spokesman said the transportation procedure is under investigation.
We would hope so. Prison officials need to alter their procedures to ensure
that the public and law enforcement officials are not put at risk.
June 27, 2009 Greenwood
Commonwealth
Police are continuing the search for a third suspect wanted in connection
with the freeing of an inmate from a Greenwood eye doctor’s office Thursday.
Joseph Jackson, 29, who was serving a life sentence for armed robbery and
aggravated assault at Delta Correctional Facility, and Courtney R. Logan, 25,
of Louisville, Ky., have been charged with attempted murder and weapons
charges in the case. The Tennessean reported Saturday that Jackson and Logan
are cousins. Jackson admitted to Nashville police Thursday night that he shot
Sgt. Mark Chesnut after Chesnut
pulled Logan over for not wearing his seat belt, according to a release
issued Friday by the Nashville Police Department. Chesnut,
who was wearing a Kevlar bullet-resistant vest, was struck at least once in
the abdomen. The Tennessean also reported that Logan attempted suicide early
Friday morning in his Nashville jail cell and is under a suicide watch.
Jackson has been charged with attempted murder, unlawful gun possession by a
convicted felon, being a fugitive from justice and theft of a correction
officer’s gun. His bond was set Friday at $3.36 million. Logan has been
charged with attempted murder and unlawful gun possession by a convicted
felon. His bail was set at $3.1 million. A hearing for the men is scheduled
for Wednesday. A third suspect, seen leaving in the car from The Eye Station,
has not been identified. Jackson was one of two inmates taken to office on
Thursday by three armed transportation officers who were employees of Delta
Correctional Facility. He had complained of an eye problem, according to
Carolyn McAdams, public information officer with Delta Correctional Facility.
While Jackson and the other inmate were waiting inside, a man armed with a
handgun came in and fired several rounds into the ceiling of the building and
then ordered everyone to get on the ground. Steve Owen, a spokesman for
Corrections Corporation of America in Nashville, Delta Correctional’s
parent company, told the Tennessean that inmates are taken off grounds for
specialized doctor visits because the prison’s medical facilities contain
only basic equipment. “For obvious reasons, protocol is that inmates are not
notified of such information until the day of the appointment, at which time
they are notified just enough in advance to get it cleared (and) dressed
before being transported,” Owen told the newspaper. “As far as we know right
now, everything that was done followed policy and procedure,” Owen told the
Tennessean. “Of course, all the circumstances and what might have contributed
to it (the escape) are under investigation right now.”
June 27, 2009 WZTV
Authorities say one of the men charged with shooting Sergeant Mark Chesnut tried to hang himself Friday with some string
from a laundry bag. Correctional Officers stopped Courtney Logan before he
was successful. "When a person comes in off the street with such a
violent act and charged with such a crime close to those of us in the
business, very, very proud of the way our folks handled it," said
Sheriff Daron Hall. Logan faces attempted murder
charges along with Joseph Jackson in Thursday's shooting along I-40 in
Bellevue. Authorities say Jackson shot Sergeant Chesnut
multiple times in the abdomen and arm after he pulled the pair over for a
seatbelt violation. Chesnut remains in critical
condition at Vanderbilt Medical Center where a steady
stream of officers continue to visit him. He's expected to have
surgery sometime in the next few days. "Mark was a friend of mine and
the prognosis sounds good and my thoughts and prayers continue to be with
them," said Captain Todd Henry. Chesnut could
not have known at the time he was pulling over two men police say are wanted
for serious crimes in Mississippi. Authorities say Logan busted Jackson out
of state custody during an optometrist visit. He was under the supervision of
three armed Corrections Corporation of America Guards at the time. "It
seems pretty obvious this was a well conceived plan," said Spokesperson
Steven Owen. "Come storming in with a firearm and certainly by all
accounts our officers followed the policies as it relates to the transport
itself and the reaction under the circumstances."
June 26, 2009 WSMV
The company that operates the Mississippi prison where a man escaped and
later was arrested in the shooting of a Metro officer admits there was some
sort of breakdown that allowed Joseph Jackson to escape custody. Police and
prison officials are trying to determine how Jackson, and his suspected accomplice,
Courtney Logan hatched a daring plan that led to Jackson's escape from
custody and ultimately the shooting of Metro officer Sgt. Mark Chestnut on
Thursday. "Without a doubt, there is a breakdown somewhere. We
definitely want to determine where that is," said Steven Owen of
Corrections Corporation of America, the company that operates the Mississippi
prison that housed Jackson. Metro police said Jackson and Logan know each
other from living in Louisville, Ky. The Channel 4 I-Team obtained a list from
who has visited Jackson at the Delta Correctional Facility in Mississippi
where he was imprisoned. Logan's name doesn't show up as visitor or even an
approved visitor. Inmates are not allowed e-mail, and all mail, except for
legal documents, is read by prison staff. As for phone calls, how did Logan
know that Jackson would be at an eye doctor appointment to not only stage the
escape but have clothes ready for him to change into? "Without a doubt,
he knew how to be there. This was obviously a very elaborate plan that was
carried out," said Owen. This is not the first time a CCA inmate has
escaped from an outside medical unit. In fact, the last time it happened was
in Jackson, Tenn., in 2005. The escapee was caught and prison employees were
later disciplined. "When something like this happens, we try to learn
from it and take the appropriate steps to make sure it doesn't happen
again," said Owen. Metro police said the information about Jackson's
escape was entered into a national database of escaped inmates, but it was
unclear if a description of the car that the suspects were driving was sent
out. Both of the suspects' bonds have been set for more than $3 million.
Jackson was charged with attempted homicide of a police officer, gun charges
and for being a fugitive from justice. A hearing for the men was scheduled
for July 1.
June 25, 2009 Nashville
City Paper
Metro police say two suspects — one an escapee from Mississippi — taken
into custody in the shooting of veteran officer Mark Chesnut
have lengthy criminal records. The two were arrested at Hermitage and
Fairfield avenues less than an hour after the incident. Joseph Jackson, 29,
who allegedly escaped from a private prison facility in Greenwood, Miss., was
serving a life term for armed robbery and aggravated assault. Officials say
his accomplice, Courtney Logan, stormed an eye doctor's office Thursday
morning and broke Jackson out of custody. Both men are from Louisville, Ky.
The pair took off in a black Dodge Magnum — the same kind of vehicle they
were driving when officer Chesnut was shot about
1:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon. "Courtney Logan essentially busted into
the office fired several shots in the roof, ceiling fan tile area, made
everyone get on the ground and freed Joseph Jackson from custody," said
Metro Police Chief Ronal Serpas. Chesnut, 44, was driving an unmarked car as part of an
interstate highway traffic enforcement effort, Metro Police spokesperson Don
Aaron said, adding it is unclear why he stopped the vehicle. "These were
some dangerous, dangerous, dangerous people who cowardly attacked Sgt. Chesnut while he sat in his car running their license
plate," Serpas said. Chesnut,
a 22-year veteran of the Metro Police Department, was wearing body armor.
John Morris, director of Vanderbilt Medical Center's Trauma Division, said Chesnut was shot in the stomach, colon, gall bladder and
liver. "This is a life-threatening injury," said Morris. "He's
on the ventilator, he's on life support, but we're all very hopeful that
ultimately he will return home to his family and ultimately return to
work." Chesnut's wife and family had been on
vacation in Alabama and were airlifted to Nashville by a THP helicopter.
Police say Jackson will be charged with attempted murder, stealing a
Mississippi correction officer's gun, unlawful gun possession by a convicted
felon. Logan will be charged with attempted murder and unlawful gun
possession by a convicted felon. He had been convicted in Kentucky of
robbery, theft and evading police.
June 25, 2009 News
Channel 5
Metro police have taken into custody the two suspects in the Metro Sgt.
shooting, arresting them at Hermitage Avenue and Fairfield Avenue. One of the
suspects was an escaped inmate from Mississippi. Joseph Jackson,
29-years-old, escaped from a private prison facility in Greenwood,
Mississippi. Jackson was serving a life term for armed robbery and aggravated
assault. He escaped Thursday morning during a doctor's appointment. Officials
there said an unknown accomplice stormed the doctor's office and was able to
free Jackson. The pair took off in a black Dodge Magnum - the same kind of
vehicle they were driving when officer Chesnut was
shot late Thursday afternoon. Within an hour of Sergeant Mark Chesnut being shot the suspects were chased down. The two
men were escorted by several patrol cars to the criminal justice center in
Downtown Nashville for questioning. They have not yet been charged, but
police expect it will likely be soon. Officers said both suspects are from
Louisville and both have criminal backgrounds.
February 22, 2007 WMC TV
5
A jailer at the Leflore County jail has been arrested and charged with
introducing contraband after money and marijuana was found in his mashed
potatoes. 37-year-old Robert Earl Hannon, a Corrections Corporation of
America jailer, was arrested over the weekend. Sheriff Ricky Banks says an
unknown woman brought Hannon's lunch to him. Upon examination, authorities
found 200 dollars and two ounces of marijuana inside his mashed potatoes.
Hannon was released on a 15-thousand dollar bond Tuesday. Hannon was arrested
by agents from the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics following an investigation
into how contraband is entering the facility. Investigators became suspicious
when Hannon made a statement that he didn't eat potatoes but had a large
portion delivered to him at the jail.
May 23, 2006 Greenwood
Commonwealth
Leflore County has taken another step to comply with a federal court
order regarding prisoners in its jail. The Leflore County Board of
Supervisors will pay half of the additional cost of the construction of a
45-foot-long concrete wall at the combined Leflore County Jail and Delta
Correctional Facility complex on Baldwin Road. The wall will separate the
jail's inmates from the the inmates of the
privately-run prison, said Leflore County Chancery Clerk Sam Abraham. The
project will cost the county $1,850. Corrections Corporation of America,
which operates Delta Correctional Facility, will pay the other half,
according to Abraham.That's on top of about $27,140
that has already been spent on the wall jointly by the county and CCA.
Abraham said the county and CCA are awaiting bids for additional fencing
needed to complete the jail work. He said that in addition to complying with
requirements of the 1971 federal suit Gates v. Collier, which set guidelines
for county jails and state prisons, the work will
conform to the state fire code.
October 25, 2005 Greenwood
Commonwealth
A new contract between Leflore County and Corrections Corporation of
America outlines plans for tighter security at the Leflore County Jail. The
Board of Supervisors renewed the agreement Monday after Willie Perkins, its
attorney, said he is comfortable with the contract. The contract calls for
upgrading the jail's security system, building management walls between each
cell block and extending the deadline for American Corrections Association
accreditation. The issue over accreditation was largely responsible for the
delay in contract renewal. Accreditation means the jail would meet national
criteria for safely operating a jail. The corrections company will pay the
annual $15,000 fee, but it ultimately cost the county with other increases.
In the earlier, one-year contract, the county asked for accreditation,
"within a reasonable amount of time." The correctional association
argued accreditation for a small jail would be a waste of taxpayer's money.
October 4, 2005 Greenwood
Commonwealth
The contract between Corrections Corporation of America and Leflore County
continues to be pushed back after four months of negotiations. On Monday, The
Board of Supervisors approved another extension of the contract until Oct. 10
as the board attorney and CCA ironed out their differences. Within that
contract was a clause stipulating that the jail acquire accreditation by the
American Corrections Association, "within a reasonable amount of
time." Jeb Beasley, who represents the company, said to comply with
accreditation standards would cost much more than the annual $15,000.
September 28, 2005 ZWire
Corrections Corporation of America and the Leflore County Supervisors can't
seem to find a solution to the issue of national accreditation for the
Leflore County Jail. Supervisors want the question answered before they agree
on a new contract for CCA to operate the jail. Accreditation means the jail
would meet national standards established for operation of a jail, including
safety of prisoners and education of corrections officers. The American
Corrections Association would provide accreditation for the jail.
"Accreditation is a certificate that basically verifies you are staying
within the standards," said Jerry Parker, warden of the jail and its
neighbor, Delta Correctional Facility. But the jail's designation comes with
a $15,000 yearly fee, which CCA says would be better spent elsewhere. For instance,
said Parker, the 12-year-old indoor locks could be replaced for the cost.
September 7, 2005 Greenwood Commonwealth
A
representative of an architectural firm has received the authority to
negotiate with Malouf Construction over the cost of
the Leflore County Justice Center project. Also Tuesday, the supervisors
delayed a decision on whether to allow the removal of a clause in the county
jail's contract that requires accreditation by the American Correctional
Association. Jerry Parker, warden of Delta Correctional Facility, which
houses the jail, asked the board that the clause be removed. Parker said that
the jail adheres to the ACA standards already and that removing the
accreditation requirement would save $10,000 that could be used to improve the
jail. Improvements he suggested included an upgrade of the security system
and construction of an interior wall to separate pods. Removing the
requirement wouldn't change the way the facility operates, Parker said. Plus,
he added, jails of this size seldom are accredited anyway.
August 24, 2004 Greenwood Commonwealth
The Leflore County Board of Supervisors will likely consider raising taxes to
meet expenses relating to the operation of the new county jail, says Sam
Abraham, chancery clerk. "It is going to be hard not to suggest an
increase," Abraham told the the board
Monday. Abraham estimated the additional cost of the jail at $300,000
to $400,000. "This is the cost for having a jail that is in
compliance. The county taxpayers are going to have a heavy burden unless
someone collects a lot of money from somewhere else. We're looking at ways to
collect additional money," Abraham said. The jail expenses run $25
per day per inmate as managed by the Corrections Corporation of America.
April 4, 2004 Greenwood
Commonwealth
Prisoner rights attorney Ron Welch says he is
tickled over the reopening of Delta Correctional Facility. He is wondering,
though, how Mississippi intends to jam 950 inmates in a space designed for
780 and stay in compliance with a federal court order that regulates prison
conditions.
December 8, 2003 Greenwood
Commonwealth
Delta Correctional Facility will be reopened,
although what form it will take is still uncertain, a Greenwood state
legislator announced today. "It will be reopened," said state
Sen. Bunky Huggins, R-Greenwood, a member and
former chairman of the Corrections Committee. Huggins made the remarks during
the Greenwood-Leflore County Chamber of Commerce's annual Legislative
Review/Preview Meeting. Other state legislators at the meeting were Sen.
David Jordan, D-Greenwood; Rep. May Whittington, D-Schlater,
and Rep. Bobby Howell, R-Kilmichael. Delta
Correctional Facility was closed in September 2002 at the direction of Gov.
Ronnie Musgrove. Its closing resulted in the loss of 204 jobs in the county.
Governor-elect Haley Barbour campaigned on a pledge to reopen the prison. The
Republican has claimed that the state could save money by moving inmates out
of state-owned facilities into private prisons and regional jails.
May 7, 2003
The latest design for converting part of a now-vacant prison into a jail and
sheriff's department for Leflore County requires at least two major changes
left out of a cheaper plan proposed earlier by the state. Architects
and county supervisors agreed last week that the renovation of a portion of
1,000-bed the Delta Correctional Facility complex will require replacing the
entire lock system of Building F and overhauling at least 14 cells.
Those changes, plus repairs, account for the jump in price from $1.6 million
to the current $4 million, county officials say. The state prison,
which had been operated by a private company, closed last year and the
inmates were sent to other facilities. "The architect the state
sent down did what I would call a 'courtesy survey,"' said Board of
Supervisors President Robert Moore. "He didn't do any in-depth walk
through." In an August letter sent to state Corrections
Commissioner Chris Epps, Ocean Springs architect William V. Lack sized up
renovations to the facility for a county jail and construction of a new
sheriff's department at $1.6 million. However, that estimate was
"based on the assumption that all systems (mechanical, electrical,
plumbing, locks, etc.) are in working order and could be restored to like new
condition with minor effort," Lack wrote. (Clarion-Ledger)
March 6, 2003
Gov. Ronnie Musgrove on Wednesday signed a bill transferring part of the
Delta Correctional facility to Leflore County. The state shut down the
Delta prison last summer in an effort to downsize the state's prison
system. The conversion to county use is expected to cost $1.6 million,
as opposed to an estimated $6.5 million to build a facility. (The
Clarion Ledger)
November 6, 2002
Leflore County supervisors are negotiating with state officials to possibly
use former Delta correctional Facility as a county jail. Supervisors,
who toured the empty prison last week, voted Monday to move on an official
offer Gov. Ronnie Musgrove made last month to gibe
the county use of the facility. The Delta Correctional Facility closed
Oct.9. Musgrove cited a lack of funding because of his veto of the
Corrections Department budget for private prisons when he closed the private
prison that once housed more than 800 inmates and employed 200 workers.
(Clarion Ledger)
October
11, 2002
With Gov. Ronnie Musgrove determined not to use the $54.7 million
appropriated for private prisons, state corrections officials are dipping
into money meant for regional jails, medical care and other obligations to
pay those bills. Mississippi Department of Corrections confirmed that
last week they transferred a $23 million second allotment, scheduled to be
spent starting Jan. 1, on those other services and contractual obligations,
to allow private prisons to begin receiving the money. The governor has
frozen the private prisons funds pending the appeal, said Lee Ann Mayo,
spokeswoman for Musgrove. "I know that (MDOC) will continue to
fill their contractual obligations," she said. (Clarion Ledger)
October
10, 2002
As Delta Correctional Facility prepared to close Wednesday, training officer
Danny Fairley took out his camera to snap one last picture. "I
want you to say one word, and don't choke when you say it-- Musgrove,"
Fairley said to 23 remaining workers and two inmates at the private
prison. "And that is for the record," he told a
Clarion-Ledger reported as the others, who were eating their lunch,
laughed. Such was the mood on a rainy, gray day as the last of the CCA
employees railed against Gov. Ronnie Musgrove for closing the prison.
Delta Warden Don Grant said he can't believe that state will let the 1,000
bed facility remain empty. Musgrove said Delta was closed because the
state has too many prison beds and that the state's resources need to go to
education and jobs.
"Philosophically, I don't believe in creating jobs based on having
people commit more crimes," Musgrove said. "That is not the
direction we should take in our state. "Delta's last 50 prisoners
got into vans and buses Wednesday bound for Parchman,
South Mississippi Correctional Institute and regional jails in Carroll,
Holmes, Winston, Stone, Leake and Jefferson
counties. Epps said there is a chance Leflore County could reopen part
of the Delta facility instead of building a county jail. Leflore County
is under a court order to relieve overcrowding with a new 150-bed jail by
July 2004 and had been looking at building a $6 million facility.
(Clarion Ledger)
October
4, 2002
Gov. Ronnie Musgrove says closing Delta
Correctional Facility is part of a plan to shrink the state
corrections system and invest more in education - a transfer
that will eventually replace the prison jobs and others leaving Leflore
County. Musgrove, speaking Tuesday at the WIN Job Center in Greenwood,
asked business leaders, elected officials and citizens to band
together to create positive economic development. The prison
industry is not part of that picture.
"I don't believe philosophically in
creating jobs based on having people commit more crimes,"
Musgrove said. Still, with the prison's closure compounded by the loss
of jobs at Irvin Automotive and Uniek
Inc., the state needs to do more, said state Sen. David Jordan.
"I feel that special consideration ought to be given to the poorest
region of the state of Mississippi," he said. "I agree
with you; it shouldn't be built on the backs of prisoners. But
that's all we could get." Prior to the meeting, Musgrove accused
the Legislature of taking money away from education and
funneling it into prisons at a time when the national crime rate
is down. He referred to his veto of legislation in 2001 that would
have added 1,000 more prison beds. "While we already had too many prison
beds, the Legislature was still trying to build more."
He estimated savings of about $4 million
to result from Delta Correctional's closure
and the renegotiation of other private prison contracts. That will happen,
he said, as the state Department of Corrections continues to reduce its
incarceration costs, which have been cut about $1,500 per prisoner a year.
(Clarion Ledger)
September
20, 2002
Delta Correctional Facility in greenwood will lay off 59 workers today as the
private prison heads toward closure next month. The layoffs follow
inmate reductions from 843 to 412 since Sept.9. The staff had numbered
192, but will now fall to 67 at the prison in Greenwood, which is already
experiencing job losses. The entire facility is expected to be empty by
Oct.9. State officials are closing the facility because there's no need
for a medium-security prison in the system at the moment, said Chris Epps,
acting corrections commissioner. Total savings for closing Delta for 18
months could be close to $1 million Epps said. That dispute aside,
Musgrove still has authority to close the Delta facility since the prison
didn't have a requisite number of guaranteed inmates after June 30, according
to its contract. Steven Owen, spokesman for Nashville-based
Correctional Corp. of America, said his company will operate the prison in an
exemplary manner until the final inmates leave. Owen has heard that
MDOC has plans to reopen Delta, but he does not know if CCA will be
involved. (Clarion Ledger)
September
16, 2002
Gov. Ronnie Musgrove's appeal to the Mississippi Supreme Court could mean the
state's private prisons may go months without being paid. Musgrove is
appealing a Sept.3 ruling by Coahoma Circuit Judge William Willard that found
Musgrove's partial veto of a $54.7 million appropriation for private prisons
was invalid. Musgrove maintains the money was obliterated by his
partial veto. And if the governor authorizes spending any of the $54.7
million in private prison funds Willard ruled as appropriated, Musgrove's
Supreme Court appeal likely is moot. Legislatures say they will not
consider another private prison appropriation in the special session that
began Sept.6 - a session Musgrove had originally called expressly to seek
passage of his $48 million private prison package. Money coming from
other budget sources in the Mississippi Department of Corrections for private
prisons will run out in the next few months, officials say. Steven Owen,a spokesman for
Nashville-based Corrections Corp. of America, which runs Delta, said his
company will be paid according to contract. The state could have
effectively closed Delta without canceling its contract. Delta is not
guaranteed any inmates by contract after June 30, 2002, so the state can
withdraw inmates until there are none remaining. (Clarion Ledger)
September
6, 2002
House and senate leaders say they won't bring a prison spending bill up for
consideration, killing one of Gov. Ronnie Musgrove's top wishes in a special
legislative session. Musgrove targeted Delta Correctional Facility in
Leflore County for closure as he renegotiated contracts with five privately managed
prisons. He wanted lawmakers to cut the appropriations to the private
prisons from $54.7 million to $48.6 million to match the contracts
renegotiated with Corrections Corporation of America and Wackenhut.
State corrections officials say Mississippi's prison system has too many
medium-custody beds like those at Delta Correctional. Musgrove had
asked lawmakers to back his decision by cutting spending to the private
facilities. Earlier this week, a chancery judge ruled that Musgrove had
unconstitutionally vetoed part of a prison spending bill in the spring.
Because the veto was invalid, money is available to operate private prisons,
the judge said. Atty. Gen. Mike Moore has said Musgrove can close the
Delta facility without any legislation. MDOC officials told members of
the House Penitentiary Committee that the shutdown of the facility is going
ahead. "There's no reason to have those beds filled when it's not
necessary," Rick McCarty, deputy corrections commissioner for
administration and finance, said Thursday. McCarty said the state owns
the facility and will keep some employees on hand to make sure utilities
continue to operate. (Go Memphis.com)
September
5, 2002
Mississippi Department of Corrections officials are going ahead with the transfer
of inmates out of the privately run Delta Correctional Facility in Leflore
County. Coahoma County Chancery Judge William Willard ruled Tuesday
that Gov. Ronnie Musgrove's partial veto in April of the $54.7 million
budgeted for private prisons was unconstitutional. Willard siad the contract between Delta Correctional and the MDOC
was still in force. A one-year provision in the contract that
guaranteed a minimum of 843 inmates expired June 30. Delta Correctional
authority officials are hoping lawmakers will reinstate the guarantee during
the special session of the Legislature that begins today. State Sen.
David Jordan (D-Greenwood) said that was unlikely because Musgrove controls
the agenda of a special session. :Unless the
governor has a change of heart about the facility then there's not much
anyone else can do," Jordan said. Willard did not bar MDOC from
transferring state inmates to other facilities. MDOC spokesman Jennifer
Griffin on Wednesday said the agency was proceeding with its plans to move
inmates. The prison is operated by Corrections Corp. of America (CCA)
of Nashville. (Go Memphis.com)
September
4, 2002
A judge ruled Gov. Ronnie Musgrove's partial veto of funding for private
prisons, ruling a contract with a prison the governor had targeted for
closure remains in force. Musgrove said he would appeal Tuesday's
ruling. But he backed off an ultimatum that he would hold up debate on
medical lawsuit reform at Thursday's special legislative session unless
lawmakers pass an alternative prison appropriation. The Legislature
never tried to override the veto because state Attorney General Mike Moore
advised that it was not valid. On Tuesday, Coahoma County Judge William
Willard ruled in a breach of contract suit by the Delta correctional Facility
Authority that the money set aside by the Legislature remains in the
budget. The governor, however, still maintains legislators need to pass
a new $48.7 million appropriation for the private prison. Moore called
the situation "nonsense." "The appropriation bill reads
that up to $54.7 million may be spent for private prisons," Moore
said. "Since $48 million is less than $54 million, spend that
amount. Sen. David Jordan, D-Greenwood, said the vote isn't
necessary. "They need to look at what it really costs to close
Delta," Jordan said. "Epps testified that the state could not
house inmates as cheaply as Delta, so why close it?" But Musgrove
still has the authority to close Delta because the contract does not provide
for a minimum number of inmates after June 30, 2002. The state also
could have negotiated lower per-diems for prisoners above 500, which Musgrove
did, without canceling contracts, according to contract terms. During a
press conference Tuesday, Moore passed out letters from the Department of
Corrections to Walnut Grove Youth Facility and East Mississippi Correctional
Facility that indicated such transactions were under way in May, before
contracts were cancelled at the end of June. (Clarion Ledger)
September
3, 2002
As lawmakers prepare to convene in a special session Thursday, they're
keeping on an eye on today's expected court ruling on whether Gov. Ronnie
Musgrove had the right to partially veto a prison appropriations bill.
Judge William Willard is expected to rule today whether Musgrove's partial
veto of a $54.7 million private prison appropriation bill is valid.
Legislators did not override the veto during this year's general session
after receiving an opinion from Attorney General Mike Moore that the veto was
invalid. But Musgrove insists the veto is valid, and he renegotiated
four private prison contracts and cancelled one with the Delta Correctional
Facility in Greenwood, which he plans to close, at least temporarily.
The governor is putting a proposed $48.6 million private prison
appropriations bill at the top of the special session agenda beginning
Thursday. In testimony during the hearing in Willard's court, now
acting Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps acknowledged the contract allowed
for MDOC to renegotiate lower rates for more than 500 inmates at private
prisons without canceling contracts. In addition, MDOC has had the
power since June 30 to withdraw prisoners without a contract
cancellation. State Sen. Willie Simmons said even if the judge rules the
veto invalid, lawmakers should look at changing the prison legislation to
free up the $6 million in renegotiated contracts. If they don't, then
the $6 million in saving could only be spent with the Department of
Corrections and not other agencies that may need the money, said Simmons,
D-Cleveland. "We still have some work to do, in my opinion, even
if the judge rules it is not a legitimate veto," Simmons said.
(Clarion Ledger)
August
30, 2002
Mississippi Department of Corrections officials say they are working on a
transfer plan for the 794 inmates now housed at a private prison in Leflore
County. Deputy Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps said he does not
expect the prison to complete the shutdown process by the original target
date of Sept. 20. Gov. Ronnie Musgrove
and the MDOC are involved in a court fight over closing the Delta
Correctional Facility in Greenwood. Delta Correctional administration have said that so far about 40 of the 200
employees at Delta Correctional have been offered jobs at state facilities.
(Clarion Ledger)
August
27, 2002
A Coahoma County judge says a ruling on a motion in a lawsuit filed against
Gov. Ronnie Musgrove cannot legally stop the governor from effectively
shutting down a private prison in Greenwood. A lawsuit was filed to
keep the prison open by the Delta Correctional Authority, which operates the
private prison. Willard said any ruling he makes about the validity of
Musgrove's partial veto is irrelevant to the fate of the Delta Correctional
Facility. The state's contract with the private prison still allows
Musgrove to remove as many prisoners as he wants, Willard said.
"If I rule that Governor Musgrove acted improperly, all that would do would be to re-implement the contract,"
Willard said. "And the governor and the Department of Corrections
could do whatever they deem fit as long as it's within the terms of the
contract. " (AP)
August
27, 2002
The clock is ticking on the fierce battle over the closure of Delta
Correctional Facility. Judge William Willard Monday set a noon Friday
deadline for final filings he will use to reach a decision by Sept. 3 on a
breach of contract suit against Gov. Ronnie Musgrove and the state Department
of Corrections. That deadline was set over objections from attorney
John Maxey, representing Musgrove and MDOC, but at the insistence of Attorney
General Mike Moore. Moore, intervening for the state, accused Musgrove
of setting special session for Sept. 5 so legislators would not have a court
decision on the validity of Musgrove's closing of Delta after canceling its
contract due to a lack of funds. Willard must decide if Musgrove's
partial veto of a $54.7 million private prison appropriation bill is
valid. Musgrove upheld its validity, declared the money unappropriated and canceled the contract of Delta and
four other private prisons. The governor renegotiated lower future
rates with four prisons, but set Delta for closure by Sept.20. (Clarion
Ledger)
August
24, 2002
Gov. Ronnie Musgrove is calling
lawmakers into special session Sept. 5 to address rising
medical malpractice premiums and general civil justice reform —
but he says they can't take up those issues unless they pass
his private prison appropriation bill first.
The move prompted an angered Lt. Gov.
Amy Tuck to accuse the governor of playing games,
while House Speaker Tim Ford said he was "bewildered."
Musgrove said Friday he is asking
legislators to pass a $48.6 million appropriation bill
for the state's private prison contracts during the special
session — the same bill that failed to pass during last month's
special session. Only if he is able to sign that
bill will he expand the session to include the issue of medical
malpractice premiums for doctors who can't find or afford insurance.
"It's absolutely essential to deal
with the first issue before we get to the second issue,"
Musgrove said at a news conference at Mississippi Blood
Services, where he donated blood. Ford said there
was no guarantee the private prison appropriations bill would
pass the House, where it failed 44 to 71 during the last special
session. The Senate passed the bill 34 to 14. "I'm
certainly not opposed to that bill, but the members obviously
voted against it," he said. But House Penitentiary Chairman Bennett
Malone, who voted against the bill last month, said
he's prepared to support it now. He said he sent a letter to
other House members urging them to do the same.
The governor, who says the veto remains
valid, then canceled five prison contracts, stating
a lack of appropriated funds. He re-negotiated four contracts at
lower rates for additional inmates and set the Delta Correctional
Facility for closure. The dispute has since been taken to court.
A hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Monday in
Coahoma County on a lawsuit filed by the Leflore County Prison
Authority to keep the Delta prison open.
Musgrove said Friday that the private
prisons are currently not being paid.
Musgrove has said closing the Delta
prison and renegotiating the contracts will yield a
$6 million savings. Of that savings, however, $5 million is
one-time money derived by purchasing a surety bond to prevent the
state from making a bond payment on the prison. The money
will have to be repaid in the future. But House Judiciary B Committee Chairman
Ed Blackmon, also a member of the tort reform
committee, said he has no problem with Musgrove's plan.
"The governor has limited powers in
this state and he's using what limited powers he
has," said Blackmon, D-Canton. "And I don't criticize
him for that." (Clarion Ledger)
August
23, 2002
A hearing set for today in Clarksdale on
a lawsuit against Gov. Ronnie Musgrove and the
state Department of Corrections over the planned closure of a
private prison has been delayed as state officials seek to
resolve the dispute out of court.
Judge William G. Willard, who was
appointed to hear the Delta Prison Authority's breach
of contract claim over the closing of Delta Correctional
Facility after Leflore County Chancery judges recused themselves, granted a continuance
Thursday until 9:30 a.m. Monday.
That could give officials more time to
work out a compromise. Attorneys held a conference
call with Willard on Thursday and more talks are planned
today. (Clarion Ledger)
August
22, 2002
Attorney General Mike Moore has asked a
judge to rule that the state Department of
Corrections doesn't have the authority to cancel a contract with
a private prison in Greenwood.
Moore filed the court motion Wednesday,
just two days before a judge is set to hear a
breach of contract suit filed against Gov. Ronnie Musgrove and
the Department of Corrections by the Delta Prison Authority.
Moore said he still hopes the case is
settled out of court. The motion was filed in Leflore
County Chancery Court, but the case will be heard in Clarksdale.
The attorney general contends Musgrove's
veto of a provision earmarking up to $54 million
for private prisons is void. Arguing the money was no longer available, Musgrove renegotiated cheaper
contracts with four private prisons and ordered the closure
of Delta Correctional Facility in Greenwood. (Clarion
Ledger)
August
14, 2002
Sen. Rob Smith, D-Richland, said Epps is willing to take the job despite
three lawsuits facing the department and the fact Musgrove has just one year
left in his term. The state faces lawsuits from the Leflore County
Prison Authority over the scheduled Sept.20 closing of Delta Correctional
Facility and suits from prisoners' right attorney Ron Welch and the American
Civil Liberties Union over prison conditions. "Anyone who came in
from the outside could find themselves on the street after a year if the
governor is not re-elected or has a change of heart," Smith said.
"Epps could provide continuity." South Mississippi
Correctional Institute in Leakesville received American Correctional
Association accreditation in May, with Parchman and
Central Mississippi Correctional Facility to follow by October.
"Accreditation makes our facility safer for inmates, guards and the
public," Epps said. "There are hundreds of standards that
must be met." (The Clarion Ledger)
August
13, 2002
Johnson's last day on the $85,000-a-year job is Aug,30.
His departure comes as he and Musgrove are embroiled in legal battles as well
as a stand-off with the state Legislature over closing the Delta Correctional
Facility in Greenwood. The governor also renegotiated lower per-inmate,
per-day rates with four private prisons in efforts to save the state
money. State prisoner rights attorney Ron Welch said leading the
Corrections Department "takes a lot of skill politically, administratively
and intuitively." Welch is asking a federal court in Greenville to
prevent MDOC from closing the Delta prison and to rule the Musgrove's April
veto of a $54.7 million appropriation bill for private prisons is
invalid. Welch said he hopes the governor appoints a new commissioner
from within the department who would be familiar with the issues it
faces. (The Clarion Ledger)
August
7, 2002
An Aug.14 trial date has been set for a lawsuit seeking a halt to the closing
of a private prison in Leflore County. The Delta Correctional
Authority, a five-member board that oversees Delta Correctional Facility,
filed the lawsuit in chancery court after Gov. Ronnie Musgrove announced
plans to close the facility. The authority says it never received a
certified letter from the state providing notification of the impending
closure. The letter is required by state law, according to the
lawsuit. The governor's plan also would be a breach of contract, said
Edgar Bland, chairman of the Delta Correctional Authority board of
directors. Musgrove attempted this year to veto $54.7 million for
private prison contracts. The governor declared the private prison
contracts void July 1 because lawmakers did not override his veto, and he
said the money was left unappropriated. The
governor then re-negotiated lower per-prisoner, per-day rates with four
private prisons and moved to close the delta Facility. Prisoner rights
attorney Ron Welch also has filed a lawsuit against Musgrove to keep Delta
Correctional open. (The Clarion Ledger)
August
1, 2002
State prisoners' rights attorney Ron
Welch said he is resorting to "sabotage" against
the Mississippi Department of Corrections and Gov. Ronnie
Musgrove. Welch, whose filing to reopen the Gates vs. Collier federal
lawsuit on prison overcrowding was in the media Tuesday the
morning lawmakers defeated a reduced funding bill
for private prisons, laughed when told Musgrove's attorney,
Peyton Prospere, considered his timing
"like sabotage."
"That is exactly what it was,"
Welch said. "I am proud he recognized it." A second motion Welch sent Wednesday to
federal court in Greenville seeks to prevent MDOC
from closing Delta Correctional Facility in Greenwood and asks
for a declaratory judgment that Gov. Ronnie Musgrove's April
veto of a $54.7 million appropriation bill for private prisons is
invalid. But Attorney General Mike Moore, who would have to defend
the state against such a declaratory judgment, says the veto is
partial and invalid because it included only a
provision to prevent Corrections Commissioner Robert Johnson from
moving money to other areas of the budget.
Johnson, incensed at Welch's newest
court filing, says the state will seek sanctions against
the prisoners' rights attorney. "It is frivolous and has nothing to
do with Gates vs. Collier," he said. "We have paid
him $678,000 in the last five years to sue us.
"I don't know if he wants to get
his name in the news or is just trying to have a record
earnings year, but I am beginning to doubt his motives."
"We are asking the court to make
(the state) prove that shutting down Delta will not
have a negative impact on prisoners," he said of Wednesday's
motion. "It is my duty to look after their well-being, yet
the state did not tell me about closing Delta until
the last minute." (The Clarion Ledger)
July
31, 2002
Mississippi lawmakers on Tuesday rejected a proposal to reshuffle the state's
prison budget to match Gov. Ronnie Musgrove's plans to close a 1,000 bed,
privately run prison in the Delta. While the Senate approved a
reduction in the state's $233 million prison budget by $6 million, a
coalition of Delta, black and even some Republican lawmakers in the House
blocked the proposal with a 64-51 vote. Their actions capped a one-day,
three-issue special session called by the governor. But the impasse
over the state's prison budget-specifically a section that deals with prisons
run for the state by contract with private companies-immediately raised the
specter of litigation and/or another special session as early as this
fall. "It's unfortunate that a majority un
the House choose to fund private prison beds that aren't needed,"
Musgrove said. In 2001, the governor vetoed efforts to build still more
privately run prisons. And critics have complained for years that new
prisons were increasingly being viewed by local officials as a toll for
economic development. As the 2002 legislative session concluded, the
governor vetoed part of the state's $233 million prison budget that pertained
to private prisons. Specifically, he vetoed a provision that prevented
him form transferring $54 million appropriated for
privately run prisons to fund beds at state-run institutions. Based on
his belief that his veto stood, the governor terminated contracts with
Wackenhut and Corrections Corporation of America to run five prisons.
He negotiated new contracts his administration claims will save $6 million
this year. Part of those savings comes from plans to close, beginning
next month, the 1,000-bed medium security Delta Correctional Facility in
Leflore County, run by Corrections Corporation of America. By the end
of the day Tuesday, Atty, Gen. Mike Moore confirmed
that the governor had authority to re-negotiate private prisons contracts and
even to close the Delta Correctional Facility. (GoMemphis)
August
30, 2002
The governor's special session is quickly approaching and, by some accounts,
is becoming less about issues and more about a political quagmire.
While lawmakers mull over medical malpractice proposals, saying he should be
prepared to take the blame if tort reform is not addressed. Musgrove
said the prison bill needs to be passed because the state Department of
Corrections has no spending authority, and he is using his right to steer the
agenda for the special session. "The governor has the
constitutional authority to expand the call whenever he deems
appropriate," said Musgrove spokeswoman Lee Ann Mayo. During the
general session, Musgrove vetoed the MDOC budget set-aside for private
prisons. Legislators did not seek to override the veto because Attorney
General Mike Moore said it was invalid. The governor, who says the veto remains valid, the canceled five prison contracts
stating a lack of appropriated funds. He renegotiated four contracts at
lower rates for additional inmates and set the Delta Correctional Facility
for closure. Musgrove has said closing the prison and renegotiating the
contracts would save $6 million. (Clarion Ledger)
July
31, 2002
Mississippi is in possible legal jeopardy after legislators Tuesday voted
down a Department of Corrections appropriations bill state officials said
would save $6 million in 2003, officials said. The 71-44 vote in the
house against the bill to reduce private prison funding from $54.7 million to
$48.7 million was seen by some as a backlash against Gov. Ronnie Musgrove,
who cancelled five contracts July 1, renegotiated four and moved to close
Delta Correctional Facility in Greenwood by Sept.20. House speaker Tim
Ford, D-Baldwyn, who voted for the bill, said the vote could result in legal
action against the state because legislators refused to validate Musgrove's
negotiations. Moore agreed. "The state could be sued,"
he said. "We have had calls...from private prison operators.
The setback will not prevent Musgrove from closing Delta or from going
forward on the renegotiated per-diem rates, but the Mississippi Department of
Corrections must pay for private prisons with other revenues.
"It's unfortunate that the majority of the members of the House chose to
fund beds we don't need versus saving $6 million for the people of
Mississippi," said Musgrove, who lobbied the Senate to turn a 25-20 vote
against the bill to a 24-14 approval before the house action.
"They voted against the $6 million, against appropriating money for private
prisons and the opportunity to operate more efficiently by putting inmates in
appropriate beds." (The Clarion Ledger)
July
27, 2002
Renegotiation of the state's private
prison contracts will save taxpayers $9 million and
increase efficiency in the Mississippi Department of Corrections,
officials said Friday. Gov. Ronnie Musgrove, who cancelled
contracts at the state's private prisons July 1,
said successful bargaining with private prison operators has
assured the best use of public dollars. Corrections
Commissioner Robert Johnson confirmed MDOC's intentions to
close Delta Correctional Facility in Greenwood by Sept.
20 and send more inmates to four other private facilities at a
reduced cost. Musgrove wants legislators attending
a special session Tuesday to approve a private
prison appropriation of $6 million less than the $54.7 million
appropriated in April. The governor said $3 million of the
savings will be realized in 2004. Rep. Bennett
Malone, D-Carthage, who chairs the House Penitentiary Committee,
says he believes Musgrove's plan will work. But the MDOC had
recruiters at Delta on Friday to talk with prison staff employed
by CCA about state employment. (The Clarion Ledger)
July
26, 2002
Mississippi prison officials will close
Greenwood's Delta Correctional Facility by Sept. 20.
Warden Don Grant told The Clarion-Ledger
on Thursday that he received a letter from the
Mississippi Department of Corrections this week detailing closure
plans for the 1,000-bed facility.
But Corrections Commissioner Robert
Johnson said Thursday that closing the facility,
operated by Corrections Corporation of America, is part of Gov.
Ronnie Musgrove's efforts to save the state at least $6 million.
Musgrove began renegotiating private
prison management contracts after voiding the pacts
June 28. He said he could do so because the Legislature failed to
override his April 9 veto of a $54.7 million private prison
appropriation. Closing Delta "will address the excess of medium-security
beds in the system," said Johnson of the state's 2,600
empty prison beds. "It will give us the opportunity
to redistribute prisoners based on our needs." (The
Clarion Ledger)
July
25, 2002
State Department of Corrections
Commissioner Robert Johnson said Wednesday the
state is considering closing Greenwood's Delta Correctional
Facility, one possible outcome of the governor's efforts to
renegotiate private prison contracts.
"It's on the table,
certainly," Johnson said. Johnson gave few details, but said he
hoped Gov. Ronnie Musgrove would announce soon, if
not today, the results of negotiations he has held with private
prisons. Musgrove has said that renegotiating the contracts
would save Mississippi taxpayers between $6 million and $12
million in 2003, and plans to call a special session
to address the issue. "I think things will make more
sense when that announcement comes out," Johnson
said. (Clarion Ledger)
July
22, 2002
Gov. Ronnie Musgrove is apparently weighing his options about the state
taking over the operation of Delta Correctional Facility, said state Sen.
David Jordan, D-Greenwood. As recently as Thursday, Musgrove had told
Jordan of his intention for the state to take over the 1,000 bed
facility. Jordan told the Greenwood voters league Wednesday night the
governor is likely waiting to see what state Attorney General Mike Moore is
going to do in response to a termination letter that was sent to the six
privately run prisons. Jordan, president of the Voters League, was
joined at the league's meeting by Don Grant, Delta Correctional's
warden and Phillip McLaurin and Jacquelyn Banks,
the facility's assistant warden. Many of those in attendance at the
meeting were Delta Correctional employees who came dressed in their
Corrections Corporation of America uniforms. A showdown between the
Legislature and Musgrove over the six privately run prisons in the state
started when Johnson sent the letters terminating contracts with the prisons
effective July 1. The Attorney General has said Musgrove cannot end the
contracts summarily. Musgrove has claimed he wants to trim the budget
for the private prisons by $6 million to $12 million by taking over the
private prisons, he said. "If they come in and take this facility
over, how are they going to save money, when their employees get 5.7 percent
more in salaries than we do? I'm not a rocket scientist and don't claim
to be one, but I can add two and two and it equals four", Grant
said. (Greenwood Commonwealth)
July
19, 2002
Corrections Corporation of America said yesterday that its contract to manage
a Mississippi prison has been terminated. Mississippi ended the contract for
the Nashville-based company to manage the 1,016-bed Delta Correctional
Facility in Greenwood, as part of a move to return privately operated prisons
in Mississippi to state control. (Tennessean)
July
14, 2002
State Sen. David Jordan, D-Greenwood,
says he met with Gov. Ronnie Musgrove about the prison last week
and the takeover is a "foregone conclusion."
Gov. Ronnie Musgrove plans to announce
this week a state takeover of Delta Correctional Facility,
according to state Sen. David Jordan, D-Greenwood.
The plan would save jobs of employees
there and open 150 beds for Leflore County inmates, Jordan said.
"We are negotiating with the
private prison companies, and as soon as we complete the
negotiations a public announcement will be made," said John Sewell,
a spokesman for the Governor's Office.
Musgrove has canceled all contracts with
private prisons, saying he can save Mississippi $6 million to
$12 million. The Mississippi Department of Corrections is
working with a $19.2 million shortfall. Jordan's announcement clashes with an
MDOC order, which came in April, barring the county from using
beds at Delta Correctional. A medium security prison, Delta Correctional
does not have the capacity to house inmates convicted of violent
crimes or awaiting trial. Supervisors had looked into converting
the prison into a jail facility, a transformation that would
save time and money compared with building a new jail.
At this point, the prospect of the
county using Delta Correctional brings up a number of questions.
"I'm not really sure who would manage it," said Abraham,
who posed the idea to supervisors earlier this year.
"Would state manage it or would we
manage it? Would we be guaranteed those beds forever or for two
years? There are a lot of questions."
And the county is running out of time to
look for answers. (The Tennessean)
July
8, 2002
Gov. Ronnie Musgrove's attempt Monday to
cancel state contracts with five privately-run prisons has left
a Leflore County state legislator looking for answers.
State Sen. Bunky
Huggins, R-Greenwood, said he has been discussing the situation
with state Attorney General Mike Moore among others.
Musgrove's actions, he said, were
irresponsible because they unnecessarily put the public at risk
and gave the Tennessee-based Corrections Corporation of America, the company that runs DCF, little assurance it
would be paid for continuing to operate the prison.
Huggins said Musgrove did guarantee later that the prison companies would be
paid for their services. The governor also has suggested bringing the
existing private prison guard force in as state employees through an
executive order, Huggins said. (Common Wealth)
East Mississippi
Correctional Facility
Meridian, Mississippi
MTC (formerly run by GEO Group)
MDOC Sticks with
Private Prisons: Jackson Free Press, June 13, 2012. MDOC
chooses MTC to take over where GEO failed. What are they smoking?
October 22, 2012 San francisco Chronicle
MERIDIAN, Miss. (AP) — Three guards at the privately run East Mississippi
Correctional Facility are charged with embezzlement after authorities say the
men lied about their work hours. Lauderdale County sheriff's deputies
arrested 22-year-old Markiezth Tillman, 27-year-old
William David Smith and 24-year-old Derrick Brown on Thursday. Chief Deputy
Ward Calhoun says Monday that the men found a way to manipulate an electronic
time-keeping system to show they were working when they weren't. He says
Management & Training Corp., the Utah company that recently took over
management of the prison, discovered the violations and called law
enforcement. Calhoun says the violations had been happening for less than a month.
Issa Arnita, a spokesman
for MTC, says the men are on leave while the investigation continues. The
prison is in Lost Gap, west of Meridian.
June 12, 2012 WTOK
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration says it has cited The GEO
Group Inc. with six safety and health violations, totaling $104,000 in fines,
at East Mississippi Correctional Facility. A report released by OSHA Tuesday
says the GEO Group exposed prison employees to workplace violence and failed
to take measures to reduce the risk. It says while prisons are obviously
dangerous workplaces, the employer is still required to take every reasonable
precaution to protect corrections officers and other staff against safety
hazards. OSHA's findings were based on a December 2011 inspection stemming
from a complaint about the facility. The report goes on to say the GEO Group
also failed to provide adequate staffing, to fix malfunctioning cell door
locks, or to provide proper safety training. OSHA says these were all willful
violations, meaning there was intentional knowing or voluntary disregard for
the law's requirements. The GEO Group has 15 business days to respond to
these charges. Newscenter 11 has reached out to GEO
Group spokesman Pablo Paez for a comment, but we
have yet to receive a response.
June 7, 2012 WTOK
MTC will officially take over operation at East Mississippi Correctional
Facility on July 9th. The company got its start working with young people
outside the corrections system. The Vice President of Corrections at MTC
explained the company's history via a video news release. "We started 30
years ago by providing training for young adults to succeed in life,"
says Odie Washington, "we've taken that and
applied it to our corrections division. "All you are going to see is a
change in the name over the door," that's the opinion of Frank Smith, a
private prison watchdog, "it's not going to be
a change in operations." Smith works as a consultant for Private
Corrections Working Group. "The problem is there is such turnover that
there is no mentoring process so everybody is just kind of new on the job,
and they don't know what to do when the problems arise." MTC officials
say they plan on providing EMCF with all the resources it needs to operate
effectively. "We'll provide each facility the resources necessary for
them to operate safely and effectively," says Washington, and we look
forward to applying these high standards to our new Mississippi facilities as
well." Only time will tell whether MTC will have a successful run in the
Magnolia State.
June 7, 2012 AP
A Utah-based private prison operator will take over management of three
Mississippi correctional institutions beginning in July. Management &
Training Corporation of Centreville, Utah, has signed 10-year operating contracts
for the East Mississippi Correctional Facility near the Lost Gap community
beginning July 2; Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility in Walnut Grove on
July 9; and the Marshall County Correctional Facility in Holly Springs on
Aug. 13. Financial details of the contracts were not made public. The
announcement came Thursday by the company and the Mississippi Department of
Corrections. The Corrections Department and the GEO Group of Boca Raton,
Fla., in April agreed to end GEO's management contract at the three prisons.
At the time Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps told the AP that the
department felt it might get a better price if all three prisons were
presented as a package to other corrections management companies. "The
Mississippi Department of Corrections is looking forward to a great
partnership with MTC," Epps said in a statement Thursday. "There is
a need for different types of prisons, including state and regional as well
as private facilities in Mississippi. MTC will be held to the same high
standards as set by MDOC and I feel extremely confident that MTC will do a
great job." "We look forward to the opportunity to work in
Mississippi," said MTC senior vice president of corrections Odie Washington in the statement. "We have partnered
with state and federal governments in operating correctional facilities for
the past 25 years, and have a strong record of providing safe, secure and
well-run facilities."
May 20, 2012 WLBT
A celebration in Smith Park commemorated changes at Walnut Grove Youth Correctional
Facility. The Friends and Family Members of Youth Incarcerated at Walnut
Grove held a rally Sunday morning. Parents of children at the facility
thanked department of Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps for ending the
private prison contract with the GEO Group. They said their children were
mistreated under the company's management from being denied medical treatment
to education. "I would like to urge the commissioner to continue to do
the right thing by our children and to not allow another private, for profit
company to take over Walnut Grove," said Walnut Grove parent Kimberly
Carson. "The GEO Group is making money off of these young men. They
don't seem willing to spend any of that money to make sure they have been
properly rehabilitated," said Walnut Grove parent Marietta Larry. GEO
managed Walnut Grove and the East Mississippi and Marshall County
Correctional facilities until last month.
April 20, 2012 WTOK
On Friday Mississippi Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps reeled off a
long list of problems the state has been monitoring at East Mississippi
Correctional Facility in recent weeks and months. Those issues include a
murder and multiple suicides. Epps says the final straw with GEO Group, the
current manager of EMCF, came when the company asked the state for $5 million
more to operate the facility. GEO Group is painting a different picture of
the split, saying they initiated the move because the facility is financially
under-performing.
April 20, 2012 AP
The Mississippi Department of Corrections says GEO Group Inc., one of the
country's largest private prison operators, will no longer manage three
facilities in Mississippi. On Thursday, the Boca Raton, Fla.-based company
said it was backing out of a contract to manage the East Mississippi Correctional
Facility near the Lost Gap community by July 19. Company officials told The
Associated Press on Friday that it had nothing else to say. Corrections
Commissioner Christopher Epps told the AP on Friday that the department felt
it might get a better price if all three prisons were presented as a package
to other corrections management companies. Epps said he would expect GEO
Group to end its ties to the Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility in
Walnut Grove and Marshall County Correctional Facility in Holly Springs by
July 20. "We feel this may be a golden opportunity to provide a better
price for the taxpayers of the state and at the same time maybe do a better
job in the operation of the facilities," Epps said. "That's what I
would like to see." Epps said there was some concern at MDOC about
incidents at all three prisons. The Walnut Grove facility is presently under
a federal court order to remove juvenile inmates amid allegations of physical
and sexual abuse. That court order came in a settlement of a lawsuit filed
against Walnut Grove in 2010. GEO Group has repeatedly declined to comment on
the lawsuit. Epps has said his plan is to send the 17-and-younger inmates to
Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Rankin County by Oct. 1. He said
there are about 1,000 vacant beds at that prison now, so there is no need for
a new building. Walnut Grove also houses adults. They would remain there
under a settlement that ended a 2010 lawsuit. Epps said Friday that local
authority boards deal with management contracts at
EMCF and Walnut Grove with MDOC help. He said MDOC works directly with
vendors at Marshall County. "There are a lot of these management
companies out there. We're reaching out to those private operators to see
what the best proposal is we might get," he said. In its announcement,
GEO chairman/CEO George C. Zoley said EMCF was
"financially underperforming." GEO Group vice president Pablo E. Paez said Friday the company would have no other comment.
March 28, 2012 Vicksburg
Post
When Vicksburg native Stuart Brooks was killed Feb. 21 in his prison cell at
the East Mississippi Correctional Facility, a family member's old fear was
proved prophetic. "Stuart is very much in need of psychological
help," Brooks' aunt wrote in 1995, before he was sentenced for the
sexual battery of her 9-year-old son. "I know that with his mentality,
he would not survive in a prison, someone would probably kill him. I don't
think he'll ever be able to function in a normal society." Brooks was 18
when he was convicted in Warren County Circuit Court of assaulting his young
cousin. Writing to then-Judge Frank Vollor as part
of Vollor's pre-sentencing investigation, Brooks'
aunt was torn — angry about what happened to her son but concerned for her
nephew. "He's going to need help for the rest of his life and should be
locked up that long," she wrote. Instead, Brooks was released after
serving 15 years of a 30-year sentence, was re-arrested and sent back to
prison for failing to register as a sex offender. About halfway through that
three-year sentence, he was strangled, an autopsy showed, at the Lost Gap
facility. His cellmate has been charged in his death. With Brooks' death, all
those close to the 1995 case are gone.
November 2, 2011 WTOK
The company that owns a local prison says it will not talk about any of the
problems going on there right now. An inmate at the East Mississippi
Correctional Facility died there over the weekend, apparently by suicide. A
guard was recently stabbed by an inmate. It's the latest in a string of violent
acts at the prison. After two days of attempts to contact the GEO Group for a
comment on the problems, we got a response Wednesday. Geo Group officials say
as a matter of policy, they will not speak to the media.
October 31, 2011 WTOK
An inmate at the East Mississippi Correctional Facility took his own
life, according to authorities. The Lauderdale County Sheriff's Department,
which investigates incidents there, said 27-year-old Bobby Wilkerson hung
himself in his cell using bed sheets. They say he left a note in a Bible
beside his bed. The death is the latest in a string of incidents at the
prison. A guard was recently stabbed with a shank. And local officials are
looking for some changes. Since 1999, Sheriff Billy Sollie
says his department has responded to as many as 60 calls for help at EMCF,
located on Highway 80 at Lost Gap. Sollie says the
inmate population has doubled since the facility opened. "You know, with
the Mississippi Department of Corrections shutting down some of their violent
units that were traditionally held in the northern part of the state, many of
those inmates are transferred here to the Lauderdale County area," said Sollie. Sollie attributes that
to the the increased level of violence reported at
EMCF. But Sollie says he has no control over the
situation. "It's not our responsibility to run that facility. It's our
responsibility to investigate crimes that are reported to us," Sollie said. But having to investigate so many incidents
at EMCF is hindering efforts to conduct its regular duties, according to the
sheriff. "We would certainly like to talk with the state of Mississippi
about them employing a full-time investigator that would investigate the
major crimes, your felony crimes that occur on that facility," said Sollie. "And free up my investigators to work for
the citizens of Lauderdale County." Over the last couple of days, Newscenter 11 has received numerous phone calls from
relatives of inmates at EMCF, who claim that inmates aren't being treated
properly. We contacted both the warden and deputy warden for this story.
Neither opted to comment. East Mississippi Correctional Facility is owned by
the Geo Group. It's one of 116 facilities the company operates world-wide. It
opened back in 1999, and has about 1500 beds.
June 27, 2011 Clarion
Ledger
The family of a man found hanging in a cell on Feb. 19 at East Mississippi
Correctional Facility in Lauderdale County plans to sue the state over his
death, based on the results of a second autopsy. The Mississippi Medical
Examiner's office said Sammy Robinson's death was consistent with suicide.
But a second autopsy performed at the family's request by Dr. Matthias Okoye of the Nebraska Institute of Forensic Science said
Robinson had blunt force trauma to the upper and lower extremities as well as
sharp force trauma to the right upper and lower extremities, according to
Warren Martin Jr., an attorney for family members. An intent-to-sue letter
has been issued to the state Department of Corrections and the GEO Group of
Boca Raton, Fla., which operates the prison. In the notice, Martin said Okoye noted several abrasions and contusions all over
Robinson's body. MDOC Commissioner Chris Epps said Monday he can't discuss
Robinson's case because of the pending legal action.
April 1, 2006 Meridian
Star
A former guard at East Mississippi Correctional Facility at Lost Gap
received a three-year suspended sentence this week in Lauderdale County
Circuit Court for helping two prisoners escape last year. Tomeka
Lashae Brown, 26, of Porterville pleaded guilty
Monday to aiding the escape of a felon. Prisoners Gregory Malone, 26, and
Christopher Roy, 24, escaped Oct. 17 after apparently using a saw blade to
cut their way out of the facility. They were captured about 24 hours later at
a hotel in Northport, Ala., near Tuscaloosa. Malone was serving a life
sentence for a capital murder in Hinds County. Roy was serving a life
sentence for a murder in Jackson County. In her petition to plead guilty,
Brown admitted driving the two men to Tuscaloosa and paying for their motel
room. Brown was indicted by a Lauderdale County grand jury in November; Lost
Gap prison officials announced she had been fired in December. Circuit Judge
Lester Williamson Jr. handed down the sentence, which could have been as
severe as 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Roy and Malone were each
indicted on a charge of escape, which could add five years to their life
sentences. A third inmate, 24-year-old Kenneth Johnson, was indicted on a
charge of aiding the escape of a felon; he is serving a 71/2-year sentence
for a burglary in Lawrence County. None of these cases has been resolved. The
Geo Group Inc., a Florida-based company, operates East Mississippi
Correctional Facility, which can house as many as 1,000 inmates, under a
contract with the Mississippi Department of Corrections. The prison
specializes in housing prisoners with psychiatric problems.
March 31, 2006 WREG
A former Texas prison official has taken over as warden of the privately
run East Mississippi Correctional Facility in Lauderdale County. Yesterday
was the first day on the job for 51-year-old Dale Caskey,
who recently retired after 30 years with the Texas Department of Criminal
Justice. Caskey replaced interim warden Darryl
Anderson. Caskey's last assignment in Texas was as
warden of the Hughes Unit, a maximum-security facility in Gatesville, Texas.
The East Mississippi Correctional Facility, located in the Lost Gap
community, houses inmates with mental disorders. It's owned by The Geo Group,
formerly Wackenhut Corrections Corporation.
December 16, 2005 Clarion
Ledger
Two guards have been terminated and a supervisor resigned in the wake of the
October escape of two inmates serving life sentences for murder at the East
Mississippi Correctional Facility in Meridian. "The message is that if
you don't follow policy and procedures, you will be terminated,"
Mississippi Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps said. Epps said guard Tomeka Brown was fired for providing transportation from
the Mississippi/Alabama line to Tuscaloosa for escaped inmates Gregory Malone
and Christopher Roy. Epps said Brown apparently had a personal relationship
with Malone. Brown, who was indicted last month, is charged with accessory
before the fact to escape for aiding an abetting
the inmates. She is out on a $100,000 bond. Epps said guard Lakeisha Gowdy was fired after
an investigation determined she had not physically counted inmates to ensure
they were actually in the cells. Sgt. Cheryl Thornton resigned before being
terminated, Epps said. In Thornton's case, daily physical counts of inmates
weren't being performed as required, Epps said. The two inmates used a saw
blade to cut their way out of the facility.
November 25, 2005 WREG
Lauderdale County authorities say there appears to be no foul play in death
of an East Mississippi Correctional Facility inmate. The body of 32-year-old
Reginald Williams, of Meridian, was found hanging in his cell yesterday. The
sheriff's department is investigating the death and waiting for autopsy
results from the Mississippi Mortuary in Pearl.
November 19, 2005 Meridian
Star
It's the mid-1990s. The number of inmates in Mississippi's penal system is
increasing, and state officials need to build more prisons - or contract with
private companies to build more prisons. Meanwhile, Lauderdale County and
Meridian officials are looking for ways to improve the local economy and
create jobs. It seemed like a good match. The state needed a place to build a
prison and Lauderdale had a readily available workforce and land that needed
no rezoning. When city and county officials began putting together a
proposal, they hoped the new prison would provide an influx of jobs that
would only increase over time. They also hoped it would help Naval Air
Station Meridian. New U.S. Navy regulations prohibited student pilots from
performing maintenance tasks at the base. It was hoped that non-violent
prisoners could do some of the work - saving the base $300,000 to $500,000.
The Wackenhut Corp., now The Geo Group Inc., won the contract to build and
operate East Mississippi Correctional Facility in southwest Lauderdale
County's Lost Gap community. The facility accepted its first prisoners in
April 1999. Measuring outcomes: District 2 Supervisor Jimmie Smith said the
initial estimate was that the facility would create up to 350 jobs. It
currently employs 220 people in positions ranging from security officers to
medical staff to administrators. The partnership between the Navy base and
the prison never happened, according to Susan Junkins,
public affairs officer at NAS Meridian. "To the best of my knowledge I
have seen no impact that it has made to my business," said David
Hamilton, owner of the Best Western in Meridian. Ray Joyner, manager of the
Howard Johnson motel in Meridian, concurred: "I can't tell any difference
in business. It certainly doesn't seem any different, but I wouldn't call it
a major tourist attraction or industry, either." Wayne Gasson, chief of labor market information with the
Mississippi Department of Employment Security, said given the relatively
small number of jobs available, it is hard to gauge the prison's economic
impact. "If a facility like this one opened or closed, it would be
significant to the people that worked there - but as far as it impacting an
entire area, it probably isn't going to have much of an impact," Gasson said. The East Mississippi Correctional Facility
at Lost Gap employs 220 people. Interim Warden Darryl Anderson reports that
the annual turnover rate at the facility is 65 percent. Here's a look at
positions available and their hourly pay range. Security posts $7-$10.95
Clerical staff $7-$10 Food service $7-$15.35 Program staff $11.06-$18.45
Maintenance staff $9-$17 Medical staff $7.35-$20.95
October 29, 2005 Meridian
Star
Residents of the Lost Gap community were uneasy in April 1999, when the first
prisoners began arriving at East Mississippi Correctional Facility, a private
prison that brought inmates with mental disorders to their quiet area of
southeast Lauderdale County. Since then, there have been bumps in the road -
violence inside the prison, deaths, indictments of inmates and, most
recently, escapes. When two convicted murderers escaped from the EMCF this
month, it sparked a wide mix of emotions among residents of Lost Gap. In
addition to the escapes, EMCF has been the site of at least five incidents of
inmate-on-inmate violence since 2002. Three of these incidents led to
inmates' deaths. Also, in February 2002, inmates created a two-hour
disturbance when they refused to return to their cells. Correctional officers
were forced to use chemical agents to subdue them, and 29 inmates were
transferred to the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman
as a result. Current District 2 Supervisor Jimmie Smith, who was also on the
board at the time of the contract's approval, estimated the facility would
create 350 jobs. Lost Gap resident Robert Maxey doesn't share Florey's
optimistic view. "Sure, it provides a few jobs, but you can find jobs in
lots of other places. I really don't see the benefit in having it here,"
Maxey said. Community residents tried to derail the project, but to no avail.
When Maxey's wife, Barbara, was given a tour of the facility in 1998, she was
told that escapes would be impossible. Her skepticism at that remark was
confirmed on Monday, Oct. 17, however, when convicted killers Gregory Malone,
26, and Christopher Roy, 24, with the apparent assistance of a prison guard
and a fellow inmate, escaped through sawed window bars. "My
granddaughter was scared to death," Mrs. Maxey said. "If they
hadn't captured the two men, she likely would have never gone outside again.
October 30, 2005 AP
With two murderers escaping in the past month, residents here have begun
carrying weapons and apprehensions have grown about the East Mississippi
Correctional Facility. The private prison, opened in April 1999, houses
prisoners with mental disorders in southeast Lauderdale County. On Oct. 17,
convicted killers Gregory Malone, 26, and Christopher Roy, 24, escaped from
the facility, allegedly with the assistance of a prison guard and a fellow
inmate. The men escaped through sawed window bars. They were caught about 24
hours later. That was the second escape this year - Earl Blue escaped from
the facility on April 8. He was caught hours later, but residents are not
satisfied with the level of safety. The prison has had patterns of violence
within its walls leading to both deaths and indictments of inmates. The
facility has had five incidents of inmate violence since 2002 - three of
which resulted in inmate deaths. Many residents have opposed the presence of
the EMCF since it was proposed in the mid-1990s. "It's made a lot of
people more apprehensive," said John Griffin, 67, a retired Marine and
former Lost Gap fire chief. "My mother-in-law lived here when they first
brought the prison here, and she was scared to death. And now you've got more
people walking around carrying a gun because of the place. I don't go out of
this house without carrying a gun."
October 23, 2005 Clarion
Ledger
A second prison employee is being eyed in an investigation of two convicted
murderers' escape from the East Mississippi Correctional Facility last week.
A prison guard has been charged, but Chris Epps, commissioner of the
Mississippi Department of Corrections, said Saturday "there's been some
conversation about another employee." "We won't know until the
investigation is concluded. I would hope within a couple weeks we should have
everything wrapped up," he said. On Friday, inmate Kenneth Nelson
Johnson Jr., 23, who is serving a 7 1/2-year sentence for a burglary
conviction in Lawrence County, was charged with two counts of accessory
before the fact. He is the fourth person charged in relation to the escape.
Gregory Malone, 26, and Christopher Roy, 24, both serving life sentences for
murder, fled Monday from the prison on Old U.S. 80 West at the Lost Gap
community. They were captured about 24 hours later at a hotel in Northport,
Ala., near Tuscaloosa. Prison guard Tomeka Brown,
25, of Porterville, was arrested and charged with two counts of accessory
before the fact. She posted $100,000 bond from the Lauderdale County jail
Thursday. Epps has said Malone and Roy did not share a cell. He said he
believes someone helped the escaped convicts by sawing window bars, allowing
them to get to the prison's roof and escape after cutting a set of camera
wires. Neither he nor Calhoun knows how wide a net the investigators will
have to cast, Epps said. Despite the conversations about a possible second
employee, no employees other than Brown have been arrested or disciplined,
Epps said. Lauderdale County and Epps' office are coordinating the
investigation.
October 22, 2005 Meridian
Star
An East Mississippi Correctional Facility inmate was charged Friday with
helping two fellow prisoners escape earlier this week. Kenneth Nelson Johnson
Jr., 23, who is serving a 71/2-year sentence for a burglary conviction in
Lawrence County, was charged with two counts of accessory before the fact. He
is the fourth person to be charged in connection with the Monday escape.
Lauderdale County Chief Deputy Ward Calhoun said he expects others to be
charged as the investigation continues. Porterville resident Tomeka Brown, 25, a correctional officer at the private
prison for inmates with mental problems, was arrested at the same hotel later
Tuesday and charged with two counts of accessory before the fact. She posted
$100,000 bond and was released from the Lauderdale County jail Thursday.
Officials with the Department of Corrections, which contracts with EMCF
parent company The GEO Group Inc. to house state prisoners, could not be
reached for comment Friday. State Corrections Commissioner Christopher Epps
told reporters earlier this week that Malone and Roy did not share a cell.
Epps said he believes someone helped the escapees by sawing window bars, allowing
them to get to the prison's roof and escape after cutting a set of camera
wires.
October 19, 2005 Meridian
Star
Two inmates who were captured after escaping from the East Mississippi
Correctional Facility on Monday have been transferred to the Mississippi
State Penitentiary at Parchman. Gregory Malone, 26,
and Christopher Roy, 24, who were serving life sentences at the Lost Gap
prison, were captured by deputy U.S. marshals early Tuesday morning at an Econo Lodge in Northport, Ala., near Tuscaloosa. The two
were discovered missing shortly after 12:50 a.m. Monday at the privately
operated prison for inmates with mental health problems. Prison employee Tomeka Brown, who investigators believe played a key role
in the inmates' escape, is currently in custody at the Lauderdale County
Detention Facility. Brown, 25, of Porterville and a correctional officer at
EMCF, has been charged with two counts of accessory before the fact. She was
behind held on $100,000 bond Wednesday. Mississippi Corrections Commissioner
Christopher Epps has said that other employees of the East Mississippi
Correctional Facility, including interim Warden Darryl Anderson, could face
disciplinary action. However, MDOC officials wouldn't be more specific
Wednesday.
October 19, 2005 Clarion
Ledger
Two convicted murderers and a Mississippi corrections officer accused of
assisting in their escape from a Meridian prison were arrested in Alabama,
Lauderdale County Sheriff Billy Sollie said
Tuesday. Investigators believe Tomeka Lashae Brown helped Gregory Malone and Christopher Roy
rent a room at the Econo Lodge Hotel at 1930
McFarland Blvd., in Northport, Ala., Sollie said.
The inmates were discovered missing from the East Mississippi Correctional
Facility early Monday morning. Brown, 25, of DeKalb is charged with two
counts of accessory before the fact. All three are being held without bond at
the Tuscaloosa County Jail. Malone, 26, and Roy, 24, will face charges of
felony escape, Mississippi officials said. Sollie
would not give any other details on Brown's alleged role in the inmates'
escape from the prison, which houses inmates with mental health problems.
Mississippi Department of Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps said Tuesday
some employees - including interim Warden Darryl Anderson - may be fired upon
completion of an investigation. Epps said he had "grave" concerns
about hourly inmate counts, and window and bar checks. He said he believes
someone helped Malone and Roy, who were not housed together, by sawing window
bars, allowing them to get to the prison's roof and escape after cutting a
set of camera wires. "You have to check those bars every 24 hours with a
rubber hammer. The way they were able to saw out of that prison, it didn't
happen overnight," he said. Epps said security cameras show the inmates
leaving around 1 a.m.
August 12, 2005 Sun
Herald
Lauderdale County Sheriff Billy Sollie says three
men have been charged with murder in the stabbing death of an inmate at East
Mississippi Correctional Facility are charged in the murder of fellow inmate
Stanley Johnson. Sollie said Friday that John
Pickens, 35; John Sparkman, 30; and Kelvin Cage, 36, each face a charge of
murder in the stabbing death of Johnson on Sunday. Sollie
said all three are inmates at the privately run prison. Sollie
said the killing apparently dates back to a disagreement between Pickens and
Johnson, when the two were incarcerated in the Mississippi State Penitentiary
in Parchman. "All indications are this was a
planned assault on the victim," the sheriff said.
August 10, 2005 Clarion
Ledger
Lauderdale County authorities said Tuesday they hope to make an arrest today
in the stabbing death of 43-year-old Stanley Johnson inside the East
Mississippi Correctional Facility. "We are anticipating an arrest in the
next 24 to 48 hours," Lauderdale County Sheriff Billy Sollie said. Johnson was serving a life sentence for a
1985 rape conviction in Sunflower County. Warden Larry Greer said Johnson was
attacked about 1:30 p.m. Sunday at the privately run prison and died several
hours later in a local hospital. Sollie and Greer
said several prisoners have been questioned in the stabbing. No weapon has
been found, and officials won't go into specifics about their investigation.
This is the second time in three years an inmate has been killed in the
prison. In 2002, 58-year-old Lonnie Grisham was found bludgeoned to death in
his cell. Information on whether Grisham's killer was prosecuted wasn't
available Tuesday. The prison is run by the GEO Group Inc., a Florida-based
company formerly known as Wackenhut. The GEO Group runs private prisons in 14
states, as well as in South Africa and Australia. In Mississippi, the company
also runs the Marshall County Correctional Facility in Holly Springs, which was
the site of the beating death of an inmate by another prisoner in 2001.
August 9, 2005 WAPT
An investigation continues into the stabbing death of an inmate at the
privately run East Mississippi Correctional Facility in Lauderdale County.
The inmate, 42-year-old Stanley Johnson, was serving a life sentence for a
rape conviction in Sunflower County. Lauderdale County Coroner Clayton Cobler reported that Johnson died Sunday at a Meridian
hospital from stab wounds in the chest and both thighs. An autopsy has been
ordered. East Mississippi Correctional Facility is located off U.S. Highway
80 in the Lost Gap community. It's privately owned by GEO Group, formerly
Wackenhut Corrections Corp.
August 8, 2005 Sun
Herald
An inmate at the privately run East Mississippi Correctional Facility in
Lauderdale County has died of stab wounds, says county Coroner Clayton Cobler. Wackenhut operates the facility, a 750-bed prison
that opened in April 1999 off U.S. 80 near the Lost Gap community. Cobler said 42-year-old inmate Stanley Johnson was
stabbed three times in an incident Sunday. He said Johnson died at a Meridian
hospital. Cobler said an investigation is underway.
Prison officials have declined to comment.
April 11, 2005 Greenwood
Commonwealth
A state inmate serving a 40-year sentence for armed robbery in Leflore County
was apprehended without incident Sunday afternoon by the Forest Police
Department, according to the Mississippi Department of Corrections. Earl
Blue, 27, who escaped from East Mississippi Correctional Facility in Meridian
on Friday, will be taken to the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman. East Mississippi Correctional Facility is a
privately run correctional facility operated by Wackenhut Corrections
Corporation of Palm Beach, Fla.
February 26, 2003
Prison emergency personnel used chemical agents to get 29 prisoners to return
to their cells at the East Mississippi Correctional Facility Tuesday evening,
officials said. Nobody was seriously injured in the disturbance, which
lasted for two hours according to a statement by Wackenhut Corrections Corp.,
a private prison management company that operates the 750-bed prison. (AP)
August 21, 2002
Authorities believe an inmate who died at the East Mississippi correctional
Facility at Lost Gap was attacked by another prisoner. Lauderdale
county chief deputy Mike Mitchell on Tuesday identified the dead inmate at
Lonnie Grisham, 58, of Tippah County. East Mississippi Correctional
Facility is a 100-acre prison opened in April 1999. It is operated by
Wackenhut Corrections. (AP)
August 23, 2002
The death of an inmate at a Lost Gap
prison facility has been ruled a homicide, authorities
said. Sheriff Billy Sollie said a state
pathologist determined blunt force trauma to be the cause
of death of Lonnie Grisham, 58. Sheriff's deputies said they found
Grisham's bruised and bloody body in his cell Monday.
No weapons were found in the cell.
Sollie said Grisham's roommate Tyrone J.
Wilson was being held in isolation. Wilson, 29, is
being questioned about the death, authorities say.
East Mississippi Correctional Facility,
in the Lost Gap community west of Meridian, is a
100-acre prison opened in April 1999 by Wackenhut Corrections.
The prison is designed to house inmates
with special needs, including those with psychiatric
illnesses. (Clarion Ledger)
August 21, 2002
Authorities say an inmate is a suspect in the death of his cellmate at East
Mississippi Correctional Facility in the Lost Gap community. Mitchell
said the blood and bruises on the body indicated the death appeared to be
caused by blunt force trauma. The death marks the third apparent
inmate-on-inmate attack at Lost Gap prison since May. An inmate was
stabbed in the chest with a piece of sharpened metal broken off a cyclone
fence in mid-May. The victim was treated for a puncture wound to the
chest at Rush Foundation Hospital. In late June, an inmate was stabbed
in the jaw with a similar weapon. The inmate recovered from his wounds.
(AP)
East Point Christian
Academy
(formerly known as Bethel Boys Academy)
Lucedale, Mississippi
April 11, 2005 Clarion Ledger
A manhunt for a missing student continued late Sunday in the wake of a
weekend melee that left a dormitory building ravaged, seven cadets injured
and nine cadets arrested at Eagle Point Christian Academy, a private school
for troubled teen boys in Lucedale. Four students, or cadets, ran away from
the school Sunday afternoon. Three were caught less than a mile from the
rural campus, but a fourth remained at large, George County Sheriff Garry
Welford said Sunday night. The sheriff said it's unknown if the school,
directed by John Fountain of Lucedale, will be in session today. The
situation began at 10:57 p.m. Friday, when the Sheriff's Department received
a 911 call from the school, formerly known as the Bethel Boys Academy,
Welford said. Deputies found a dormitory with shattered windows and
overturned beds. Students told Welford that a rumor had been circulating that
state investigators might arrive at the school over the weekend. Students
told him that caused some cadets to riot, Welford said. The dormitory has
been shut down because it's so badly damaged, Welford said, and until cleanup
is completed, the school building is being used as sleeping quarters. Efforts
to reach Fountain on Sunday were unsuccessful. He took over Bethel Boys
Academy from his father, Herman Fountain, nearly two years ago. Bethel Boys
Academy has a history of abuse allegations and state investigations dating to
1988, when 72 children were removed by state welfare officials. In 1990, a
judge closed the school, then owned by Herman Fountain Sr. In 1994, Fountain
reopened it as Bethel Boys Academy. Early this year, the school changed its
name to Eagle Point Christian Academy. John Fountain said the name change is
an effort to disassociate the school from the past allegations.
George-Greene Correctional Facility
George, Mississippi
Corrections Management Services
March 13, 2003
The warden of the George-Greene Correctional Facility has been relieved of
his duties. George County Sheriff Don Parnell said Michael Bernhardt
was not complying with Mississippi Department of Corrections procedure.
After consulting with a representative of Corrections Management Services
Inc., Parnell decided that Bernhardt's services were no longer needed.
(Clarion Ledger)
Grenada County Detention
Center
Grenada, Mississippi
GEO Group (formerly Correctional Services Corporation)
May 19, 2008 AP
A federal judge has dismissed a wrongful death lawsuit filed against Carroll
County in 2006 by the estate of a woman who died in the back of a sheriff's
deputy's squad car. The family of Debbie Loggins
had sought $10 million from the county. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock ruled this past
week that Loggins' death did not result from force
used by three deputies when they arrested her Sept. 17, 2005. A $15 million
lawsuit against the deputies - Michael Spellman, Charles Jones and David Mims
- was dismissed in December 2006. "She died, and it was unfortunate,
absolutely tragic, that one would pass away, but it had little to do with the
actions of the officers," said Michael Wolf, a Jackson attorney who
represented Carroll County and the deputies. Loggins,
33, of North Carrollton, had been charged with disorderly conduct and
resisting arrest. She was unconscious when she arrived at a private prison in
Grenada, authorities said. Deputies had arrested Loggins,
the mother of six, after responding to a report of two women fighting. Two
hours later, Loggins was dead. Authorities said an
autopsy showed no signs or evidence of trauma.
May 28, 2006 Daily Star
The operators of the Grenada County Jail have told county officials they plan
to give it back to the county in 120 days. Geo Group, Inc., the leaser of the local correctional facility, met with
Grenada County officials last week to discuss the financial shortfalls which
the leaser is suffering. "We have had an initial discussion with the
county and we are hoping to come to a resolution beneficial to both
parties," said Pablo Paez, the Director of
Corporate Relations with The Geo Group. Geo took over the county jail last
year when the Florida based Correctional Service Corporation's (CSC) contract
ended. Paez said yesterday that Geo is working with
the county but no final decision has been made yet. Grenada County Board of
Supervisors President Columbus Hankins said Geo did give a notice and they
were asked to submit a proposal to the county if they had any adjustments
that were to be made. "We are seeking bids for a new leaser
even though it is still in the early stages," said Hankins. Hankins said
it would be too expensive for the county to run the jail and the sheriff and
the county is too busy to do so.
November 29, 2005 Greenwood
Commonwealth
Carroll County District Attorney Doug Evans soon will receive the results of
the state Highway Patrol's investigation into the death of Debbie Denise Loggins, a patrol spokeswoman says. "All
investigative findings, including autopsy results, will be forwarded to the
district attorney's office within the next few days," Delores Lewis said
in a written statement Monday. She had been arrested for fighting and was
driven from the sheriff's office in Carrollton to Grenada. She was, according
to Lewis, "unresponsive upon arrival at Grenada County Correctional
Services Corp., a private prison in Grenada."
November 29, 2005 Sun
Herald
An autopsy is complete on the body of a North Carrollton woman who died in
September after being found unconscious in the back of a Carroll County
Sheriff's deputy's car, the Mississippi Highway Patrol says. "All
investigative findings, including autopsy results, will be forwarded to the
district attorney's office within the next few days," Highway Patrol
spokesman Delores Lewis said. Debbie Denise Loggins,
33, had been charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. She was
unconscious when she arrived at a private prison in Grenada, authorities
said. Sheriff Don Gray has said he is confident the final autopsy report will
show Loggins' death was not due to excessive force
while she was in the custody of his deputies.
March 24, 2005 Sun
Herald
The family of an inmate who died this past weekend during an apparent fight
at the Grenada County Detention Center has filed a lawsuit against the
operators of the lockup. The jail is operated by Correctional Services
Corporation, a private prison company headquartered in Sarasota, Fla. The
lawsuit was filed Wednesday against CSC in U.S. District Court in Oxford. It
seeks unspecified damages. CSC will have 20 days to respond. Grenada County
Sheriff Alton Strider identified the dead inmate as Kenneth Kendall, 22, of
Grenada. He said Kendall was killed Sunday night in his cell. An autopsy has
been ordered. Kendall was serving a 30-day sentence for failing to pay fines,
authorities said. Jay Westfaul, an Oxford attorney
representing the Kendall family, said Thursday that the sheriff and Grenada
County are not defendants in the lawsuit but that may change once the
investigation and autopsy are completed. "Jails and prisons should be
run by governmental entities not private corporations out to make a
profit," Westfaul said in a statement. Westfaul said the lawsuit alleges the facility was
understaffed at the time of the incident and that Kendall was placed in an
area with "hardened criminals, many of whom were being held for capital
murder."
March 22, 2005 ZWire
A young man killed during an attack in the county jail was serving time for
contempt of court, according to authorities.
The inmate beaten to death at Correctional Services Corporation (CSC)
had been in jail for the charges related to fines owed to the city. According
to Grenada County Sheriff Alton Strider, Kenneth Kendall, 22, of Grenada was being held at CSC on contempt fines. Kendall died in
what the sheriff called an altercation with other inmates in his cell.
According to Grenada County Justice Court Clerk Brenda Mullen, a simple
assault charge against Kendall had been remanded by the county; he remained
in jail on the charge from the Grenada Police Department. The investigation is
continuing. Information about charges related to the death was not available
at press time.
Hinds
County Jail
Hinds, Mississippi
Wright Security
December
17, 2002
A Hinds County jail inmate who got past a security guards assigned to watch
him at a Jackson hospital and ran off naked was captured Monday, officials
said. "Jordan was last seen running naked across the parking
lot," Sheriff Malcolm McMillin said before
Jordan was captured. Wright Security guards inmates when they are
hospitalized, Pickett said. Stanley Wright, the company owner, couldn't
be reached for comment Monday. (Clarion Ledger)
Jackson County Adult
Detention Center
Pascagoula, Mississippi
Aramark
February
26, 2009 The Mississippi Press
State health officials said they have not yet determined the cause of a
salmonella outbreak earlier this month at the Jackson County Adult Detention
Center, but that the illness has been contained. State Health Department
spokeswoman Liz Sharlot said Wednesday that the
investigation into the cause may take up to four weeks to complete. Aramark spokeswoman Sarah Jarvis said the food service
company is working with state health officials in the investigation. Aramark has been the food service provider for the jail
for at least 16 years, and the company purchases and prepares all food at the
jail, according to the county. "There were 80 inmates who complained of
flu-like symptoms, but there were only four that the hospital determined had
salmonella," Jarvis said. She noted the illness could have come from
something other than a food item, such as improper hand washing or improper
storage of food. "We are looking at everything," she said. Sharlot confirmed 80 inmates complained of symptoms
between Feb. 6 and 14 but couldn't say how many of those had
salmonella.
February 19, 2009 The
Mississippi Press
State Health Department officials were trying to determine Wednesday what
gave 80 maximum-security inmates food poisoning beginning last week and
resulted in five prisoners being taken to a local hospital this week. Liz Sharolt, director of communications with the state Health
Department, said there were 80 prisoners in the Jackson County Adult
Detention Center complaining of gastrointestinal illness, or salmonella
sickness, from Feb. 6-14. "But, the illness has run its course, and
there are no new cases to report," she said. Jackson County Sheriff Mike
Byrd said Wednesday five inmates were taken to Singing River Hospital on
Monday, where it was confirmed that they had a salmonella-related illness.
The sheriff said four prisoners were treated and released Monday, but one
inmate remained hospitalized Wednesday afternoon. The inmate was in good
condition Wednesday, Byrd said, and should be released soon. "They
mainly suffered from diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and throwing up," Byrd
said. He added that two prisoners experienced a low-grade fever. Byrd said he
believes the bacterial food-borne illness was not caused by peanuts or peanut
butter, but possibly by lettuce. He added that ARAMARK World has been the
food service provider for the jail for at least 16 years. The company
purchases and prepares all food at the jail. Byrd said the international
company is conducting an independent investigation. Officials with ARAMARK's
home office in Philadelphia, Pa., were unavailable for comment Wednesday.
September 27, 2006 The
Mississippi Press
Overcrowding at the Jackson County Adult Detention Center should ease in
the near future. The Jackson County Board of Supervisors approved an
additional steel fabricated facility on the ADC grounds in Pascagoula. The
$1.2 million facility will house 116 inmates. It is expected to be ready in
five months. Jackson County Sheriff Mike Byrd said relief from overcrowding
is a critical issue. "We're just doing what we have to do to maintain what
we have. It's very stressful. We have done shakedowns where we have found
weapons which is very dangerous to officers. We had
a contract employee with Aramark, we just caught her last week bringing drugs into the
facility. Everyday is a challenge just to maintain
things on a day to day basis," Byrd said.
Jackson County Youth Court
Pascagoula, Mississippi
Mississippi Security Police
July 12, 2011 The Sun Herald
Police removed four juveniles from Jackson County’s Youth Court jail Tuesday
morning and arrested them as adults on charges of kidnapping and armed
robbery in last week’s “take-over” style escape attempt at the youth jail,
Pascagoula Lt. James DeShannon Massey said. Police
identified the suspects as Victor Otempong, Calip Johnson and Christopher Kutteroff,
all 16, and Jamal Williams, 15. There were two other juveniles involved in
the escape attempt, Massey said, who are each charged as juveniles with
escape. “Four of them (those charged as adults) did the initial takeover,”
Massey explained, “and let the other two out of their cells.” As a result, he
said, the two other juveniles were not charged as a
adults because the accusations against them failed to meet state statute
requirements for charging them as adults. The takeover started after four of
the teens gained control over the security guards, all employees of the
independent firm, Mississippi Security Police, and grabbed the keys to unlock
their cells. After getting out, the four of them unlocked the cells of the
two other juveniles accused in the case. All six are accused of holding Youth
Court intake personnel against their will until the workers were able to
place a call to Pascagoula police to say they were being held hostage inside
the locked complex off Telephone Road. When police arrived, the intake
personnel assisted officers trying to gain access. Once inside, Pascagoula
police and MSP guards regained control, arresting all six of the individuals
accused in the case. Two MSP officers suffered injuries, with both sent to
Singing River Hospital for treatment. At a Jackson County supervisors meeting
Monday, it was noted that one of the security guards had suffered a broken
arm.
Marshall County
Correctional Facility
Marshall County, Mississippi
MTC (formerly run by GEO Group)
MDOC Sticks with
Private Prisons: Jackson Free Press, June 13, 2012. MDOC
chooses MTC to take over where GEO failed. What are they smoking?
June 7, 2012 WTOK
MTC will officially take over operation at East Mississippi Correctional
Facility on July 9th. The company got its start working with young people
outside the corrections system. The Vice President of Corrections at MTC
explained the company's history via a video news release. "We started 30
years ago by providing training for young adults to succeed in life,"
says Odie Washington, "we've taken that and
applied it to our corrections division. "All you are going to see is a
change in the name over the door," that's the opinion of Frank Smith, a
private prison watchdog, "it's not going to be
a change in operations." Smith works as a consultant for Private
Corrections Working Group. "The problem is there is such turnover that
there is no mentoring process so everybody is just kind of new on the job,
and they don't know what to do when the problems arise." MTC officials
say they plan on providing EMCF with all the resources it needs to operate
effectively. "We'll provide each facility the resources necessary for
them to operate safely and effectively," says Washington, and we look
forward to applying these high standards to our new Mississippi facilities as
well." Only time will tell whether MTC will have a successful run in the
Magnolia State.
June 7, 2012 AP
A Utah-based private prison operator will take over management of three Mississippi
correctional institutions beginning in July. Management & Training
Corporation of Centreville, Utah, has signed 10-year operating contracts for
the East Mississippi Correctional Facility near the Lost Gap community
beginning July 2; Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility in Walnut Grove on
July 9; and the Marshall County Correctional Facility in Holly Springs on
Aug. 13. Financial details of the contracts were not made public. The
announcement came Thursday by the company and the Mississippi Department of
Corrections. The Corrections Department and the GEO Group of Boca Raton,
Fla., in April agreed to end GEO's management contract at the three prisons.
At the time Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps told the AP that the
department felt it might get a better price if all three prisons were
presented as a package to other corrections management companies. "The
Mississippi Department of Corrections is looking forward to a great
partnership with MTC," Epps said in a statement Thursday. "There is
a need for different types of prisons, including state and regional as well
as private facilities in Mississippi. MTC will be held to the same high
standards as set by MDOC and I feel extremely confident that MTC will do a
great job." "We look forward to the opportunity to work in
Mississippi," said MTC senior vice president of corrections Odie Washington in the statement. "We have partnered
with state and federal governments in operating correctional facilities for
the past 25 years, and have a strong record of providing safe, secure and
well-run facilities."
May 20, 2012 WLBT
A celebration in Smith Park commemorated changes at Walnut Grove Youth
Correctional Facility. The Friends and Family Members of Youth Incarcerated
at Walnut Grove held a rally Sunday morning. Parents of children at the
facility thanked department of Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps for ending
the private prison contract with the GEO Group. They said their children were
mistreated under the company's management from being denied medical treatment
to education. "I would like to urge the commissioner to continue to do
the right thing by our children and to not allow another private, for profit
company to take over Walnut Grove," said Walnut Grove parent Kimberly
Carson. "The GEO Group is making money off of these young men. They
don't seem willing to spend any of that money to make sure they have been
properly rehabilitated," said Walnut Grove parent Marietta Larry. GEO
managed Walnut Grove and the East Mississippi and Marshall County Correctional
facilities until last month.
April 20, 2012 AP
The Mississippi Department of Corrections says GEO Group Inc., one of the
country's largest private prison operators, will no longer manage three
facilities in Mississippi. On Thursday, the Boca Raton, Fla.-based company
said it was backing out of a contract to manage the East Mississippi
Correctional Facility near the Lost Gap community by July 19. Company
officials told The Associated Press on Friday that it had nothing else to
say. Corrections Commissioner Christopher Epps told the AP on Friday that the
department felt it might get a better price if all three prisons were
presented as a package to other corrections management companies. Epps said
he would expect GEO Group to end its ties to the Walnut Grove Youth
Correctional Facility in Walnut Grove and Marshall County Correctional
Facility in Holly Springs by July 20. "We feel this may be a golden
opportunity to provide a better price for the taxpayers of the state and at
the same time maybe do a better job in the operation of the facilities,"
Epps said. "That's what I would like to see." Epps said there was
some concern at MDOC about incidents at all three prisons. The Walnut Grove
facility is presently under a federal court order to remove juvenile inmates
amid allegations of physical and sexual abuse. That court order came in a
settlement of a lawsuit filed against Walnut Grove in 2010. GEO Group has
repeatedly declined to comment on the lawsuit. Epps has said his plan is to
send the 17-and-younger inmates to Central Mississippi Correctional Facility
in Rankin County by Oct. 1. He said there are about 1,000 vacant beds at that
prison now, so there is no need for a new building. Walnut Grove also houses
adults. They would remain there under a settlement that ended a 2010 lawsuit.
Epps said Friday that local authority boards deal
with management contracts at EMCF and Walnut Grove with MDOC help. He said
MDOC works directly with vendors at Marshall County. "There are a lot of
these management companies out there. We're reaching out to those private
operators to see what the best proposal is we might get," he said. In
its announcement, GEO chairman/CEO George C. Zoley
said EMCF was "financially underperforming." GEO Group vice
president Pablo E. Paez said Friday the company
would have no other comment.
April 19, 2009 AP
The Mississippi Supreme Court has reinstated a lawsuit filed by a former
inmate at the Marshall County Correctional Facility over conditions at the
private prison. The Supreme Court said Thursday that a Marshall County judge
erred in dismissing the lawsuit. The justices said the judge erroneously
considered Dennis Dobbs' lawsuit as an appeal of his assault conviction in
Clay County. Dobbs has completed his sentenced and has been released, according
to court records. Dobbs had sued in 2006 over conditions at the prison near
Holly Springs. He complained of a lack of air conditioning and fire safety
concerns. The Supreme Court says Dobbs' lawsuit for what he characterized as
"inhumane" conditions at the Marshall County prison should be
heard.
April 5, 2001
An autopsy shows a 24-year-old inmate from Shannon, Mississippi died of head
injuries apparently inflicted during a confrontation with other prisoners,
state officials say. Daniel Underwood was pronounced dead this past
weekend at the Regional Medical Center in Memphis. Chris Epps, the
Corrections Department's deputy commissioner of institutions, said Monday an
investigation showed Underwood was attacked by another inmate at the Marshall
County Correctional Facility on March
27. Epps said a second inmate apparently assisted in the attack by
standing in a position that kept security personnel from seeing the
incident. The Marshall County prison is managed by Wackenhut
Corrections Corporation. (AP)
August 8, 2001
Hours before they made controversial 11th-hour changes to legislation this
year that would guarantee private prisons more state funding, two key state
senators dined at an upscale restaurant here with executives and lobbyists
from one of those prison companies. "I try to report everything I
do - what I pay for," said Al Sage, a lobbyist for Wackenhut Corrections
Corp., which runs a private 1,000-bed prison in Holly Springs. Sage
readily acknowledged the dinner but said he didn't pay for it. So he
didn't report it. Rather, said Sage, executives from Wackenhut picked
up the tab for Sens. Jack Gordon (D-Okolona) and Bunky
Huggins (R-Greenwood) - two of three senators who had to approve the crucial
change in the final version of the bill. And since Wackenhut officials,
not Sage, purchased the meal, it won't appear on any disclosure forms until
2002 at the earliest. Companies that hire lobbyist file annual reports
every January. (AP)
March 28, 2001
The president of the company running Marshall County Correctional Facility
says Mississippi should honor its commitment to fill the 1,000-bed private
prison--even though the state's corrections commissioner says it doesn't have
the inmates to do so. Wayne Calabrese, president and chief operating officers
of Florida-based Wackenhut Correction Corp., said Tuesday that the number of
inmates at the prison is important to operations. "I think it's fair to
say the state invited private companies into the state of Mississippi to
design, build and operate facilities to the states specifications and size.
We want to make sure the price we gave the state, which was based on full or
nearly full occupancy, is in fact what we receive," Calabrese said.
Taxpayers would have to pay about $2 million a year to private prisons and
about $4 million to 10 regional prisons for "ghost inmates"
according to Corrections Commissioner Robert Johnson. Johnson said the state
doesn't have inmates to meet the obligations under bill. (Clarion Ledger)
Mississippi Department of
Corrections
GEO Group, MTC, Wexford (formerly run by Correctional Medical Services)
MDOC Sticks with
Private Prisons: Jackson Free Press, June 13, 2012. MDOC
chooses MTC to take over where GEO failed. What are they smoking?
June 14, 2012 Huffington
Post
After years of widespread violence and sexual abuse at Mississippi's
for-profit prison for juvenile offenders, state officials and civil rights
groups signed a federal court decree in March aimed at overhauling a facility
described by a federal judge as "a cesspool of unconstitutional and
inhuman acts." U.S. Justice Department investigators found that both
state officials and the GEO Group Inc., the nation's second-largest operator
of private prisons, had essentially ignored the safety of youth prisoners,
denying them basic health care and employing guards with known gang
affiliations. Sexual misconduct between staff and inmates at the Walnut Grove
youth prison was "among the worst we have seen in any facility anywhere
in the nation," the Justice Department's investigation concluded. Yet
two months after a federal court settlement, violence and poor staffing have
persisted, including a fight that resulted in a young man being stabbed in
the eye, according to recent court transcripts. In response, a top
Mississippi state prison official recently testified that the state has no
authority to force the GEO Group to improve security at the chronically
understaffed facility, raising questions about the lines of authority for corrections
policy in Mississippi. "All we can do is make a
request," said Emmitt Sparkman, deputy commissioner of the Mississippi
Department of Corrections, in federal court testimony two weeks ago. He added
that the GEO Group was "under no obligation" to increase staffing
under the terms of its contract with the state. Though a federal judge found
that state officials "repeatedly failed to monitor the contracts with
GEO," Mississippi plans to replace GEO with Management & Training
Corp., a private company responsible for one of the most tragic prison breaks
in recent memory. The GEO Group, which has donated more than $56,000 to
Mississippi elected officials over the past decade, did not respond to
questions about its contracts in the state. A spokeswoman for the Mississippi
Department of Corrections declined to make officials available for comment.
GEO Group has operated Walnut Grove since 2010, after acquiring the prison in
a merger with another prison corporation, Cornell Companies Inc.
June 7, 2012 WTOK
MTC will officially take over operation at East Mississippi Correctional
Facility on July 9th. The company got its start working with young people
outside the corrections system. The Vice President of Corrections at MTC
explained the company's history via a video news release. "We started 30
years ago by providing training for young adults to succeed in life,"
says Odie Washington, "we've taken that and
applied it to our corrections division. "All you are going to see is a
change in the name over the door," that's the opinion of Frank Smith, a
private prison watchdog, "it's not going to be
a change in operations." Smith works as a consultant for Private
Corrections Working Group. "The problem is there is such turnover that
there is no mentoring process so everybody is just kind of new on the job,
and they don't know what to do when the problems arise." MTC officials
say they plan on providing EMCF with all the resources it needs to operate
effectively. "We'll provide each facility the resources necessary for
them to operate safely and effectively," says Washington, and we look
forward to applying these high standards to our new Mississippi facilities as
well." Only time will tell whether MTC will have a successful run in the
Magnolia State.
June 7, 2012 AP
A Utah-based private prison operator will take over management of three
Mississippi correctional institutions beginning in July. Management &
Training Corporation of Centreville, Utah, has signed 10-year operating
contracts for the East Mississippi Correctional Facility near the Lost Gap
community beginning July 2; Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility in
Walnut Grove on July 9; and the Marshall County Correctional Facility in
Holly Springs on Aug. 13. Financial details of the contracts were not made
public. The announcement came Thursday by the company and the Mississippi
Department of Corrections. The Corrections Department and the GEO Group of
Boca Raton, Fla., in April agreed to end GEO's management contract at the
three prisons. At the time Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps told the AP
that the department felt it might get a better price if all three prisons
were presented as a package to other corrections management companies.
"The Mississippi Department of Corrections is looking forward to a great
partnership with MTC," Epps said in a statement Thursday. "There is
a need for different types of prisons, including state and regional as well
as private facilities in Mississippi. MTC will be held to the same high
standards as set by MDOC and I feel extremely confident that MTC will do a
great job." "We look forward to the opportunity to work in
Mississippi," said MTC senior vice president of corrections Odie Washington in the statement. "We have partnered
with state and federal governments in operating correctional facilities for
the past 25 years, and have a strong record of providing safe, secure and
well-run facilities."
April 20, 2012 WTOK
On Friday Mississippi Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps reeled off a
long list of problems the state has been monitoring at East Mississippi
Correctional Facility in recent weeks and months. Those issues include a
murder and multiple suicides. Epps says the final straw with GEO Group, the
current manager of EMCF, came when the company asked the state for $5 million
more to operate the facility. GEO Group is painting a different picture of
the split, saying they initiated the move because the facility is financially
under-performing.
April 20, 2012 AP
The Mississippi Department of Corrections says GEO Group Inc., one of the
country's largest private prison operators, will no longer manage three
facilities in Mississippi. On Thursday, the Boca Raton, Fla.-based company
said it was backing out of a contract to manage the East Mississippi
Correctional Facility near the Lost Gap community by July 19. Company
officials told The Associated Press on Friday that it had nothing else to
say. Corrections Commissioner Christopher Epps told the AP on Friday that the
department felt it might get a better price if all three prisons were presented
as a package to other corrections management companies. Epps said he would
expect GEO Group to end its ties to the Walnut Grove Youth Correctional
Facility in Walnut Grove and Marshall County Correctional Facility in Holly
Springs by July 20. "We feel this may be a golden opportunity to provide
a better price for the taxpayers of the state and at the same time maybe do a
better job in the operation of the facilities," Epps said. "That's
what I would like to see." Epps said there was some concern at MDOC
about incidents at all three prisons. The Walnut Grove facility is presently
under a federal court order to remove juvenile inmates amid allegations of
physical and sexual abuse. That court order came in a settlement of a lawsuit
filed against Walnut Grove in 2010. GEO Group has repeatedly declined to
comment on the lawsuit. Epps has said his plan is to send the 17-and-younger
inmates to Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Rankin County by Oct.
1. He said there are about 1,000 vacant beds at that prison now, so there is
no need for a new building. Walnut Grove also houses adults. They would
remain there under a settlement that ended a 2010 lawsuit. Epps said Friday
that local authority boards deal with management
contracts at EMCF and Walnut Grove with MDOC help. He said MDOC works
directly with vendors at Marshall County. "There are a lot of these
management companies out there. We're reaching out to those private operators
to see what the best proposal is we might get," he said. In its announcement,
GEO chairman/CEO George C. Zoley said EMCF was
"financially underperforming." GEO Group vice president Pablo E. Paez said Friday the company would have no other comment.
May 5, 2011 Clarion
Ledger
Those upset with conditions at Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility
delivered hundreds of petitions to Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps
Thursday, calling for him to cancel the contract with GEO Group, the
Florida-based company that runs the prison. Because of pending litigation,
the Mississippi Department of Corrections cannot comment, said MDOC
spokeswoman Tara Booth. Mississippi's lone youth prison that holds 1,200
inmates remains the target of a federal probe and lawsuit. Michael McIntosh
said it's been 14 months since his son was brutally beaten and stabbed,
resulting in irreparable brain damage. A number of young inmates were injured
in a Feb. 27, 2010, melee. The Rev. Milton Johnson, an associate pastor in
Meridian, noted that delivering these petitions was appropriate on the
National Day of Prayer. "If we succeed in real rehabilitation, then they
(youth) will be an asset to our communities and state, not society
rejects," he said. "We cannot allow our children to abandon
hope." Ethel Thomas Heard noted that this Mother's Day, her only son
will remain behind bars at Walnut Grove, and she is not alone, she said.
"We know what it feels like to wake up with our heads on tear-drenched
pillows." A number of young The U.S. Department of Justice is now
investigating the treatment of juveniles at the prison. In November, the
Southern Poverty Law Center, the American Civil Liberties Union and Jackson
lawyer Robert McDuff filed a lawsuit against the
GEO Group on behalf of 13 offenders at the Leake
County prison. The lawsuit alleges young offenders are being forced to live
in "barbaric, unconstitutional conditions." The lawsuit alleges
guards beat inmates, smuggled drugs to the youths and engaged in sexual acts
with them.
December 2, 2008 Clarion
Ledger
William Morris Byrd Jr. had been in and out of prison most of his life, but
Charlotte Boyd, his sister, said he did not have to die there. Byrd, 53, died
Nov. 21 after what Boyd described as months of wasting away at Central
Mississippi Correctional Facility in Pearl. While the family is waiting for
the autopsy, Boyd said the initial cause of death is Crohn's
Disease, a chronic but treatable inflammation of the
digestive path that she said had blocked her brother's esophagus. "He
literally starved. We watched him turn into a skeleton," she said. Byrd
was serving a lengthy sentence for rape and was not eligible for parole until
2020. Boyd realizes her brother may not be a sympathetic figure to most, but
after reading a story last week in The Clarion-Ledger, she said her brother
may not be alone. "If they are doing him that way, they are going to let
somebody else die, too," she said. "Even a dog needs medical
attention." Mississippi Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps said Byrd
received appropriate medical care from the prison. "We provided timely,
quality medical care for the inmate," he said, "as we do for all of
our inmates." Mississippi's per-capita death rate for prisoners has
spiked in recent years. In 2001, the state's death rate was at the national
average, but in 2006 Mississippi's inmate death rate was the second highest
in the nation. In 2007, inmate deaths rose again. The majority of those
deaths are from natural causes, and former inmates and family members of
current inmates say medical care in the state's prison system is inadequate.
Epps blames the higher death rate on several factors, including an
increasingly aged prison population and generally unhealthy lifestyles that
have made the state a leader in medical problems like heart disease and diabetes.
Epps expressed confidence in MDOC's medical contractor, Pittsburgh, Pa.-based
Wexford Health Sources, but the Legislative Joint Committee on Performance
Evaluation and Expenditure Review last year released a report criticizing the
prison system's response to chronic-care issues. PEER also found that
Wexford's medical staffing was not in compliance with the terms of its
contract with the state. The report found 13 percent staffing shortages at
the MDOC prisons in Pearl, Parchman and
Leakesville. Officials at MDOC referred questions about current Wexford
staffing levels to the contractor. Wexford did not return a telephone call
Monday but last week referred questions to MDOC. Senate Corrections Chairman
Willie Simmons, D-Cleveland, said the increase in the prisoner death rate is
worth keeping an eye on, but he said Epps' explanation of the increase is
plausible. It's something lawmakers would want to pay attention to and
monitor, "get a little more information on," he said. "It
didn't come across as there was any kind of serious problem of neglect."
But the rising number of deaths worries people like Diane Rowell, whose
hypoglycemic son is in South Mississippi Correctional Facility serving a
short sentence for a parole violation. She said her son has lost weight and
complains of being tired. "It worries me. I cry a lot about it,"
she said. "I know they broke the law, but they are still human
beings."
November 23, 2008 Clarion
Ledger
Mississippi's inmate mortality rate was second in the nation in 2006, the most
recent year for which national data are available. And according to a review
of state-level reports, Mississippi's mortality rate rose in 2007. It's a
situation that is raising legal concerns with lawmakers and moral questions
with prison-reform advocates. Mississippi Department of Corrections officials
say the high rate of in-custody deaths is the result of a number of factors:
aging prisoners, drug and alcohol abuse prior to incarceration and the
generally unhealthy lifestyles of Mississippians. But Patti Barber, executive
director of the prison-reform group Mississippi CURE, said the state does a
poor job of looking after the chronic health needs of inmates. "We are
getting tons of letters from inmates, for instance, who have been diagnosed
with diabetes. They are not getting their (blood) sugar checked daily, as
they are supposed to," she said. "Things just plain aren't getting
done." That is what the Mississippi Legislature's Joint Committee on
Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review found last December when it
released a report on inmate health care. The PEER report found inmates did
not receive timely medical treatment from MDOC's medical contractor,
Pittsburgh-based Wexford Health Sources, and that Wexford did not meet
medical care standards set forth under its contract with the state. In
addition, the PEER committee found Wexford did not adhere to its own
standards in following up on inmates with chronic health problems. Wexford,
which took over inmate care in 2006, referred all questions to MDOC.
Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps said he is satisfied with the
contractor's performance. Not maintaining suitable health care puts the state
in greater legal liability, said Rep. Harvey Moss, D-Corinth, chairman of the
PEER committee when the report on inmate health care was released.
"We're trying to keep the inmate care up and keep the state out of
trouble from a lack-of-care standpoint," he said. A search of the
federal court system found more than a dozen open lawsuits filed by inmates
against MDOC on medical issues. A Clarion-Ledger analysis of inmate death
data found the number of prisoners dying increased in 2003 and reaching its
peak last year with 78 deaths. The system is projected to lose another 64
inmates this year, based on the rate of deaths. Mississippi is second only to
Tennessee in per-capita deaths among inmates, based on the latest national
data. Five years earlier, the state ranked 23rd and was at the national
average. "It alarms me very much," Barber said of the inmate death
rate. "We have to find out where this responsibility is falling between
the cracks."
January 14, 2008 Clarion
Ledger
A health-care company contracting with the Mississippi Department of
Corrections has been lax about providing some inmates with timely medical
treatment among other problems, a legislative oversight group says. The Joint
Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review also
says the piecemeal contract with Wexford Health Services cost the state $1.1
million more than it would have for the same company's turnkey model. The
department is facing a shortfall of more than $19 million this year, some of
that for overspending in medical costs, and PEER is recommending the state
auditor investigate. But Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps said the only
issue he's had with Wexford concerns the way the company keeps records. And,
he said, PEER's findings don't take into account the savings the department
has seen in medical costs throughout the years, despite the increasing number
of sick and aging inmates it is holding. Some lawmakers say they're prepared
to give the department a deficit appropriation. "I'm not trying to beat
up on PEER," Epps told The Clarion-Ledger. "All I'm saying is if
you don't deal with this stuff every day, you're not comparing apples to
apples." Issued to lawmakers last month, the PEER report reviews inmate
medical expenses in fiscal year 2007, which began July 1, 2006 - the same day
Wexford's contract with the state began. The Pittsburgh-based company provides
Corrections with only routine care, with the department handling specialty
services and care for inmates referred to hospitals. A turnkey model was used
previously in which another company provided services to all state
institutions except the private prisons the department contracts with. Epps
said the department switched from that model to keep costs down. "The
medical care at the department is better than I've ever seen it, and I've
been here 26 years," Epps said. But the PEER report said the current agreement
is costing the department $1.1 million more than it would with Wexford's
turnkey model, and the department spent $2.8 million more than its
appropriation in fiscal 2007. Spending more money isn't earning the state
better services either, the group says. The report indicates that during a
five-month review period in the same fiscal year, Wexford was short on staff,
and some employees without "proper credentials" provided medical
care to inmates. Also, PEER said many sick-call requests were not sorted by
priority within 24 hours after they were submitted, which could have delayed
treatment. Several deficiencies with the way medical records are stored were
cited in the report as well, including no separation between physical- and
mental-health records, which could affect the continuum of care. "These
are people who have violated laws, but we are still
responsible for their care and that's just the way it is," said Max Arinder, PEER's executive director. "We need to get
these things remedied, or it could lead to some legal problems."
June 22, 2005 Associated
Press
JACKSON, Miss. - The American Civil Liberties Union has sued the St.
Louis-based health care provider for inmates at Mississippi's Parchman prison, alleging prisoners have been
misdiagnosed and received inadequate treatment. The federal
lawsuit against Correctional Medical Services, Inc., one of the nation's
largest for-profit medical providers for prisoners, was filed Wednesday on
behalf of 1,000 inmates at Parchman's Unit
32. Other defendants are Chris Epps, the commissioner of the
Mississippi Department of Corrections, deputy commissioner Emmitt Sparkman
and other agency officials. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in
Greenville. "We're hoping that the lawsuit is going to make a big
difference in conditions in Unit 32, which we really do think are so grossly
inhumane as to amount to torture," said Margaret Winter, associate
director of the National Prison Project of the ACLU.
June 22, 2005 ACLU National Prison
Project
WASHINGTON, DC-Citing the extreme health risks faced by nearly 1000 men
confined in a Mississippi prison, the American Civil Liberties Union and the
law firm Holland & Knight today filed a lawsuit against one of the
country's largest for-profit medical providers for prisoners.
"Correctional Medical Services has a national reputation for providing
prisoners with grossly inadequate medical care," said Margaret Winter,
Associate Director of the ACLU's National Prison Project and lead attorney in
today's lawsuit. "We believe that
Correctional Medical Services' already poor reputation will sink even lower
when its treatment of Mississippi prisoners with life-threatening conditions
and serious mental illness is exposed to public view and judicial
scrutiny." Correctional Medical Services, Inc. (CMS), a for-profit
private corporation, currently holds contracts in 27 states, including
Mississippi. In April 2003, the state
of Mississippi contracted with CMS to provide medical, mental health and
dental care to prisoners incarcerated at the Mississippi State Penitentiary
at Parchman.
Today's complaint, filed on behalf of about 1000 men confined in Parchman's Unit 32, the prison's supermaximum
security unit, builds upon litigation brought in 2002 on behalf of death row
prisoners housed in the same unit.
Among other issues, it charges that officials with the Mississippi
Department of Corrections and CMS routinely deny prisoners access to humane
treatment. Jeffery Presley, 24, contracted a serious "staph"
infection while in Unit 32. A CMS
doctor initially misdiagnosed his condition as a spider bite.
Over several days, Presley's condition grew worse and he pleaded for
additional medical treatment. His
infected joint became grotesquely swollen and leaked blood. Ultimately, the doctor removed a section of
Presley's infected leg and prescribed Tylenol to dull his pain. In
another incident, a disturbed, deaf-mute prisoner was left for months in his
cell on the special needs psychiatric tier, without a mental health
evaluation or any attempt to communicate with him. His cell became filthy and he was allowed
to remain unwashed for weeks.
Correctional staff threw things at him to get his attention, and when
he threw things back, he was cited for rule violations. "Treating people suffering from mental
or physical illness with disrespect and indifference is abhorrent," said
Stephen F. Hanlon, a partner with Holland & Knight and co-counsel in the
case. "Correctional Medical Service's improper actions in Mississippi
and in other parts of the country violate the Constitution." The
Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure had disciplined and temporarily
restricted the medical licenses of at least three physicians at the Parchman prison.
The CMS medical director was cited for habitual drug use, and the
prison's chief psychiatrist was restricted because of a history of patient
sexual exploitation and sexual harassment.
Elsewhere, CMS has established a pattern of hiring doctors with
troubled backgrounds. According to a 1998 investigation by the St.
Louis Post-Dispatch, nine CMS doctors working in Missouri had been
disciplined by licensing boards. In Michigan, where the company
provides care to prisoners statewide and the ACLU has litigated issues
regarding inadequate medical care, CMS has come under scrutiny for its
attempts to save money by limiting prisoners'
referrals to outside medical specialists. A federal court found that excessive delays
in providing prisoners with referrals contributed to three deaths during an
18-month period. Five other prisoners who died during the same time period
also experienced significant delays in treatment. "CMS has a shameful
record of jacking up corporate profits by turning a blind eye to the urgent
medical needs of sick prisoners," said Winter. "I am hopeful that today's lawsuit
will make it impossible for this company to keep on conducting 'business as
usual' in Mississippi prisons." Today's lawsuit, Presley v. Epps,
was filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi by
attorneys Winter and Gouri Bhat
of the ACLU's National Prison Project, Hanlon and Cecily Baskir
of Holland & Knight LLP, Mississippi civil rights attorney Robert McDuff and Ranie Thompson of
the ACLU of Mississippi. To read today's complaint, go to: <http://www.aclu.org/Prisons/Prisons.cfm?ID=18558&c=26>.
To read about the ACLU's other work regarding Correctional Medical Services,
go to: <http://www.aclu.org/Prisons/Prisons.cfm?ID=18367&c=26>.
Mississippi Legislature
February
6, 2011 Politico
Haley Barbour is often talked about as one the most powerful figures in the
GOP. And what journalists and operatives point to when making that case aren't
his deft political skills or stirring speech-making ability — it’s his
fundraising network. Over time, Barbour has built a loyal donor base eager to
bankroll each new endeavor — starting as political operative in the 1970's
through his second term as governor of Mississippi to his recent chairmanship
of the Republican Governors Association, and now as a possible presidential
contender. Continue Reading -- Although he trails well behind Newt Gingrich —
who collected over $14 million last year — Barbour's fundraising prowess is
nonetheless envied by Republican politicos – which makes him an ideal
candidate to begin a new POLITICO 2012 LIVE series dedicated to introducing
you to the world that makes up the GOP’s mega-donors — an elite network of
business executives, money managers and other wealthy powerbrokers who are
financing the early stages of the race for the White House. Haley, as he is
affectionately called in GOP circles, runs his operation out of Yazoo City,
Miss., an hour north of Jackson. His main fundraising tool is a political
action committee registered in Georgia – which has no limits on individual or
corporate donations. The PAC is chaired by Henry Barbour, Haley’s nephew and
a top-level Republican powerbroker in his own right — he was the key
behind-the-scenes player in getting Reince Priebus elected RNC chairman. In just the last year, 147
people and corporations have given a total of $523,174.52 to Barbour’s
Georgia PAC — an average of more than $3,550. Nine donors – two individuals
and seven corporations — have given Barbour $295,000 over the last year
through the Georgia PAC. If the PAC were federal, and covered by FEC
guidelines, the most nine donors could have given Barbour over the last year
is $45,000, as individual contributions are capped at the national level.
Only one of the nine donors contacted by POLITICO responded to a request for
interview. Frank Lee, the CEO of Tower Loan, said the Mississippi-based
consumer lender has “always been supportive of Haley.” “Haley’s been a real
godsend in terms of his ability and what he’s done for the state,” Lee said.
Lee acknowledged the company has interests before the state Legislatures, but
insisted that the contribution wasn't tied to any specific issue at the time.
A spokesman for the GEO Group, a private corrections and detention management
group that made a $13,000 contribution to the Georgia PAC in 2009, told
POLITICO in an e-mail that the company wouldn’t comment on its relationship
with Barbour. “Our company makes a variety of contributions throughout the
country, including to charitable organizations, political organizations and
candidates,” wrote Pablo E. Paez, the GEO Group’s
vice president of corporate relations. “As a matter of policy, our company
cannot comment on specific contributions.”
May 7, 2006 Clarion
Ledger
As a direct consequence of "get-tough-on-crime" legislation
adopted over a decade ago, the private-prison industry and related companies
have become increasingly active as campaign contributors in Mississippi
politics. A new study conducted by the Institute for Money in State Politics
documents that Mississippi is one of 10 states where "industry giving is
high and the states had either enacted tough
sentencing laws, turned to private prison to help ease prison overcrowding in
recent years or considered significant changes to corrections policies."
The report found that in 2002 and 2003, prison-industry contributors gave a
total of $63,250 to 27 Mississippi candidates and the state Democratic Party.
Democrats got $28,850 of the donations while Republicans got $31,900 over the
two-year period. Major recipients included current Republican Gov. Haley
Barbour at $10,800, Republican Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck at $10,500, state Rep. Tommy
Reynolds, D-Water Valley, at $10,000, and former Democratic Gov. Ronnie
Musgrove at $7,500. A half-dozen state legislators and one state Supreme
Court candidate rounded out the donation recipients, including state Rep.
George Flaggs, D-Vicksburg. Donors listed in the
report included private prison companies Wackenhut Corrections and its
lobbyists at $21,250 and Corrections Corporation of America and its lobbyists
at $17,700. Another major donor cited in the report was Carothers
Construction, a Mississippi construction company that has built or expanded six
prison facilities in the state, two of which were operated by CCA. In 1995,
Mississippi lawmakers took an apparent bold step toward getting tough on
crime. But in doing so, the lawmakers also dramatically increased the state's
prison population and therefore the operating costs of the state prison
system. The Legislature adopted the so-called "85 percent rule"
which mandated that all state convicts must serve at least 85 percent of
their sentences before being eligible for parole. Mississippi's law was in
sharp contrast to other states, where the 85 percent rule applied only to
violent offenders. The rapid growth in the state's prison population brought
about by the "85 percent rule" opened the doors for the private
prison industry in the state. By 2002, there were 2,600 empty state-owned
prison beds while two private prisons were being guaranteed an inmate
population sufficient to keep them profitable. In 2001, the Legislature voted
near the end of the regular session to divert $6 million to pay for empty
private prison bed space for so-called "ghost inmates." Then-Gov.
Ronnie Musgrove vetoed the measure, but the Legislature overrode that veto
40-12 in the Senate and 111-9 in the House. Between 1998 and 2000, prison
industry lobbyists spent $228,216 trying to influence policy at the state
Capitol. The report notes that when Barbour released his Fiscal Year 2005
state budget in 2004, he put a priority on using private prisons "to
save money" in the state's prison system. While the FY 2005 corrections
budget was 4 percent less than in 2004, private prison payments jumped more
than 30 percent, the report shows. The first bill Barbour signed into law
after taking office as governor in 2004 was a bill to keep the
private-operated Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility open by allowing
it to house maximum security inmates.
February 11, 2006 Picayune
Item
Maybe it's the deadline pressure. Maybe it's hunger or lack of sleep.
Maybe, just maybe, it's that lawmakers saw each other too often during last
year's record-setting five special sessions. Whatever the reason, it's crabby season at the Mississippi Capitol. Nearly
halfway into the three-month 2006 session, tempers are flaring and lawmakers
are grating on each other's very last nerves. That became clear this past
week as the House and Senate plowed through stacks of bills under a major
deadline. An argument erupted on the House floor Thursday night when
Corrections Committee Chairman Bennett Malone, D-Carthage, pushed to create a
private prison in Bay Springs. Prisoners there, he said, could earn time off
their sentences by working in private industries such as a chicken plant.
That set off a torrent of criticism from several black lawmakers, who likened
the use of prison laborers in a private industry to the use of slaves on
plantations. They said prisoners would have no real choice in going to work,
and any private business that starts using inmate labor would soon need a
steady stream of new prisoners to keep operating. “Let's not send a message
to the rest of the state that we are of this mind-set, that we still believe
we should incarcerate people just to get Bubba's chickens picked,” said Rep.
Tyrone Ellis, D-Starkville. Rep. Willie Bailey, D-Greenville, said the
proposal would “deprive and denigrate the people who cannot help themselves.”
“This man has an evil agenda here,” Bailey said, pointing toward Malone.
Malone, who is white, has lost his temper a few times during his quarter
century in the House, once punching a senator in a dispute about a chicken
bill. He sat quietly at the front of the chamber Thursday as others lambasted
his inmate labor proposal. Rep. Jim Evans, D-Jackson, said sending prisoners
to work in a private business would help a “corporate thug.” The bill died
when the House voted 72-45 to send it back to the Corrections Committee.
About half the votes to kill the bill came from white members.
May 26, 2005 Biloxi Sun
Herald
Some House Democrats are outraged that Gov. Haley Barbour, on the very
day he forced them back to Jackson asking them to put aside partisanship and
pass a budget, appears to have been in Washington, using the state plane,
raising money they suspect will be used to try to oust them next election.
Barbour forced lawmakers to return in special session May 18. On that morning,
he held a $1,000- to $5,000-a-ticket fund-raiser breakfast for "Haley's
PAC" at the Willard Hotel in Washington. In an invitation letter,
Barbour said, "I hope we can help make sure that we grow Republican
numbers in the statehouses around the country and in Congress." Gov.
Haley Barbour has created a political action committee called "Haley's
PAC," to raise funds to "make sure that we grow Republican numbers
in the statehouses around the country and in Congress." Records show the
PAC last year raised nearly $400,000. Records from a $1,000- to
$5,000-per-ticket breakfast fund-raiser on May 18 are not yet available. Some
of the contributions and expenditures of the PAC, according to the latest
state records from earlier this year, include: $10,000 The GEO Group, Boca
Raton, Fla.
December 23, 2004 Clarion
Ledger
Counties in Mississippi are being reimbursed plenty for housing state
inmates in county jails, the state legislative watchdog committee said in an
analysis released Wednesday. "Right now there's no reason to change
those reimbursement rates," said Max K. Arinder,
executive director of the Joint Legislative Committee on Performance
Evaluation and Expenditure Review, or PEER. Although PEER's report shows
counties spend an average of $38 to house state inmates, the report concludes
the state's $20 reimbursement is plenty because inmate labor, which "can
exceed $20 per day per inmate, provides reasonable compensation to counties
for housing state prisoners." Hinds County Sheriff Malcolm McMillin called PEER's conclusion "absolutely
ridiculous," saying inmate labor shouldn't be computed to figure costs
and adding that he uses such inmates mainly for community service. If cutting
is the aim of state officials, they should look first at private prisons, he
said. "I don't know any of them that charge less than $30 a day. If they
can't compete with me, why should they try to cut me?"
October 7, 2002
It will cost $1.6 million to turn a private prison into a county jail, state
officials say. The cost estimate was revealed by Gov. Ronnie Musgrove
last week, but Robert Moore, president of the Leflore County Board of
Supervisors, said the state has not made an offer to convert the Leflore
County prison. Musgrove said in July that the state would shut down
Delta Correctional Facility. He cited lack of funding due to his veto
of the corrections budget for private prisons. A state judge later
ruled the veto unconstitutional, and another lawsuit pending in federal court
claims the shutdown would overburden the state corrections system.
However, the Mississippi Department of Corrections has gone ahead with its
plan. The contract with CCA in Nashville no longer requires the state
to keep a certain number of prisoners in Delta Correctional. The final
inmate is scheduled to leave Oct.9. Only 135 inmates remained at Delta
Correctional on Monday, and 32 were scheduled to leave on Friday. Only
about 29 of the private prison's 200 employees remained. The prison
once held 850 inmates. (AP)
September 7, 2002
No money will be paid to private prisons if the legislature continues its
position not to consider legislation to fund them, Gov. Ronnie Musgrove
says. Both House Appropriations Committee
Chairman Charlie Capps, D-Cleveland, and Senate Appropriations Committee
Chairman Jack Gordon, D-Okolona, said it wasn't necessary to bring a bill
before their committees after a judge's ruling that Musgrove's partial veto
of funding is invalid. The governor, however, still maintains
legislatures need to pass a new $48.7 million appropriation for the private
prisons. Lee Ann Mayo, Musgrove's spokeswoman, said the funds are
essentially frozen, and they are not available until the Supreme Court
rules. (Clarion Ledger)
August 24, 2002
The Mississippi Department of Corrections
could operate prisons in Leflore and Marshall counties more
cost effectively than private companies, a new report
says. The state's contract pays $28.28 per inmate per day to each
prison. In a report released Friday, accounting firm Smith,
Turner & Reeves of Jackson verified an MDOC
study of the relationship between inmate population
and spending. "I have consistently stated that MDOC could operate these
two facilities at a lower cost to taxpayers than what is
currently paid by contract to the private prison
operators," said Corrections Commissioner Robert Johnson.
The study was released about the same
time Gov. Ronnie Musgrove called a Sept. 5 special
session for legislators to deal with private prison spending
and other issues. The timing was a coincidence, said MDOC
spokesman Jennifer Griffin.
The MDOC study found operating costs
were lower than the contracted rates for when
prisons had inmate populations of 750 and 1,000.
However, at a population of 850, the
operating cost exceeded contracted rates. Capacity
at the two prisons is increased in blocks of 250
beds until they reach their 1,000-bed capacity, Griffin said.
Operation was more expensive at 850
inmates because of maintenance and staffing costs
associated with opening a block of cells, Griffin said.
"The contracts for the facilities
call them to operate . . . 10 percent lower than
the state's operating cost," she said. "Based on these
numbers, there is room for discussion about whether that 10
percent rate is realized or not." (AP)
August
2, 2002
Attorney General Mike Moore says he'll try to settle out of court a crisis in
the state's prison system that could revive a federal lawsuit and penalties
that go with it. But if it goes to court, Gov. Ronnie Musgrove does not
want the state's chief legal authority representing Mississippi. State
prisoners' rights attorney Ron Welch has filed a spate of motions in U.S.
District Court in Greenville, including one seeking to have Musgrove's April
veto of a $54.7 million private prison
appropriation declared invalid. "I certainly want a lawyer
representing me that agrees with my position," Musgrove said Thursday at
the Neshoba County Fair. (The Clarion Ledger)
July
23, 2002
Why are 2,600 state-owned prison beds empty while
two state private prisons are being guaranteed an inmate population
sufficient to make them profitable? And what role does $269,301 in lobbying expenditures and campaign contributions to
state elected officials by the private prison industry play determining the
state's corrections policies? State legislative leaders say that
private prisons made an investment in the state at a time when in the early
1990s when Mississippi was under federal court pressure to relieve massive
overcrowding in the system. Lawmakers say that those corporations now
should not be left holding the financial bag. But the state's top
corrections official says that the state should not "subsidize"
private prisons at a time when there is an estimated Department of
Corrections budget deficit of $$19.2 million. Currently there are
843 state prisoners housed at $28.29 per inmate per day in the Delta
Correctional Facility at Greenwood-- owned by Corrections Corporation of
America (CCA). There are 871 state prisoners housed at $28.28 per
inmate per day in the private Marshall County Correctional Facility in Holly
Springs-- owned by Wackenhut Corporation. Some 2,600 state-owned prison
beds currently are empty. Johnson said that the legislative claims that
the private prison companies came into the state at a time when the sates
needed more prison beds and that they should be protected is
"baloney." "Those companies came into Mississippi
because they saw an opportunity to make a profit," said Johnson.
CCA, Wackenhut and other private prison companies had made a total of $41,000
to lawmakers during the 1999 statewide elections. The National
Institute on Money in State Politics described the situation as "a major
shift in prison-privatization policy." "No longer were
advocates in Mississippi arguing over how much money privatization would save
taxpayers," an institute report said. "Instead they argued
that taxpayer subsidies were necessary in hard economic times to keep
existing prison jobs. The fact these subsidies would ensure corporate
profits went unspoken. In a scathing April 2002, report by the
institute entitled "A Contributing Influence: The Private Prison
Industry and Political Giving in the South," lobbying the political
giving were linked to the following Mississippi political figures. *Musgrove
received $7,300 in private prison industry campaign contributions, including
$4,750 from Carothers Construction, a prison builder,.
Failed GOP gubernatorial nominee Mike parker also received $5,250 from
private prison donors. *Attorney General Mike Moore, who backed the
Legislature's override of Musgrove's "ghost inmate" veto, received
$5,000 in private prison industry contributions, including $1,000 from
Wackenhut. *Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Sen. Jack Gordon,
D-Okolona, received $1,000 from CCA lobbyist Buddy Medlin in 2001. The
report stated that Gordon and State Sen. Bunky
Huggins, R-Greenwood-- in whose district Wackenhut's Delta Correctional
Facility is located--met with private prison officials the night before the
"ghost inmate" appropriation override: "Senators Jack
Gordon and Bunky Huggins had dinner with Wackenhut
executive Wayne Calabrese and Wackenhut lobbyist Al Sage at the Parker House restaraunt the evening before the override vote,"
the report said. Records in the secretary of state's office also show
that in 2001 Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck and House Speaker Tim Ford were recipients of
$1,000 and $1,100 respectively in donations from the state's private prison
corporations or their lobbyist. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sen.
Bill Minor, D-Holly Springs- also a Senate Corrections Committee
member-received a $500 donation from Wackenhut in 1999. Wackenhut's
Marshall County Correctional Facility is located in Minor's district.
Additional state records show that CCA has paid lobbyist Buddy Medlin a total
of $138,126 to represent its interests since 1998. Those same records
reflect that Wackenhut had paid lobbyist Al Sage $90,000 to represent its
interests since 1998. (Clarion Ledger)
July 9, 2002
Mississippi officials need to preserve vocational
and education programs for inmates
asthey renegotiate private prison contracts, a
lawmaker says. Gov. Ronnie Musgrove is holding closed-door negotiations
with three companies that operate five private prisons in Mississippi.
The governor said discussions will conclude sometime this month
and he expects to save the state $6 million to $12
million a year. Negotiations began after the Mississippi Department of Corrections
sent letters saying that as of July 1, the first day of the
budget year, state lacked the money to pay for
private prison operations. Provisions of the private prison
contracts say Mississippi can break the contracts if
there's no money available. At the end of the legislative session in
April, Musgrove vetoed $54.7 million for private
prisons. Attorney
General Mike Moore said last week he still believes the veto was
invalid. Moore said prison companies had called his office to complain.
"Some of these (corporate) people
said, 'If they think they're going to hold us up,
they've got another thing coming,' " Moore said.
"This is a show. This is politics."
(Clarion Ledger)
July
7, 2002
Gov. Ronnie Musgrove says he can save
the state $6 million to $12 million by renegotiating contracts
with private prison contracts. He also said he'll call lawmakers into
special session this summer to approve a new, smaller budget for
the five private facilities. "I firmly believe that it is wrong
to inflate the budget for private prisons, especially during a
national recession," Musgrove said in an interview Tuesday.
"These funds will better serve the people of Mississippi if
we use them to educate and protect our children and provide health care
for our people." (Common Wealth)
July 3, 2002
Gov. Ronnie Musgrove said Tuesday that
renegotiating private prison contracts would save
Mississippi taxpayers between $6 million and $12 million in 2003.
Musgrove defended notices sent out Friday notifying five
private prisons that their contracts were being terminated.
He called the overfunding of private
prisons by the Legislature "unconscionable."
The Legislature appropriated $54.7
million for private prisons, which includes money
to pay off construction debt. "We hope to negotiate new contracts
by the end of the month," said Musgrove, who described
private prison officials as receptive.
"I will include it in a special
session I plan to call," Musgrove said.
Private prison executives leaving the
meeting at 3 p.m. Tuesday refused to comment.
But Louise Green, a spokeswoman for
Corrections Corp. of America in Nashville that runs
Delta Correctional Facility in Greenwood and Wilkinson County
Correctional Facility, looks forward to more negotiations.
(Clarion Ledger)
July
2, 2002
The state says it doesn't have the money
to pay private companies to run prisons and is
terminating management contracts at five facilities.
In letters sent to the prisons Friday,
the Mississippi Department of Corrections said Gov.
Ronnie Musgrove on April 9 vetoed a $54.7 million appropriation,
part of a larger bill, for the private prisons.
The contracts between MDOC and the
management companies say the state has the right to
terminate the agreements without penalty if funds are not
appropriated. But Attorney General Mike Moore said governor's partial
veto is meaningless because he never had the power to issue it,
and the money is still there.
He called the reasoning behind the
attempt to take over management of the prisons
"bogus." Musgrove said he issued the veto — which
the Legislature never moved to override — because
language in the appropriations bill prevented Corrections Commissioner
Robert Johnson from moving money to other areas of the budget.
MDOC spokeswomen Jennifer Griffin said
MDOC staff had been planning all day how to take
over operation of the private prisons, but MDOC will not do so
until after Musgrove finishes talks with private officials.
And in 2001, legislators appropriated $6
million more than was needed for private prisons,
overriding Musgrove's veto. A subsequent report by a legislative
watchdog lowered the number of prisoners that
private and regional prisons need to break even, leading many to
say the state would otherwise pay for "ghost
inmates." (Clarion Ledger)
June
24, 2002
Delta Correctional Facility has given
Cassandra Swims' family a brighter future.
But dark days may be ahead for Delta and
other privately run prisons where inmate numbers
have declined and some jobs have already been eliminated.
Corrections Commissioner Robert Johnson
says construction of too many beds for
medium-security male inmates and a trend toward less jail time
for first-time, nonviolent offenders
may mean further reductions or a possible state takeover of
private prisons. Too few inmates to fill beds also cut into
the profits for companies in the prison business in Mississippi.
"Private prisons were not promised
a certain number of inmates," said Johnson, who
says an MDOC study shows the state can run Marshall County
Correctional Facility, another private prison, for less
than Wackenhut Corrections. "It was a business decision,
and like any business, conditions change."
Steve Owen, spokesman for
Nashville-based Corrections Corp. of America, which
runs Delta, is surprised at Johnson's comments.
""It was also an opportunity
for the company," Owen said. "What
the state does now is a policy decision for the Correction Department
and state legislators." Not everyone, however, has welcomed
private prisons as an answer to economic woes.
Hollandale Mayor Robert Burford thanks Gov. Ronnie Musgrove for last
year's veto of a bill that would have put a private prison the
state's sixth, in his town. "Most people didn't want it
here," said Burford, although his
predecessor, Mayor Oscar Peace Jr., pushed for the prison in
Washington County, where unemployment was 12.7 percent in April.
"We need jobs here, but our feeling is that if
we get a prison, it might prevent other businesses or industries
from coming." Delta's per diem, which began at $25.13
in 1996, will remain at $28.29 for another year.
"It has really created a bad situation for us," said Delta's
assistant warden, Phillip McLaurin. "We are
trying to cut costs without depriving inmates of their essentials
and programs. (Clarion Ledger)
June 23, 2002
Millions of dollars cut from public
schools. Too few social workers struggling to keep up with
hundreds of cases of abused and neglected children.
And Medicaid services reduced.
Lawmakers also plowed $9 million more
into the private prison budget than the state
Department of Corrections estimated was needed for 3,400
prisoners for fiscal 2003. In all, the Legislature is paying
$54.7 million to put inmates in private prisons and
$21.1 million to put them in regional jails — while 2,621 state-owned
beds remain empty. Why?
Communities where the 11 regional jails
and five private prisons have sprung up regard the
facilities as economic development to counteract high
unemployment. Contractual
obligations. The state is bound by 20-year contracts with 3
percent annual increases for private prisons and regional
jails.
Private prison companies are contributing
money to lawmakers' campaigns. During the 1999 elections 37
politicians split $41,085 from Corrections Corporation of
America, Wackenhut Corrections, Carothers
Construction and other prison industry sources, according
to a nonpartisan, nonprofit institute that compiles campaign
contribution information on a national level.
Politics. The corrections commissioner is
battling lawmakers for control of the prison system,
saying he can spend more efficiently with less
restrictions. So far, he's losing the fight.
The combined result of those factors is
money being poured into the state's corrections
system — which Attorney General Mike Moore, an architect of the
private prison-regional jail plan, said amounts to funding
society's failures at the expense of other needs, such as
education. Vincent Schiraldi, president of the
Justice Policy Institute in Washington, D.C., has
another description for it: astounding.
"It is astounding that during such
a time of fiscal crisis, the Legislature could be that
careless with that much money," Schiraldi said
of the $9 million in the private prison budget.
"The trend nationally is that as crime decreases and the
economy is down, private prisons are being closed."
Gov. Musgrove would agree. "The
state does not have an obligation to be a charity
for private prisons," he said. Sen.
Willie Simmons, D-Cleveland, Corrections Committee
vice chairman and a Senate Appropriations Committee member, fears
safety may be compromised by overfunding private
prisons. Private
prison companies are contributing money to lawmakers'
campaigns. During the 1999 elections, 37 politicians split
$41,085 from Corrections Corporation of America, Wackenhut
Corrections, Carothers Construction and other prison
industry sources, according to a nonpartisan, nonprofit institute
that compiles campaign contribution information on a
national level. Politics. The corrections commissioner is battling
lawmakers for control of the prison system, saying he can spend
more efficiently with less restrictions.
So far, he's losing the fight. The combined result of those factors is
money being poured into the state's corrections
system — which Attorney General Mik Moore,
an architect of the private prison-regional jail plan, said
amounts to funding society's failures at the expense
of other needs, such as education.
Vincent Schiraldi,
president of the Justice Policy Institute in Washington, D.C.,
has another description for it: astounding.
"It is astounding that during such
a time of fiscal crisis, the Legislature could be that
careless with that much money," Schiraldi said
of the $9 million in the private prison budget.
"The trend nationally is that as crime is down, private
prisons are being closed." Gov. Musgrove would agree. "The
state does not have an obligation to be a charity
for private prisons," he said.
Sen. Willie Simmons, D-Cleveland,
Corrections Committee vice chairman and a Senate
Appropriations Committee member, fears safety may be compromise
by overfunding private prisons. (Clarion Ledger)
May 20, 2002
Funding going to private prisons in Mississppi
should be diverted into less costly, more effective rehabilitation programs,
according to a study examining how much Mississippi spends on prisons vs.
education. "This will free up taxpayer dollars for education and
prevention programs that have been shown to deter individuals from committing
criminal acts," states the report by a Charlotte, N.C-based nonprofit group. The report, "Education
v. Incarceration: A Mississippi Cases Study," is scheduled to be
released today at a 1:30 p.m. news conference at the Capitol. The study
by the Grassroots Leadership is one of the many examining Southern states and
their policies on spending taxpayer dollars for corrections and education.
(Mississippi News)
April 10, 2002
Legislators are gearing up to override
more vetoes when they return to the Capitol on Friday.
Besides handling Gov. Ronnie Musgrove's
vetoes of two Medicaid bills, leading lawmakers say
they expect to try to overturn his partial vetoes of Department
of Corrections and Department of Human Services budgets. Musgrove
said he objects to protection for private prisons in the MDOC bill and
to money set aside for the YMCA in the welfare agency's budget. The governor said it was wrong for
lawmakers to bar the transfer of money away from the $54.7
million allocated for private prisons. He wanted Corrections
Commissioner Robert Johnson to have flexibility to move money from
any category of the prisons' budget into any other category.
"Once again, the special interests
and special friends of the private prison industry won the day,
funding fully private prisons and at a higher level than our
state and regional facilities," Musgrove wrote in his veto message
for part of the MDOC bill. At the end of the 2001
legislative session, Musgrove and Johnson clashed with lawmakers
over the funding of private prisons. Musgrove and Johnson said too much
money was going to the private facilities, at the expense of other state
needs such as education. Musgrove vetoed dozens of spending bills
in the 2001 session, and lawmakers ended the session by
overriding all the vetoes. In his corrections veto message Tuesday,
Musgrove wrote: "Robert Johnson and I work for the
taxpayers of Mississippi and not high paid executives of out-of-state
prison corporations. Private prison beds are the most expensive in
our system and this appropriation and its related proviso work against our
ability to be good stewards for hard working
Mississippians." (AP)
February 21, 2002
Remember Pete Johnson? The guy with the old Mississippi
political name who was elected state
auditor back in the 1980s? Ran for governor on the GOP ticket
in 1991 and bombed? However,
that's only part of the seemingly unending saga of mercurial Patrick
"Pete" Johnson, who has traded for years in the state's
political arena on the Johnson name -- his uncle,
Gov. Paul B. Johnson Jr. and grandfather, Gov. Paul B.
Johnson Sr. -- to advance his own political agenda. What brings Pete Johnson back on the
public's radar screen now is his sideline as the unlikely owner
of a private prison company, which, in a smelly political
deal in 1994 dumped a dilapidated old motel at Flowood
on the State Department of Corrections to house
female probationers. Some of that side of the Pete Johnson story
was unfolded a week ago in a Rankin County Chancery courtroom,
where Johnson is being sued for $2 million by his
ex-partner in Corrections Systems of Mississippi, the outfit of which Johnson
is president. The ex-partner, William O. "Buddy"
Jenkins, a well-known Rankin Realtor and contractor
who was a one-third owner of the prison company, contends in the suit
Johnson not only cut him out without payment, but also unloaded on him
a heap of costs to renovate the old motel. But here's the saddest part of the story
for Mississippi taxpayers: We
are paying Johnson $21,000 per month lease money for the
unsightly motel -- and will be until March 2005 --
under the contract Johnson wangled from the Corrections Department
back in the Fordice administration. "A
sweetheart deal," is how present Corrections Commissioner Robert Johnson
describes the motel lease contract. And he can't do anything about it.
Every month the state has to fork out
$20,987.50 in lease money to Corrections Systems of Mississippi
for DOC to house an average of 130 non-violent female
probationers at what once was the Airways Inn on U.S. 80 in
Flowood. Since Pete Johnson is the only
signatory on the lease, the lease money goes to
him. Worse, under terms of the contract, after the rental
period ends in March 2005, the state will own it. Most assuredly
it will have to be torn down and replaced with a decent
facility. How Pete Johnson even got
his hands on the abandoned Airways Motel is questionable. The
property was inherited by Hinds Community
College from a donor and
put up for bids in December 1993. Johnson made a high bid, but the sale
was not consummated until after Lucas gave the lease contract
to Johnson's private prison outfit on May
20, 1994 .
Johnson, a banker and licensed attorney before becoming state auditor in
1987, knew nothing about prisons before chartering Correction Systems
of Mississippi on May 4,
1994 . Remarkably, 16 days later he
secured the juicy private prison contract from the state without
making a public bid. (The Sun Herald)
September 14, 2001
Legislators didn't like comments Gov. Ronnie Musgrove made earlier in the
year when he criticized them for putting more money into prisons than
education. On Thursday, they unleashed their anger at state Department
of Corrections Commissioner Robert Johnson when he appeared before them to
talk about his budget request for the new year beginning July 1, 2002. Lawmakers
say they passed legislation requiring 230 inmates at 10 regional prisons and
900 inmates at two private facilities because Johnson asked for them
initially, but MDOC revised those numbers downward before the session
ended. Johnson, who told the committee he has a problem with looking at
inmates as economic development, was only minutes into his presentation when
Senate Finance Chairman Bill Minor took issue with Johnson saying inmates can
be housed cheaper at state facilities than at regional and private prisons.
Minor argued the same PEER report showed just the opposite. Johnson said he
read the same report, and it didn't support that. "You must have
not known how to read," Minor said. "Yes sir, I do. I read
very well," Johnson responded. (The Clarion-Ledger)
June 27, 2001
An ex-lawmaker and a former prison official are collecting hundreds of
thousands of dollars in contracts with regional lockups in Mississippi.
The former legislator, Rolling Fork attorney Charles Weissinger,
has contracts with five county-owned regional prisons that total more than
$300, 000, the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal newspaper in Tupelo
reported Wednesday. Contracts for attorneys and consultants are
negotiated by county officials where the regional prisons are located.
One of the consultants is Edward Hargett, a former
warden at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman,
who worked 25 years in corrections. Hargett
said the taxpayers "are getting a deal with the regional prisons.
They are getting all the program services provided at far less cost than at
the private prisons and state facilities." Weissinger,
who served in the Mississippi House from 1988-92, has contracts with regional
prisons in Bolivar, Issaquena, Stone, Jefferson-Franklin and Holmes-Humphreys
counties. Hargett has contracts with those
five prisons, plus the newly opened facility in Kemper-Neshoba
counties. (AP)
June 22, 2001
Employees at three privately run prisons in Mississippi have sued their
Tennessee-based employer for failing to pay overtime. The prisons are
located in Woodville, Greenwood and Tallahatchie County. Corrections
Corporation of America, based Nashville, Tenn., owns and operates the
prisons. The lawsuits, which represent one side of a legal argument,
allege CCA required employees to attend meetings off the clock and prohibited
workers from clocking out on days when they worked more than eight
hours. The suits ask for back overtime pay and damages on behalf of all
current and former CCA employees. (AP)
June 15, 2001
A legislative report released Thursday shows the Mississippi Department of
Corrections does not need to remove inmates from sheriff's work programs,
Attorney General Mike Moore said. "Common sense has won the
day," said Sheriff George H. Payne, Jr. "The winners are the
taxpayers of Harrison County." Payne and other sheriffs have been
at odds with lawmakers over their decision to guarantee higher numbers of
inmates at private and regional prisons. Officials at those prisons
said they need more inmates to break even on housing costs. The report
shows that the private at Holly Springs in Marshall County and at Greenwood
in Leflore County need about $28 per day to house an inmate, instead of $36
per day. The private prisons, instead of needing at least 900 each, require
843 beds in Leflore County and 871 in Marshall County. The state has to
pay for the beds even if they are empty. Lawmakers set the guarantees
last year after learning that prison population had dwindled, giving the
state more prison beds than prisoners. (The Sun Herald)
June 12, 2001
Some Mississippi sheriffs say they don't know how they'll cope if the
Corrections Department follows through on a proposal to remove 500 state
inmates from county work programs. Corrections Commissioner Robert Johnson
on Monday said he's considering the shuffle because legislators told his
department it must increase the number of inmates it keeps in regional jails
and private prisons. On the Coast, Harrison County stands to lose the
most state inmates, with 46 of 72 slated to be moved. the inmates pick up litter on the highways and beach, work
on public vehicles, help with public events and perform other chores.
Hancock County Sheriff Steve Garber is not happy about the possibility of
losing six of 10 state prisoners in the county's work program.
Lauderdale County Sheriff Billy Sollie uses state
inmates to cook jail meals and pick up roadside litter. He said taking
away the free labor could hurt his county. "It appears there's a
big political fight in Jackson and the citizens of the state of Mississippi
are the ones that's going to be impacted," Sollie said Monday. A dispute over the placement of
inmates erupted in March, during the final days of the 2001 legislative
session. Lawmakers wanted to increase the number of state inmates going
to 10 regional jails and privately run prisons in Marshall County and Leflore
County. The private prisons and regional jails have provided jobs in
many legislators' districts in recent years. Johnson said it's cheaper
to keep inmates in state prisons or county jails than in private prisons or
regional jails. He also said the state could end up with "ghost
inmates" by paying private or regional facilities for unfilled
beds. Lawmakers mandated the increases to regional jails and private
prisons over the objections of Johnson and Gov. Ronnie Musgrove. In his
letter to sheriffs, Johnson quoted a March 28 letter Attorney General Mike
Moore had sent him. "It makes no financial sense to pay $20 a day
to house these inmates in county jails and also pay for 'ghost inmates' at a
much higher rate for no service at all, " Moore
had written to Johnson. (AP)
April 5, 2001
Corrections officials will be asking sheriffs how many inmates they're
willing to give up to fill regional jails and two private prisons. The
Legislature expanded the number of inmates that will go into those prisons
over the veto of Gov. Ronnie Musgrove. "I want to see from the
sheriffs how many (inmates) they actually have that they need to move,"
Musgrove said Wednesday. The Department of Corrections budget bill
increased the state's financial obligation to regional jails and privately
run prisons starting July 1. Meeting the obligation will require either
shuffling of some the 1,500 state inmates that are now in local jails or
paying for what MDOC Commissioner Robert Johnson calls "ghost"
inmates in unfilled beds at the private prisons and regional jails.
"You are paying $20 a day to house a prisoner in an approval jail and
you're going to move that prisoner to a private facility that costs you
somewhere between $24 and $30 a day, " the governor told
reporters. "Now, my simple math tells me that is not saving
money." (AP)
March 30, 2001
Mississippi legislators swiftly overrode Gov. Ronnie Musgrove's vetoes of dozens
of spending bills, then headed home to end their
three-month session. The House voted 111-9 to override vetoes of the
Mississippi Department of Corrections funding bill. (The Clarion Ledger)
March 27
, 2001
Taxpayers would have to pay about $6 million a year to private and regional
prison for "ghost inmates" under bill the Legislature approved
Monday, the state's corrections commissioner said. The Mississippi department
of Corrections funding bill includes a provision to subsidize the regional
and private facilities, despite the absence of need. The state doesn't have
the inmates to fulfill the obligations under the bill, Corrections
Commissioner Robert Johnson said. Taxpayers would have to pay about $2
million a year to private prisoners and $4 million to regional prisoners for these :ghost inmates," he said. "I guess that's
where the old saying 'politics make strange bedfellows' comes from. Anytime
you find a group of Mississippi legislators agreeing to guarantee a private
enterprise a profit with taxpayers' money, you
know there's got to be strange happenings," Johnson said. State
prisoners have about 2,600 empty beds. (The Clarion-Ledger)
Mississippi Welcome Center,
I-10
Guard Rite Services
September 1, 2006 Sun Herald
The search ended has ended for a prisoner who escaped from the custody of
a private prison transport service that had stopped at the Mississippi
Welcome Center on its way to Texas from Indiana earlier in the week. Kevin
Alva, 49, escaped custody after the private transport service group made a
stop at the Mississippi Welcome Center on Interstate 10 just past the
Mississippi-Alabama state line Monday. At the time of his escape, he was
being extradited from Indiana to Texas, where he was facing a state parole
violation and expected to be sentenced to prison time because of a recent
armed robbery conviction.
Natchez-Adams County,
Mississippi
CCA/GEO
March 9, 2007 The Natchez Democrat
A petition has been started asking for a vote on potential federal
correctional facilities locating in Adams County. Robert Palmer, captain of
the Cranfield neighborhood watch, said he and other
members have drawn up a petition and started circulating it Friday morning.
“Some of the members and I live out here, and someone has to be the initial
start-up person,” Palmer said. “I think before we just put something in an
area, everybody should have the right to vote for or against it.” One of the
two private prison companies, CCA, is looking at locating a minimum to medium
security facility in northeast Adams County, and the other, GEO, is looking
at a lot at the Natchez-Adams County Airport. Representatives from both
companies said it’s likely only one will end up locating in Adams County. The
petition is not for or against either prison. It simply requests the proposal
to locate and build federal prisons in the county be brought to a public
vote. Palmer said he thought most people would sign the petition, whether a
resident was for or against the facilities. By state law, residents of a
county have a right to bring before the board of supervisors a petition with
either 1,500 signatures or signatures from 20 percent of the population,
whichever is less. If the petition meets the minimum number of required
signatures, the county must hold an election to decide whether or not to
accept the prison. The deadline to submit the petition — April 24 — is fast
approaching, Palmer said. “It’s getting real close,” Palmer said. “We’re
hoping to (get enough signatures). If we can get word out to the public that
the petitions are out there to sign, I think we can.” If the petition gets
enough signatures and the issue comes to a vote, the topic could be voted on
either in the scheduled elections in August and November, or the county could
hold a special election. Supervisor President Darryl Grennell
said he thought the decision would be up to the board. A special election
would be quicker but would cost extra county money, he said. If it came to a
vote, it might mean at least one company would look elsewhere to locate a new
facility, Grennell said. Both companies, but
especially CCA, have expressed interest in working quickly in order to take
advantage of GO Zone opportunities and be ready for potential government
contracts. “If this thing gets on the ballot, it will delay it tremendously,
and CCA will probably end up looking at another county,” he said. He said he
hadn’t heard one way or the other from GEO on the subject.
March 2, 2007 The
Natchez Democrat
Representatives from the city and county governments met privately in
December to discuss the prospect of a correctional facility locating in the
county. Natchez-Adams County Economic Development Authority Jeff Rowell said
the EDA called the meeting to inform officials about the details of the
potential prisons. “It was to let everybody know what’s going on,” Rowell
said Thursday. No public notice of the meeting was given. Two of the largest
correctional facility companies in the nation are interested in locating a
federal prison in Adams County, one on private land and one at the
Natchez-Adams Airport. A public hearing on the two companies was recently
held at a supervisors meeting. Officials from one company, GEO, which wants
to locate at the airport, spoke to those attending. The other company, CCA, was
not represented. EDA Chairman Woody Allen said it was an informal meeting
bringing in prison representatives to explain the situation. “There was no
plan for a vote,” Allen said. “It was strictly to let them know what the
different levels of the prison would be.” Adams County Supervisors President
Darryl Grennell said he asked the EDA to call the
meeting. “It was to more or less get support for the prison (from city
officials),” Grennell said, adding that he talked
with Gov. Haley Barbour before Christmas and discussed a potential prison in
Adams County. “He suggested a methodology of selling the prison to the county
residents. It was the same method he used in order to get three facilities in
Yazoo County.” That method, Grennell said, was to
first meet with city and county elected officials to educate them about the
facility, location and number of jobs it would provide. The next step was to
talk to community leaders, such as those from businesses and churches. They,
in turn, would have answers when residents came to them with questions about
the prisons. “That way you can have a trickle-down effect of selling the
concept of a prison to Natchez-Adams County,” Grennell
said. “Once you do that, you have a public hearing for the residents to come
and learn about the facility.” It didn’t quite work out that way, though, Grennell said. News of the facilities got out before
officials had a chance to talk with community leaders. “At that point, we
never got a chance to meet with community and business leaders,” he said. “It
was already public knowledge.”
Oxford,
Mississippi
TransCor
December
1, 2004 Daily Mississippian
An employee has been fired and equipment has been adjusted following an
investigation into how a prisoner escaped in Oxford in October. David Randal
Moser, 25, was being transported by TransCor, a
private transportation company, from Florida to Ohio to face rape charges
when he escaped in Oxford on Oct. 24. An investigation into how he escaped
resulted into security equipment adjustments and the termination of one
employee, said Ashley Nimmo, director of marketing
communications for TransCor. “We looked at
equipment and made some adjustments,” Nimmo said.
“One employee has been released due to violation of company policy.” Nimmo said she could not comment further on the equipment
or the employee. TransCor also paid the Oxford Police Department for the overtime
their officers put in to look for the prisoner.
October 28, 2004 Daily
Mississippian
Escaped prisoner David Randal Moser lived in trees near Jackson Avenue
for over 58 hours as he evaded police after his escape Sunday. Moser, 25, who was arrested around
10 p.m. Tuesday. Moser, who has been charged in Ohio with rape and sexual
misconduct with a minor, escaped on foot from a private transport at Wendy’s
at approximately 12:45 p.m. Sunday.
October 26, 2004 Daily
Mississippian
Although police still search in Oxford for escaped prisoner David Randal
Moser, they do not know whether he is in or out of Lafayette County. Moser,
25, who has been charged in Ohio with sexual conduct with a minor, escaped on
foot from a private transport at Wendy’s at approximately 2 p.m. Sunday.
Stephanie Castle, a relative of the family that brought the charges against
Moser, called The Daily Mississippian to request an update about Moser’s
whereabouts. Castle said she is upset that Moser was allowed to escape. “I
can’t believe these extradition people have a Web site saying they are high
security,” Castle said. “Where were the people when he did it (escaped)? I
don’t get this at all. It just makes me irate.” Moser was being transported by TransCor, a private prisoner transportation company, from
Florida to Ohio when he escaped.
October 25, 2004 Daily
Mississippian
Police searched for an escaped prisoner on campus and across Oxford Sunday
afternoon through the early morning hours. As of 1:30 a.m., the search was to
no avail. David Randal Moser, 25, escaped on foot from a private transport at
Wendy’s on Jackson Avenue at approximately 2 p.m. Sunday, a flier said. Moser, who was in custody for
charges of sexual conduct with a minor, was being transported by Transcor from Florida to Richland County Jail in
Mansfield, Ohio.
Pike County, Mississippi
CCA,
Cornell
April
18, 2007 The Natchez Democrat
By voting against a prison coming to their county, Pike County residents
gave Adams County a huge advantage, local officials said Tuesday. Pike County
voted not to allow Corrections Corporation of America, the country’s largest
private corrections company, to locate a facility there. The unofficial
results were 3,854 against the prison and 2,721 in favor of it. That is a
huge plus for Adams County’s chances of getting a CCA prison, Adams County
Supervisors President Darryl Grennell said Tuesday.
“That is good news for Adams County. There’s a much greater chance of it
being in Adams County, now,” Grennell said. “I know
it’s going to be in Adams County. That’s like a 100 percent guarantee it’s
going to be here.” CCA is one of two prison companies vying for a federal
contract and looking to locate in Adams County. CCA has announced it was
looking to pick a location among Pike, Walthall and Adams counties. Now that
Pike County is out of the running, and Walthall County is not as far along in
the selection process, Adams County looks like the place, Natchez-Adams
County Economic Development Authority Chair Woody Allen said. “It just puts
us in a very positive light going forward with regard to being one of the top
sites,” Allen said. CCA spokesman Steve Owen said he thought the results were
very positive for Adams County. “This is more about Pike County than about
CCA,” Owen said. “Pike County is removing themselves
from consideration. It means we have to shift our focus to the other two
counties in Mississippi wanting to be considered.” Supervisor Sammy Cauthen said he was interested in the jobs a potential
prison would bring to the county. “We need the jobs, and we need the ad
valorem taxes off the $90 million project,” Cauthen
said. “Businesspeople in town need the business that would come along with the
prison.” Supervisor Henry Watts said he was pleased Pike County voted against
the prison. “It obviously heightens our chances of getting the prison here,”
Watts said. “The prison proposal makes the most economic sense. It is the
best industrial proposal I have seen that made economic sense since I’ve been
on the board of supervisors.” Supervisor Thomas “Boo” Campbell said he
thought a prison in Adams County was a sure thing. “I think there’s not much
to stop it for Adams County,” Campbell said. “We need the jobs. There will
always be skeptics, and there will always be pros and cons. The reality is,
we need the jobs, and I welcome it.” Supervisor S.E. “Spanky”
Felter said he thought the Pike County vote would
definitely mean a prison in Adams County. “I’m sure they’re coming here,” he
said. “I’m sure they’re going to try.” But Felter
said he wanted the residents of Adams County to be able to decide that issue.
“I want the people to have a chance to vote on it,” Felter
said. “If they want it, it’s fine with me.” Residents might get that chance.
Mississippi law states that if residents of a county get 1,500 signatures on
a petition asking for a vote on a private prison, the county has to hold a
vote. Some have recently said that because of timing — CCA wants to take
advantage of the GO Zone incentives — a vote would ruin Adams County’s
chances of getting the prison. Robert Palmer is one of those spearheading a
petition in Adams County to bring the issue to a vote. And while the petition
is not for or against the prison, only asking for a vote, Palmer said he is
not in favor of having a private federal prison in the county. “We just feel
if this thing comes, these people who are promoting it are going to see the
day they regret bringing it in,” Palmer said. “It’s not if we have a problem
there, it’s when.”
January 2, 2007 Clarion
Ledger
Pike County officials will host what is being called an
"informational session" today in Magnolia on a proposed prison to
be run by Corrections Corporation of America. Magnolia Mayor Jim Storer and Pike County Economic Development District
Executive Director Britt Herrin will host the meeting. Storer
said no one from CCA will be present. CCA wants to build a 1,500-inmate
prison in the Metro-Pike Industrial Park. Storer
said he hopes to have CCA officials at future sessions. "I decided that
the citizens of Magnolia and anybody else around that might want to learn
more about that, that this might be an opportunity for them to come and
present their questions," Storer said. Storer said he hopes mayors in other towns in Pike County
will hold similar sessions for residents. Meanwhile, an organization opposed
to the prison has asked county supervisors for copies of all records
pertaining to the project. Supervisors this past week received a letter from
Gail Tyree of Grassroots Leadership requesting copies of
"correspondence, meeting notes and cell phone records in regards to the
prison proposal." Tyree also requested "executive session
notes" from January 2005 to Dec. 18, 2006. Board of supervisors
attorney Wayne Dowdy said he will respond to Tyree's request.
December 22, 2006 AP
Pike County supervisors will run public notices about a proposed private
prison in the Metro-Pike Industrial Park. The notice is required by law.
Board of supervisors attorney Wayne Dowdy said this
week that the notice, to be published in a local newspaper, will specify the
location of the prison, type of inmates that will occupy it and the name of
the company - Corrections Corp. of America - that wants to run it. If 1,500
voters sign petitions opposing the prison, supervisors must hold an election
on the issue, Dowdy said. Nashville, Tenn.-based CCA plans a 1,500-inmate
facility, costing about $80 million. It would be located on 85 acres in the
industrial park. CCA has three prisons in Mississippi. Wilkinson County
Correctional Facility at Woodville opened in 1998, Tallahatchie County
Correctional Facility at Tutwiler in 2000 and Delta Correctional Facility at
Greenwood in 2004, according to the CCA. Pike County Economic Development
District Executive Director Britt Herrin has said the proposed prison will
have a low profile at its location in the industrial park on the southeast
side of the McComb-Pike County Airport. He said the
site will have a perimeter of trees and other vegetation. "We want it to
blend into the area and have a more peaceful, serene look than just concrete
buildings, fences and razor wire," Herrin said. CCA's Brad Wiggins has
said that the outdoor lighting system at the prison will be focused on the
ground and should not light up the night sky dramatically.
December 18, 2006 Enterprise-Journal
Pike County residents will get an opportunity to vote on a proposed
prison if at least 1,500 voters sign petitions requesting a referendum,
according to statute. Board of supervisors attorney
Wayne Dowdy said he found a state law Friday requiring public notice and a
potential referendum on a private prison. He will meet with supervisors at 9
a.m. Wednesday to discuss the matter. “On Wednesday they should pass a resolution
indicating that since an option to purchase has been granted to Corrections
Corp. of America on 89 acres, more or less, the public will be notified as
required by a statute, and the public will have 60 days within which to file
objections to the construction of the facility,” Dowdy said this morning. “If
a sufficient number of objections are received, an election will be called on
the matter. It will be determined by majority vote.”
December 18, 2006 AP
Pike County officials have canceled a public hearing on a proposed prison,
saying there is broad community support for the project. Nashville-based
Corrections Corporation of America wants to build the 1,500-inmate facility
in the Metro-Pike Industrial Park east of the county airport. The prison would
cost $80 million and provide 300 jobs, CCA has said. The company has an
option on 85 acres in the industrial park. Pike County Economic District
Executive Director Britt Herrin said Friday that Corrections Corp. of America
officials have already met with opponents of the prison, so there's no reason
for a public hearing.
December 4, 2006 AP
Pike County supervisors have canceled a public hearing that had been
scheduled for Dec. 14 on a proposal to locate a private prison in the county.
Britt Herrin, executive director of Pike County Chamber of Commerce and
Economic Development District, said this week that Corrections Corporation of
America, which proposes building the prison in the Metro-Pike Industrial
Park, wants to wait until after the Christmas holidays. Meanwhile, CCA
officials hope to meet individually or in small groups with some of the
prison's critics. "They felt that was a prudent way to discuss the
project with people who are emotional about it," Herrin said. A tour of
a CCA prison at Woodville is still scheduled for Dec. 13. A prison to house
illegal aliens was considered for the area in 2001 but fell victim to federal
budget cuts in 2001 following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
July 19, 2002
In another matter, executive director Britt Herrin said Cornell Corrections,
Inc. might appeal the Federal Bureau of Prisons decision not to locate a
prison in Pike County. The Houston, Texas based company spent about $2
million preliminary costs to construct the privately owned and operated
federal prison to house illegal aliens at Fernwood.
"Gave it our best shot...just beyond our control," Herrin said of
the prison project. (Enterprise-Journal)
June 6, 2002
After months of delays, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons announced it choise for a new federal prison Thursday, and Pike County
wasn't it. George Killinger of Cornell
Corrections Inc., which had planned to build the Pike County prison,
expressed shock this morning. "We're just very saddened here and
disappointed." In
2000 the bureau started with 14 prospective sites, and late last
year it recommended McRae and Pike County.
But the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks
changed everything. More money went to homeland security, more
illegal aliens were deported, immigration was tightened, and
local officials got word a month ago that the
bureau would choose just one site in the Southeast.
That pitted the McRae site, proposed by
Corrections Corp. of America, against Pike County. “The
one thing CCA-McRae had was a facility already built,” Killinger said. “That was probably the biggest
difference. “We found no resistance, and that is so
unusual.” Killinger would not say exactly how
much Cornell has spent in preparation work here, but admitted it’s a
lot. “We haven’t come up with a dollar amount, but many years and lots
of time and sweat and an awful lot of money,” he said, citing
environmental studies, blueprints and other work. “We had no, no
indication we would not be selected, up till the 11th hour. We thought the
announcement would be made today,” he said. “We all had smiles on our
faces and were ready to come to McComb and put the
shovel in the ground.” Earlier this month Pike County
supervisors agreed to spend $800,000 for 110 acres to enlarge the
Metro-Pike Industrial Park for the proposed prison. But they said the
expansion was needed whether the county gets a prison or not. Killinger, whose company is in the business of building
and operating prisons, said it might still propose Pike County
for a prison in the future.
“There’s got to be some form of prison
population that will grow,” he said. “We do know
that we have a site and community and partnership that we would
be anxious to start again.” (Enterprise-Journal)
May 7, 2002
Pike County officials say they have
found evidence that they shouldn’t have to reimburse the U.S.
Department of Justice $30,836 in grant funds after all. In
another matter, supervisors voted to go ahead with the purchase
of 110 acres to enlarge the industrial park for a federal prison
even though the prison hasn’t been formally approved.
The Pike County Economic Development
District will buy the land for $800,000, and the county will
issue bonds. The option to buy was set to expire May 1.
The county won’t qualify for a grant
until the prison is formally approved. The purchase was
contingent on the prison project, which has been delayed
repeatedly by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
Last year supervisors agreed to issue
$1.5 million in bonds to buy the land and as matching funds for
a grant to provide roads and utilities to the property. Cornell
Companies Inc. plans to build a low-security prison to house
immigrants accused of violating laws in the United States.
(Enterprise-Journal)
Tallahatchie Correctional
Facility
Tutwiler, Mississippi
CCA
October
28, 2009 Clarksdale Press Register
The state of California have sent corrections investigators to Tutwiler
Prison following an inmate attack that injured two guards. One of the injured
guards at the private facility, Norris Holly, is a former two-term Friars
Point Alderman. The incident occurred Thursday during breakfast in the dining
hall at the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility in Tutwiler, which is
run by Nashville-based Corrections Corporation of America. Corrections
officials say several inmates from California, who had been transferred to
the prison, attacked the staff. According to sources, Norris is being treated
for 22 puncture wounds and a collapsed lung. An unidentified Lieutenant was
treated for injuries to his eye and jaw and released. No inmates were
injured. The facility is on lockdown. The incident is under investigation.
CDCR’s strike team will support Correctional Corporation of America staff in
its investigation and review, help identify inmates who participated in the
incident, conduct threat assessments and interviews, and evaluate housing
placement.
October 22, 2009 AP
The state of California is sending corrections investigators to a private
prison in the Mississippi Delta where inmates attacked and injured two
guards. The incident occurred Thursday during breakfast in the dining hall at
the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility in Tutwiler, which is run by
Nashville-based Corrections Corporation of America. Corrections officials say
several inmates from California, who had been transferred to the prison,
attacked the staff. Two CCA officers were injured and one remained
hospitalized Thursday. Staff used a chemical spray to break up the attack.
The facility is on lockdown. The California officers will help CCA
investigate.
May 23, 2008 Sacramento
Bee
California's prison medical czar will investigate the so-called
"long-term viability" of a private prison company's contract with
the state because of problems at one of the firm's out-of-state facilities.
In a letter to the Corrections Corporation of America, receiver J. Clark
Kelso's top aide cited the death of one California inmate and delayed health
care for another at the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility in
Tutwiler, Miss. Chief of staff John Hagar's letter said the receiver's office
will send an oversight team to Mississippi on Monday. It is investigating the
death April 23 of Robert Washington and what the letter called "delays
in the delivery of medical care" to another inmate, identified as
Frederick Gusta. Hagar's letter, dated Wednesday,
said the receiver's office plans to meet soon in Sacramento with company
officials and that the session "will include a discussion of ..... the long-term viability of the contract between the
California Department of Corrections and CCA." "Everything is on
the table," receiver's spokesman Luis Patino
said Thursday about the contract. The private prison company houses 3,904
California inmates in six prisons located in Mississippi, Tennessee, Oklahoma
and Arizona. The company's two contracts are costing the state $115 million
in the current fiscal year. California corrections officials say the
out-of-state program is vital to relieving pressure on the state's system as
inmates are jammed into 33 prisons at twice their designed capacity. Corrections
spokesman Oscar Hidalgo said Thursday it would be "premature to
react" to Hagar's letter "until there's an investigation
complete." Hidalgo said the state considers the transfer program a
"great success" that has allowed California to move inmates out of
triple-bunked gymnasiums. Two public employee unions have sued the state in
Sacramento Superior Court to block the transfers on grounds they violated the
employees' civil service protections. The unions prevailed. Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger's administration appealed the lower court's rulings. A hearing
on the appeal is set for Tuesday in Sacramento. Inmate Washington, 41, died
of cardiac arrest after being stricken by an asthma attack, according to
Coahoma County, Miss., chief medical examiner and investigator Scotty
Meredith. Washington was serving seven years for vehicle theft. Meredith said
it was his opinion that the medical care at the Tallahatchie County prison
was "excellent" but that it took a private ambulance company 35
minutes to respond to the asthma attack. Washington was taken from the prison
to a Coahoma County hospital 12 miles away, in the northwest Mississippi
Delta region, about 75 miles south of Memphis, Tenn. "I don't think
anything was wrong (at the prison), but I wasn't there," Meredith said
in an interview. No details were available on Gusta's
case, except that he complained of chest pains and also was transported to a
local hospital where he is still receiving care, Hidalgo said. Hidalgo said
there also were "some delays" in Gusta's transportation to the hospital.
May 13, 2008 Sacramento
Bee
California's prison medical care receiver is investigating the death of
an inmate who was being housed in Mississippi. "I'm told it was an
asthma-related death," said receiver's spokesman Rich Kirkland.
Corrections officials identified the inmate as Robert Washington, 41, of San
Joaquin County. Washington was serving seven years for vehicle theft. Autopsy
results on Washington's April 23 death are still pending, corrections
spokesman Oscar Hidalgo said Monday. Washington died at the Tallahatchie
County Correctional Facility in Tutwiler, Miss. The prison is owned and
operated by the Corrections Corporation of America. Washington is the second
inmate moved under California's out-of-state transfer plan to have died in
custody since the program began two years ago. Anthony Kelly, 48, serving
eight years on a drug case, died last May from an apparent heart attack while
watching a fight involving other inmates. There are now 3,765 California
inmates serving time out of state, Hidalgo said. State officials embarked on
the transfer plan to help relieve pressure in the state's overcrowded
prisons. Two public employee unions filed suit to block the transfers. The
unions prevailed in Sacramento Superior Court, but the cases are pending on
appeal.
August 18, 2007 Sacramento
Bee
California corrections officials have begun sending hundreds of foreign
national inmates against their will to a private prison in Mississippi as
part of a stepped-up, out-of-state transfer plan. The first two flights of
prisoners to the Tallahatchie County Detention Facility in Tutwiler, Miss.,
have taken place without incident, officials said, in spite of fears
expressed by the California correctional officers union that the forced transfers
would be met with inmate violence. "Many of the inmates had never been
on a plane before in their lives," said Scott Kernan,
the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's chief deputy
secretary for adult operations. "They were a little scared. But once
they got on the flight, they were fine." Some 200 foreign national
inmates, mostly from Mexico, were shipped to the Mississippi prison on
flights July 20 and July 27, a state prison spokesman said. A total of 597
inmates -- including 397 volunteers -- have now been sent to private prisons
in Mississippi, Arizona and Tennessee. Kernan said
the state hopes to move 5,000 prisoners to out-of-state institutions by June
30 to help relieve overcrowding in California. "We have a very
aggressive schedule that will include trips of approximately 120 inmates
every couple of weeks," Kernan said. Some
173,000 inmates in the state are being housed in space designed for about
half that many, with federal judges now considering a motion to place a
population cap on the system that could result in early releases for tens of
thousands of prisoners. Francisco Estrada, a lobbyist for the Mexican
American Legal Defense and Education Fund, said the transfers of the foreign
nationals raise a host of potentially problematic legal issues for the
corrections agency. If the inmates are legal residents, the transfers figure
to separate them from their families and immigration attorneys, and
"that's wrong," Estrada said. They also create a prospect for
racial targeting on the part of prison officials. "We need to be very
careful," Estrada said, adding that he will be discussing the issue with
Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund attorneys. Foreign
nationals being transferred under the out-of-state program are all subject to
holds "or potential holds" placed on them by Immigration and
Customs Enforcement, said corrections spokesman Bill Sessa.
They include both legal and illegal residents, he said. No inmates "with
demonstrated family ties" are being transferred for now, Sessa said. Nor are any being
moved "if they're in the middle of legal proceedings," including
immigration matters, Sessa said. The California
Correctional Peace Officers Association in February won a ruling in
Sacramento Superior Court stopping the transfer program. The union claimed
the program violated state civil service protections guaranteed under the
California Constitution. The ruling has since been stayed pending an appeal
by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. CCPOA leaders also voiced opposition to the
transfers during the debate over the recently enacted $7.9 billion prison
construction plan, which included legislative approval for moving 8,000
inmates out of state. Union officials said the involuntary transfers would
put officers in danger from resisting inmates. CCPOA spokesman Ryan Sherman
said Friday that the union is "very grateful" that no officers have
been injured in extracting the prisoners from their cells. "We're
hopeful that will continue as the governor continues to do these unconstitutional
transfers," Sherman said. Sherman characterized the Tallahatchie County
prison in Mississippi, operated by the Correctional Corp. of America, as one
of "the most troubled" in the country. He based his assessment on
newspaper articles detailing assorted disturbances at the prison dating back
to 2003. "Private prisons lower the bar for the entire profession by
providing extremely limited training and remarkably poor compensation and
benefits," Sherman said. "They're in it to make a buck. Public
safety is nowhere on their priority list." CCA spokeswoman Louise Grant
said her company "is extremely proud of the Tallahatchie County
Correctional Facility" and that private prisons are no more dangerous
than those operated by the state.
July 22, 2007 Honolulu
Advertiser
The private prison company that holds Hawai'i convicts on the Mainland
acknowledged that multiple cell doors accidentally opened on four occasions
at one of the company's new Arizona prisons, including one incident where
alleged prison gang members used the opportunity to attack a Hawai'i inmate.
The state's highest prison official said he's troubled that Corrections
Corporation of America did not immediately notify the state about the
incidents. The statement released by CCA announced that "appropriate
disciplinary action was taken on officers in regard to four separate
inadvertent cell door openings" at the Red Rock Correctional Center. The
statement did not offer any specifics, and a company spokeswoman said in an
e-mail that CCA would not provide additional details. Hawai'i Department of
Public Safety interim director Clayton Frank said CCA did not tell Hawai'i
prison authorities about some of the incidents until Wednesday night, after
The Advertiser published complaints from inmates about repeated cases where
doors opened unexpectedly and improperly, leaving protective custody
prisoners vulnerable to attacks by prison gangs. Frank said he is
"troubled" that CCA did not tell Hawai'i about some of the
incidents. The company explained it did not immediately report some cases
where doors opened because those incidents did not involve attacks on Hawai'i
inmates, Frank said. "Right now, I have some serious concerns and doubt
of whether they are providing us with everything," he said. "If it
involves our inmates, I want to make sure that what they're giving us is true
and accurate. "I want something to go directly
to corporate office up there that says you guys have got to be candid when we
ask questions." The state pays about $50 million a year to house 2,100
convicts in Mainland CCA prisons because there is no room for them in Hawai'i
facilities. INMATE STABBED In the most serious of the incidents at Red Rock,
Hawai'i inmate John Kupa was stabbed with a
homemade knife on June 26 after more than half of the cell doors abruptly
opened in his housing unit. That incident is being blamed on an error by a
corrections officer. Protective custody inmates are housed in that prison pod
along with general population inmates. That mix requires that prisoners there
be separated constantly, and the doors there are never supposed to open
simultaneously, prison officials said. Hawai'i Public Safety officials say
that when the doors opened, Kupa and a 44-year-old
inmate allegedly attacked Hawai'i convict Sidney Tafokitau.
During the struggle, prison officials say Tafokitau
allegedly stabbed Kupa. Tafokitau,
a protective custody inmate, has said he acted in self-defense, and said he
got the knife by taking it away from one of his attackers. Kupa, 36, was stabbed in the lower left back, and was
treated and released from an Arizona hospital. The Red Rock stabbing marks
the second time in two years a Hawai'i inmate has been injured when cell
doors unexpectedly opened in a CCA prison living unit where inmates were
supposed to be locked down. In the earlier case, 20 cell doors in a
disciplinary unit of the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility in
Mississippi suddenly opened at 2:48 a.m. on July 17, 2005, releasing about
three dozen Hawai'i convicts from their cells. Inmates then attacked Hawai'i
inmate Ronnie Lonoaea, who was beaten so badly he
suffered brain damage, and is now confined to a wheelchair. Hawai'i prison
officials this week revealed the doors opened in Mississippi in that 2005
disturbance because a corrections officer had been "compromised" by
a prison gang. Lawyer Myles Breiner, who is suing
the state and CCA on behalf of Lonoaea and his
family, said Lonoaea will need extensive medical
care for the rest of his life, care that is expected to "easily"
cost $10 million to $11 million. Breiner said he is
also gathering information about attacks triggered by doors that improperly
opened at Red Rock, and is considering filing suit on behalf of inmates that
were attacked or injured in those cases. DELIBERATE ERROR? "Their doors
are opening, and the only people responsible for the management and security
is CCA," Breiner said. He said some of the
lapses at Red Rock seem to be caused by human error or problems with the
equipment, while the inmates suspect some of the other incidents have been
deliberate. "Whether it's corruption or construction, CCA is still
responsible," Breiner said. The statement from
CCA said the company has taken corrective measures. "We stand by our
reputation as a provider of quality corrections management services, and will
continue to assess our operational activities to further refine and improve
our safety processes," the company said.
July 18, 2007 Honolulu
Advertiser
For the second time in two years, improper actions by a corrections
worker caused cell doors to unexpectedly open in a Mainland prison where
Hawai'i inmates were supposed to be kept separated, triggering violence that
injured a Hawai'i convict, prison officials said. In the first incident at a
Mississippi prison in 2005, Hawai'i convict Ronnie Lonoaea,
34, was beaten so severely that he suffered brain damage and is now confined
to a wheelchair. Lonoaea's family sued the Hawai'i
prison system and Corrections Corp. of America last week in connection with
the case. In a second incident last month at Red Rock Correctional Center in
Arizona, an error by a prison staffer caused cell doors to abruptly open,
prison officials said. Hawai'i inmate John Kupa,
36, was stabbed in the left lower back, according to a police report. The two
incidents raise concerns about the treatment of Hawai'i inmates in Mainland
prisons run by a private company, said an expert on prisons and a state
legislator. In the Arizona case, cell doors abruptly opened on June 26 in a
prison pod where protective custody inmates are housed in some cells and
general population inmates including gang members are held in other cells. Kupa was stabbed with a homemade knife after the doors
opened at about 6 p.m., according to a report from the Eloy,
Ariz., police department. The injured inmate was
treated and released at a local hospital, according to a prison spokeswoman.
In the Mississippi prison incident, 20 cell doors suddenly opened at 2:48
a.m. on July 17, 2005. About three dozen Hawai'i inmates were released from
their cells when the doors opened, touching off a melee that lasted for 90
minutes in a disciplinary pod in the Tallahatchie County Correctional
Facility. Corrections officers finally used tear gas grenades to regain
control of the pod. Hawai'i Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Louise
Kim McCoy said an internal investigation of the Mississippi case found the
doors opened because a corrections sergeant had been "compromised"
by prison gang members. Corrections Corp. of America, which owns both the
Mississippi and the Arizona prison, terminated the sergeant, McCoy said in a
written response to questions. Steve Owen, director of marketing for CCA,
declined to discuss the specifics of the June 26 incident and also declined
comment on the lawsuit over the Tallahatchie incident. PRIVATE VS. PUBLIC
Byron E. Price, assistant professor of public policy and administration at
Rutgers University and author of a book on the private prison industry, said
Hawai'i has reason to be concerned about the incidents at Tallahatchie and Red
Rock. Private prison operators make money by holding down costs, which is
often accomplished by reducing labor costs, said Price. The companies tend to
rely heavily on technology as a way to keep the officer-to-inmate ratios
down, Price said. Private prison staff members are typically inexperienced,
he added. "By cutting labor costs, you get a less qualified individual,
and there's high turnover rate in the private prisons, and they conduct less
training for their corrections officers" compared with publicly run
prisons, said Price, who is author of "Merchandizing Prisoners: Who
Really Pays for Prison Privatization?" Corrections Yearbook statistics
show the staff turnover at private prisons averages 52 percent a year, while
the turnover at public prisons is about 16 percent, he said. Hawai'i spends
more than $50 million a year to house inmates in CCA prisons on the Mainland,
and Senate Public Safety Committee Chairman Will Espero
said he is concerned about reports of security problems "that appear to
be similar, and that haven't been resolved." "Considering the
millions of dollars that we are spending on the Mainland, we would expect to
get excellent service, excellent facilities, and ... I would expect that with
their experience, they should be able to minimize any problems," he said
of CCA. LIFETIME CARE NEEDED When the cell doors opened in Mississippi,
prisoners attacked Lonoaea. His attackers tore or
cut off his lips and broke bones in his face, said Honolulu lawyer Michael
Green, who is suing CCA and the Hawai'i prison system on behalf of Lonoaea's family. Green said Lonoaea,
who is approaching the end of his prison sentence, will need intensive
healthcare for the rest of his life that will likely cost $10 million to $11
million. The lawsuit alleges Hawai'i prison officials were negligent for
failing to properly oversee the prison, and alleges CCA failed to properly
train or supervise TCCF staff. Inmates at Red Rock who were interviewed by
The Advertiser complain that multiple cell doors there have repeatedly opened
without warning at times when prisoners are supposed to be locked down,
leaving protective custody inmates open to danger. Officials at the privately
owned Red Rock facility have disarmed the fuses in the electrical systems
that operate the doors to some cells in the facility since the June 26
incident, and corrections officers at Red Rock have been manually opening the
doors with keys, said McCoy of the Hawai'i Department of Public Safety. In a
written response to questions, McCoy confirmed inmate accounts of the attack
in Echo-Delta pod, a housing unit where inmates are supposed to remain
separated from each other at all times. After the doors opened, Kupa and a 44-year-old inmate allegedly attacked Sidney Tafokitau, 28. During the fight that followed, Tafokitau allegedly stabbed Kupa
with a homemade knife. Tafokitau said in a
telephone interview this is the second time his cell door at Red Rock has
opened without warning. Tafokitau said he acted in
self-defense on June 26 and said he obtained the homemade knife by seizing it
from one of his attackers during the fight. Tafokitau
also alleged that corrections officers initially fled from the fight instead
of intervening to break it up and only returned later with pepper spray after
Tafokitau's attackers had thrown him to the ground
and were beating him. "I telling you, this ... place is sloppy, cuz," said Tafokitau, who
is serving a life sentence for robbery. "They make so much mistakes ...
it's just a matter of time before another mistake. I telling you right now,
somebody gonna get killed, brah."
Tafokitau said he was in the pod because he was
involuntarily placed in protective custody after he clashed with a prison
gang. EARLIER INCIDENTS Hawai'i inmates at Red Rock claim multiple cell doors
have opened simultaneously and unexpectedly before. Inmate Chris Wilmer, 29,
recounted an incident on Feb. 2 when all of the doors in Echo-Delta unit
again opened, releasing general population inmates into a dayroom occupied by
protective custody inmates. Wilmer, who also said he was involuntarily placed
in protective custody because of conflicts with gang members, said he
immediately became involved in a fight with two alleged members of a prison
gang who were released into the dayroom. Wilmer said a Hawai'i prison
official was notified of that incident and spoke to Wilmer about it. Wilmer
said he also witnessed a similar incident where the doors opened in
Echo-Bravo pod at about 6:30 p.m. on April 7, and Wilmer and another inmate
both alleged there was another example of doors opening unexpectedly between
June 21 and June 23 in the Echo-Bravo pod. The growing sense of insecurity in
the pods encourages inmates to try to obtain weapons, and Hawai'i needs to
pressure CCA to fix the problem, said Wilmer, who is serving prison terms for
robbery, attempted murder and other offenses. "For here and now,
something needs to be said and done," he said. "They don't have
room for that kind of mistakes." The officer who erred in the June 26
incident meant to open doors in another pod used by Alaska inmates and
instead opened the doors to Hawai'i inmates' cells, McCoy said. She said the
officer has been disciplined. A female corrections officer who made a similar
mistake by opening multiple doors in a living unit elsewhere in the prison
earlier this year also was disciplined, McCoy said. McCoy could not
immediately confirm the other inmate reports of other cases where multiple
cell doors opened unexpectedly in February, April and June. RE-EVALUATING
UNIT Part of the problem on June 26 was that the pod involved was not
designed to operate with "serious violent offenders" who are locked
in their cells for 23 hours each day, but those kinds of offenders ended up
there because they couldn't be held in Oklahoma or Mississippi, McCoy said.
Those inmates are now awaiting transfer to the newly opened Saguaro
Correctional Center in Arizona, which has a segregation unit designed to
house them, she said. CCA responded to the June 26 incident by re-evaluating
the staffing patterns for the unit that included the pod, and adding more
experienced officers, McCoy said. The prison operator also had the door
system manufacturer update the control panel software to add an extra
safeguard to the system and is providing more intensive training for all staff
assigned to the units, McCoy said. Hawai'i was holding more than 600 inmates
last month at Red Rock, which opened last year. In all, the state houses more
than 2,100 men and women convicts in CCA prisons on the Mainland because
there is no room for them in prisons in Hawai'i.
April 6, 2007 Honolulu
Advertiser
An investigation into whether a Hawai'i inmate had obtained a firearm in
a Mississippi prison prompted a lockdown and search of the facility, and led
to the firings of five private prison employees, according to Hawai'i prison
officials and the Corrections Corporation of America. No gun was found during
the search of the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility, but the incident
uncovered unspecified prison contraband that triggered state and federal
criminal investigations at the prison, according to Hawai'i and CCA prison
officials. Victoria Holly, human resource manager and public information
officer for the prison, said the 1,104-bed facility was locked down on Feb.
21, and did not return to normal operations until March 15. She said the five
prison staff members were fired between March 7 and March 13, but declined to
say if the workers were corrections officers or employees in other
occupations. Holly declined to say what sort of contraband was turned up in
the search of the prison, and did not know which agencies were involved in
the criminal investigations. A spokeswoman for the FBI's office in Jackson,
Miss., said the agency will not confirm if it is involved in an ongoing
investigation. The Mississippi state attorney general's office did not return
a call requesting comment.
May 10, 2006 WAPT
About 860 Hawaii inmates at a Mississippi prison were locked down in
their cells for a week following a gang-related fight. Hawaii public safety officials
said the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility went into lockdown after a
dozen inmates from several gangs got into a fight April 30. One of the
inmates was armed with a bat. Louise Kim McCoy, a spokeswoman for the Hawaii
Department of Public Safety, said the inmates were only allowed out of their
cells for meals and a modified recreation time while investigators searched
the facility for contraband. The lockdown started immediately after the fight
and was lifted Monday. The private company that operates the prison for
Hawaii inmates, Corrections Corporation of America, kept all the inmates
confined because the incident involved gang activity. There were no serious
injuries from the fight. Last year, prison officials moved about 40 Hawaii
inmates who were believed to be active gang members from the Diamondback
Correctional Facility in Oklahoma to the Tallahatchie location. Hawaii pays
Corrections Corporation of America $40 million a year to house more than
1,800 convicts in prisons in Mississippi, Oklahoma, Arizona and Kentucky.
April 2, 2006 Honolulu
Advertiser
Two captains and a sergeant at a privately run Mississippi prison were fired
after they were allegedly videotaped beating an inmate from Hawai'i,
according to the Hawai'i Department of Public Safety. The three were part of
a Special Operations Response Team established at the Tallahatchie County
Correctional Facility to quell disturbances and control unruly prisoners. The
trouble began when general-population inmate Harry K. Hoopii,
55, allegedly assaulted two corrections officers at the prison at 6 p.m. Feb.
23, said Shari Kimoto, administrator of Public Safety's branch on the
Mainland. Kimoto said that Hoopii was then escorted
to a disciplinary holding cell in another part of the prison at about 7:50
p.m. and that the incident involving the SORT team occurred in his cell later
in the evening. It is regular procedure for the SORT team to use force in
responding to a violent inmate, but when the assistant warden and chief of
security at the prison reviewed the videotape of what took place in the cell,
they "realized that excessive force had been used," Kimoto said.
The three were fired for violating the policies of prison owner Corrections
Corporation of America, she said. The other members of the SORT team,
including the team member who was operating the hand-held video camera, were
suspended, she said. Kimoto said the inmate was taken to the hospital with
injuries that included multiple facial bruises and swelling and a cut lip. He
was later returned to the prison, where he was being held in a disciplinary
unit, she said. Concerns arose last year in connection with the Tallahatchie
facility after two inmates were injured in a violent disturbance touched off
when 20 cell doors in a prison disciplinary unit suddenly opened at 2:48 a.m.
July 17. In the melee that followed, Hawai'i inmate Ronnie Lonoaea was attacked and severely beaten in his cell by
other prisoners, and the prison staff had to use tear gas to regain control
of the unit. CCA said the doors opened because a prison sergeant accidentally
pushed the wrong button. The Hawai'i state attorney general's office asked
state prison officials to investigate the July 17 incident. Prison officials
have said they wanted to look into the possibility of gang involvement and
whether prison staff might have cooperated with the inmates in the incident.
March 12 2006 AP
A group of Colorado inmates who started a riot at a private prison in
Mississippi in 2004 so they could be transferred back to Colorado will force
lawmakers to review their policy that allowed the Department of Corrections
to ship troublemakers out of state. This week, The House Judiciary Committee
holds a hearing on a measure (Senate Bill 23) prohibiting the Department of
Corrections from placing state inmates classified higher than medium custody
in private prison facilities located within Colorado or outside the state.
The only exception would allow the governor to declare a correctional
emergency and by proclamation authorize the department to place state inmates
classified higher than medium custody in private prison facilities. Rep. Val
Vigil, D-Thornton, said an audit last year revealed that the state had no
policy on shipping high risk inmates out of state, and that other states have
no uniform way they treat low, medium or high risk prisoners. “We had to
decide whether we should change the practice or change the statutes. We
decided to change the statutes,” Vigil said. The disturbance occurred a day
after a similar riot at Crowley Correctional Facility, a private prison near
Olney Springs, Colo. At Crowley, inmates rioted and set fires, destroying one
living unit and extensively damaging four others. Both private prisons were
operated by Corrections Corp. of America, which was criticized by lawmakers
for not hiring enough employees at the Crowley facility. Rep. Buffie McFadyen, D-Pueblo West,
said Colorado has a duty to protect its inmates, and the state can’t
guarantee that when it sends them to other states which have their own rules.
“One thing government has to do is ensure public safety. That includes
inmates,” McFadyen said.
December 26, 2005 Honolulu
Advertiser
Acting Public Safety Director Frank Lopez has ordered a prison system
internal affairs investigation into a violent disturbance in a Mississippi
prison earlier this year that resulted in injuries to two Hawai'i inmates.
The incident at the Tallahatchie County Correctional Center began when 20
cell doors in a prison disciplinary unit abruptly opened at 2:48 a.m. on July
17, releasing about three dozen Hawai'i inmates from their cells. The unit
was reserved for particularly unruly convicts or prison gang members, and
some of the inmates who emerged from their cells immediately attacked
prisoner Ronnie Lonoaea in his cell, prison
officials have said. Lonoaea was hospitalized after
the attack with head and other injuries, and inmate Scott Lee, 25, suffered a
broken jaw in the disturbance. Inmates used a telephone cord to tie shut the
entrance to the Special Housing Incentive Program unit to keep corrections
officers out, and Tallahatchie prison staff had to drop tear gas grenades
from the roof to regain control of the unit about 90 minutes later. Hawai'i
Department of Public Safety officials demanded a "high level" investigation
of the incident, and Lopez said prison owner Corrections Corporation of
America submitted a letter to the state outlining the company's findings.
Lopez said the summary of the CCA findings suggested the doors opened because
an officer accidentally pushed the wrong button. Prison officials have said a
relief sergeant pushed the button that released the inmates, and both the
sergeant and the captain responsible for overseeing the unit no longer work
at the prison.
October 3, 2005 Honolulu
Advertiser
This tiny town has a slow feel to it. Some of that is a testament to southern
graciousness, when people make time for one another. Some of it is due to a
menacing apathy that festers when people are out on the street with nowhere
to go. This community in the North Delta region, described in federal reports
as one of the most depressed areas of the country, is where the Corrections
Corp. of America built the 1,104-bed Tallahatchie County Correctional
Facility in 2000. The prison holds more than 850 Hawai'i inmates. The 325
jobs at the prison offer the best-paying work around, said chief of security
Danny Dodd. CCA's starting pay in Tutwiler is about $8.40 an hour,
considerably less than the $13.20 an hour for new corrections officers in
Hawai'i, but Dodd said there is no shortage of applicants. There is
significant staff turnover, which means the prison is often short-handed.
Tutwiler resident Mary Meeks said her husband pulls double shifts at the
prison as often as twice a week because people quit or don't show up for
work. Some residents said they were led to believe the Tallahatchie County
Correctional Facility would hold only Mississippi lawbreakers, and were
alarmed to learn the company was importing prisoners. Contract monitors last
year described the Mississippi staff as young and inexperienced, and said
most had never worked in a prison before. CCA requires five weeks of
training, compared with eight weeks for Hawai'i corrections officers.
According to monitoring reports, in the first six months after the Hawai'i
inmates arrived, several employees were fired for smuggling cigarettes into
the prison and having inappropriate relationships with inmates - a problem
that has arisen at other Mainland prisons where Hawai'i prisoners have been
held. Inmates complain about the medical and dental services at Tallahatchie,
gripes that were confirmed last year when Hawai'i prison monitors warned CCA
the prison was failing to meet National Commission on Correctional Health
Care Standards because a doctor was there only eight hours a week to care for
almost 1,000 convicts. In May, the monitors warned that dental services were
insufficient because a dentist was available only eight hours a week, but the
backlog of inmates waiting for dental care had been somewhat reduced when inspectors
returned last month. CCA does not attempt to separate gang-affiliated
prisoners, and inmates said keeping rival gang members in the same unit can
be dangerous when things go wrong. There has already been one disturbance in
a unit that houses gang members at Tallahatchie. On July 17, 20 cell doors in
a SHIP unit popped open unexpectedly at around 2:45 a.m., freeing inmates.
Ronnie J. Lonoaea, 32, of Hawai'i was severely
beaten in his cell before guards released tear gas and restored order about
90 minutes later. Scott Lee of Hawai'i, who suffered a broken jaw in the
incident, recalled how some prisoners in the unit frantically tried to close
their jammed cell doors because they feared an attack by fellow inmates. A
CCA investigation concluded the cell doors probably opened because a
corrections sergeant hit the wrong control button. Komori said the sergeant
and a captain who supervised the unit no longer work at the prison.
August 23, 2005 Honolulu
Advertiser
A prison sergeant who hit the wrong button probably is to blame for abruptly
opening 20 cell doors in a Mississippi prison disciplinary unit last month,
releasing about three dozen Hawai'i inmates and triggering a violent
disturbance, prison officials said yesterday. Two prisoners in the Tallahatchie
County Correctional Facility unit were hospitalized after other inmates
attacked them when the cell doors opened at 2:48 a.m. on July 17. One of the
inmates, Ronnie Lonoaea, remains in a Mississippi
rehabilitative hospital with head injuries. After the doors opened, two
inmates immediately began fighting and eight others rushed into a single cell
to attack Lonoaea, prison officials have said.
Other inmates used a telephone cord to tie shut the door leading into the
unit in a makeshift barricade to keep prison officials out, according to a
report on the incident. The Tallahatchie prison staff dropped tear gas
grenades from the roof into the Special Housing Incentive Program, or SHIP
unit, and regained control of the unit about 90 minutes after the cell doors
opened, according to the report.
July 28, 2005 Honolulu
Advertiser
They're out of sight, but must not be out of mind. Hawai'i's
overflow inmate population, housed at private prisons on the Mainland, remain
our responsibility. And making sure they are treated humanely while serving
their time must be our concern. That's why state officials are right to
demand an investigation into the sudden opening of cell doors in the predawn
hours of July 17 at Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility that resulted
in a riot. More than 700 Hawai'i inmates have been housed since last year at
the Mississippi prison, owned by Corrections Corp. of America. Two inmates
were injured in the fight. Kane'ohe resident Sandra
Cooper, the mother of one inmate, has her doubts that an internal probe will
be enough to bring out the truth about how the cell doors opened. She called
on the FBI to do a thorough inquiry, and that indeed would be the ideal way
to proceed here. There's precedent for the FBI to take jurisdiction in a case
where inmates are brought across state lines. At the very least, an
independent authority should drive the investigation, rather than the
prison's private owners. And state officials here must continue to ride herd
to see that the investigation proceeds to a satisfactory conclusion. In a
separate prison issue, it's a relief to see that the state has decided to
pull the plug on its contract with the troubled Brush Correctional Facility,
a northeastern Colorado prison housing 80 women inmates from Hawai'i. Because
of ongoing investigations into alleged sexual misconduct between staff and
prisoners, it's imperative that the move be made as soon as possible, while
allowing for careful scrutiny of the prisoners' next destination. The
end-of-September target date for the move seems reasonable, assuming that the
state maintain its careful monitoring of Brush in the meantime. These painful
episodes clearly illustrate that housing inmates on the Mainland is merely a
short-term response to our critical prison shortage here, and creates its own
additional problems. Hawai'i must continue to: work toward expanded prison
capacity in the Islands, where we can retain better control of conditions;
strengthen the probation system to keep some first-time offenders out of prison;
and work on preventive strategies aimed at stemming the tide in drug abuse,
which fuels so much of the state's crime problem. Sending inmates to the
Mainland is just a stopgap solution.
July 27, 2005
Honolulu Advertiser
State prison officials said yesterday they are concerned about a security
breach at a Mississippi prison that led to a disturbance among Hawai'i
inmates and landed two men in the hospital with broken jaws. The
incident began when 20 cell doors in a unit at the Tallahatchie County Correctional
Facility used to confine inmates with suspected gang affiliations popped open
unexpectedly at about 2:30 a.m. July 17. About 35 of the 40 inmates in the
unit left their cells and two of the prisoners began fighting, said Hawai'i
Department of Public Safety spokesman Michael Gaede.
While corrections officers were preoccupied with the brawl, eight inmates
rushed into a cell to attack another prisoner, Gaede
said.
June 3, 2005 Pueblo
Chieftain
The 120 Colorado inmates who are serving sentences in Mississippi are being
treated inhumanely, according to one inmate. Officials at the Colorado
Department of Corrections, however, say they are treated no different than
inmates at the Colorado State Penitentiary. According to Colorado inmate
Clark Flood, 40, who has been convicted of burglary,
criminal trespass and escape charges, the inmates in Mississippi are being
held in lockdown in what he described as "inhumane conditions."
"They are not giving us property or nothing. It's just solid lockdown and
it is ridiculous," Flood said.
February 5,
2005 Honolulu Advertiser
A Hawai'i prisoner at the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility in
Tutwiler, Miss., was returned to the prison yesterday after a suicide
attempt. Convicted murderer Paul Ah Sing, 41, was rushed to the hospital
Thursday after he apparently attempted to hang himself in his cell with a
homemade rope. The state has a contract with the Corrections Corporation of
America to hold about 700 inmates at the Tallahatchie prison because there is
no room for them in Hawai'i prisons.
Officials at the
Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility have promised to keep residents
better informed about disturbances at the prison in the wake of last month's
uprising by Colorado inmates. Residents near the prison complained they
weren't told about what was happening at the jail during the July 21 riot
when prisoners torched mattresses, clothing and a portable toilet. (Sun
Herald, August 13, 2004)
August 2, 2004
Tutwiler prison officials say they will be adding more staff this week and
will host a community meeting following a recent disturbance by unruly
Colorado inmates at the private facility. There are no plans to send
the trouble-making inmates back to Colorado, as some residents have asked,
said Louise Chickering, a spokeswoman for
Nashville-based Corrections Corp. of America, which operates the
prison. She said the company also won't go along with a request by
residents to create an alert system to warn them of future
disturbances. The first major disruption at the Tallahatchie County
Correctional Facility will be discussed at an Aug. 12 meeting between
Tutwiler's community relations advisory council and Warden James Cooke.
Cooke said the additional staff is not a direct result of the
disturbance. "We will be getting more (inmates) from Hawaii,''
Cooke said. The facility now houses about 850 inmates, with a capacity of a
little more than 1,000 inmates. There are about 120 inmates from Colorado,
690 from Hawaii and 40 from Tallahatchie County. (Clarion Ledger)
Coahoma and Tallahatchie counties will pay local expenses involved in
dispatching law officers to the uprising at the privately-run prison in
Tutwiler. Coahoma County Sheriff Andrew Thompson Jr. said his
department alone spent about $400 on gasoline and overtime July 21.
Officers were called from the Coahoma and Tallahatchie sheriff's departments,
Tutwiler and Glendora police departments, the Tutwiler and Tallahatchie
County fire departments, the Mississippi Highway Patrol and the State
Penitentiary at Parchman. Steve Owen, a
spokesman for Corrections Corporation of America — the Nashville, Tenn.-based
company that runs the prison — called the disturbance in which no one was
injured "relatively small." Owen said his company does
reimburse local agencies that respond to prison riots "if the agency
feels its resources have been severely tapped." Finally, as the
largest employer in the county, CCA pays its 260 employees — most of whom
reside in Tallahatchie and surrounding counties — roughly $3.5 million combined
annually. (Clarion Ledger, July 26, 2004)
Troubles seem
to keep mounting this month for the nation's largest operator of private
prisons. Corrections Corporation of America suffered through two prison riots
this week - one in Colorado and another in Mississippi. The uprisings follow
a July 7 homicide at a Nashville facility, which is still being investigated,
and a smaller uprising in Oklahoma. The spate of bad news is providing
fodder for critics of privately run prisons and prompting a slight drop in
CCA's stock price. In the prison industry, no news is often good news.
"I think the idea of privately operated prisons is one that is still
controversial," said Richard Crane, a consultant in the industry and
former CCA attorney. "(Bad incidents) give those who are opposed to
privatization something to beat their drum about." Critics said
the string of problems shows that privately run prisons are a bad idea, and
that grouping prisoners from multiple states under the care of low-paid, often
inexperienced guards will lead to trouble. "Almost half of the
employees in the facility have no experience whatsoever," said Ken
Kopczynski, with the Private Corrections Institute Inc., an advocacy group
opposing private prisons. "I just hope enough people will wake up to the
bad idea of private prisons. It just goes against all the principles of
democracy." (Henry Herald, July 23, 2004)
Some Tutwiler residents are demanding an alert system and stronger security
measures following Wednesday night's disturbance by 28 Colorado inmates at
the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility. Tutwiler resident
Lucinda Berryhill said she was "frightened not
knowing" what was happening when she heard police car sirens and fire
trucks on U.S. 49 heading toward the prison. Phone lines at the prison were
busy and rumors of prison escapes were rampant, she said. Currently,
there is no system in place to alert residents when an incident is occurring
at the facility and what measures should be taken. "I'd send the
troublemakers back,'' said Berryhill, who lives a
half mile from the prison. They need to return immediately to Colorado, she
said. (Clarion Ledger, July 23, 2004)
A riot involving 28 Colorado inmates who escaped their recreation pens and
set ablaze mattresses, clothing and a portable toilet triggered a lock-down
Wednesday night at the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility. A
more violent riot erupted around the same time a day earlier at another CCA
prison in Colorado's Crowley County. Officials did not report a connection
between the two riots. Those involved in Wednesday's uprising were
among Colorado's "worst" inmates shipped to the Tutwiler lockup in
May. Booted from their home state after causing six riots during a
three-month period, the prisoners instigated the most recent uprising during
the first one-hour recreation break they had been given since entering the
facility two months ago. According to Louise Chickering,
CCA spokeswoman, the incident started at 6:20 p.m. when one inmate broke the
lock and chains on the segregated pen that held him and another inmate.
"Once he got it loose, the others assessed that they could, too,"
she said, explaining that 28 men broke out of their two-man pens and gathered
into the main recreation yard. Law-enforcement officials were called
from the Coahoma and Tallahatchie counties sheriff's departments, Tutwiler
and Glendora police departments, the Mississippi Highway Patrol and the
Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman "as
a show of force," Chickering said.
Prison officials said Wednesday that they didn't know yet why the inmates
rioted, but one Colorado prisoner offered a possible clue in a letter sent to
The Clarksdale Press Register this week. Harrell King Jr. III wrote
that more than 100 prisoners had waged a hunger strike recently to draw
attention to their "case of brutality and mistreatment at this
facility." "Since coming to this facility, we have had
inmates cutting their wrist, being beat, having to defecate in bags, on
24-hour lockdown and many other violations of human rights," Harrell
wrote. "By the time you receive this letter, we will have not eaten in
five days." (Z Wire, July 23, 2004)
About 28 inmates from
Colorado caused an uprising Wednesday evening at the Tallahatchie County
Correctional Facility in Tutwiler, officials said. The prisoners
involved were recently shipped to the Mississippi facility to rid Colorado's
crowded prisons of unruly inmates. The disturbance occurred during the
prisoners' recreation break about 6:20 p.m. and lasted about 30 minutes, said
Louise Chickering, spokeswoman for the Corrections
Corporations of America. (Clarion Ledger, July 22, 2004)
May 23, 2004
The Colorado Department of Corrections violated a state statute by sending 36
of its most dangerous inmates to the Delta, said a prisoner-advocate group
that might challenge the move in an attempt to bring the men home.
According to the statute, Colorado cannot permanently place maximum-security
inmates in a private prison. But the three dozen men shipped to the privately
run Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility near Tutwiler last week are
classified as maximum-security, said Stephen Raher,
co-director of the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition, calling the
move illegal. Colorado officials countered that assertion, saying the
men - many of whom are serving sentences for murder, rape and escape - are
not maximum-security prisoners; they are "special management"
inmates. "We have yet to find one of these organizations or
individuals who can substantiate any of these claims, except maybe for an
isolated incident that may have occurred years ago," Owen said. "I
would challenge them to prove any of these allegations." (Z Wire)
January 7, 2004
Mississippi's corrections commissioner said he hopes the state can house
inmates at the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility after 1,424 inmates
return to Alabama. On Tuesday, Alabama Corrections Commissioner Donal Campbell said the inmates should be moved within 90
days. Meanwhile, Chris Epps, Mississippi corrections commissioner, said
he started talking to officials last week to find a way to use the facility
and keep about 250 jobs there. "We're going to work with them any
way we can," he said. Tallahatchie County has a poverty rate of
nearly 27 percent and a 12.5 percent unemployment rate. "We've
started looking at the law to see what we have to do to be able to use
it," Epps said. "I started talking to (Corrections Corporation of
America)." Nashville-based CCA owns the facility in
Tutwiler. Epps said he's also spoken to Gov. Haley Barbour and
legislators "to see how we can do business up there." In
2001, facility employees lost their jobs after Wisconsin inmates were moved
to Minnesota. The facility hired 250 people last summer when Alabama sent
prisoners there. (Clarion Ledger)
September 15, 2003
Elizabeth Martin can thank 1,423 Alabama prison inmates for her job.
Since the inmates landed in the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility in
June, the economy of the county gained 250 jobs at the facility in a Delta
county with a 26.8 percent poverty rate with unemployment at 12.5 percent.
The annual payroll: $6 million. Alabama's decision to pay $27.50 a day
per inmate to reduce crowding in its underfunded corrections system led to
re-employment for Martin, of Tutwiler. Martin, who lost her job when
Wisconsin inmates were moved from Tutwiler to Minnesota in 2001, went from a
retired corrections officer to an administrative clerk at age 33.
"I had taken courses in computers at Coahoma Community College, not knowing
if Tallahatchie would ever re-open," Martin said. "Now I have a
better job where I make more money and I can spend more time with my husband
and four children. "I am working in a nice place with good people,
something that is hard to find in Tallahatchie County." Richard Lias, 33, of Clarksdale left a job with a casino in
Tunica County, nearly 50 miles away, to work closer to home at Tallahatchie
County Correctional Facility, about 20 miles from home. "I am
saving a lot of money on transportation," said Lias,
a safety specialist. "I felt there was more opportunity for
advancement. "I have had excellent training and a lot of doors
opened for the future." Money is also finding its way into the
business community with purchases made by the prison and employees.
"Over 80 percent of the employees live in Tallahatchie County and spend
money here," said Tallahatchie County administrator Marvin Doss.
"We lost Rosewood, an apparel manufacturer (in Charleston) since the
1950s and 134 jobs." Donna Surholt, owner
of Moore Paper and Janitorial Supply Inc. in Clarksdale, has seen the prison
dollars trickle through the Delta. "The prison officials have
purchased a vehicle, a steel building and other supplies locally when they
can't get them from their vendor," said Surholt,
who is also president of the Clarksdale-Coahoma Chamber of Commerce.
"They have bought items from my business. They have come in here ready
to contribute to our community and have joined our chamber."
Dianna Melton, manager of the State Bank and Trust in nearby Webb, has seen
an increase in business. "I have seen a number of the workers from
the prison," Melton said. "When you employ 200 people who didn't
have jobs, you will see an increase in business in the county."
The boost should continue for some time because the inmates won't leave
soon. Alabama taxpayers defeated a tax-increase referendum Tuesday that
would have helped its education and corrections systems, said Brian Corbett,
spokesman for the Alabama Department of Corrections. Alabama met a
court order to reduce state inmates in county jails by sending 300 females to
Louisiana and the inmates to Tallahatchie County. "We still have a
total population of 28,100, twice our capacity of 13,500,"
Corbett said. "Taxpayers said no, so no help is on the way, and we will
just have to keep plugging away." Warden Jim Cook, who has seen
Tallahatchie go from 30 county inmates to 1,463 with 276 employees, knows the
reason Alabama sent the inmates. He was once a warden with the Alabama
correctional system before going to work in 1995 for Correctional Corporation
of America. The private prison company based in Nashville owns Tallahatchie
County Correctional Facility. Alabama has no private prisons. "You
can't ask a corrections department with a growing population to operate on
the same funds," Cook said. "This is a high-stress job at best, but
you can't work people like they are without employee burnout. Your facilities
will also deteriorate." Cook says Alabama inmates like being in
Mississippi. "It is less crowded, facilities are better and they
like the food," Cook said. (The Clarion Ledger)
June 27, 2003
Many workers who lost their jobs at two Mississippi private prisons are going
back to work, thanks to a neighboring state. Alabama, faced with prison
overcrowding, is sending 1,400 medium-security male inmates to the
Tallahatchie Correctional Facility in Tutwiler at a cost of $27.50 a day per
inmate. Tallahatchie, built to hold 1,100, held 322 inmates from
Wisconsin and employed 208 people before those inmates were moved to
Minnesota in 2001, forcing layoffs. It has since held 30-40 Tallahatchie
County inmates. Delta Correctional Facility in Greenwood, closed by the
state in October 2002, held 800 state inmates and employed 200 workers with a
$5 million annual payroll. "It is good for the economy of the
state," said Mississippi Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps, who said
CCA's contract with Alabama is for three years. Alabama, which has no
private prisons, is under two court orders to end overcrowding. Steve
Owens, spokesman for Corrections Corporation of America, said his company
will help Alabama. "We are always happy to step up and serve
states when they need our help," Owens said. "I always knew we
would find someone who could use the Tallahatchie facility." (The
Clarion Ledger)
Tutwiler Prison for Women
Wetumpka, Mississippi
Prison Health Services
May 7, 2005 AP
The third death of an inmate in two months at Tutwiler Prison for Women
has raised more questions about the quality of care provided for prisoners.
Officials said Mattie Bouie, 42, died last week at Baptist Hospital South in
Montgomery - six months after a federal court monitor cited her case as an
example of "no effective physician monitoring of patients" at the
Wetumpka prison. Bouie's death was the sixth at the women's prison since
Tennessee-based Prison Health Services took over the medical contract. Court
monitor Dr. Michael Puisis has suggested that
negligent care was responsible for at least two deaths. He has not released
mortality reports on the other cases. Puisis was
appointed by a federal court last year after the state settled a lawsuit over
poor conditions and medical care at the prison. The Department of Corrections
agreed to improvements and increased staff at the facility, and Puisis is responsible for monitoring the agency's
progress toward achieving those goals.
May 6, 2005 Birmingham
News
Prison Health Services has been under the gun, and rightly so, for the
way it's provided medical care to Alabama inmates. The Tennessee-based
company was hired to improve health care in Alabama prisons, which had been
sued over services provided by a previous contractor. But the care in prisons
remains unacceptable. A recurring theme is a shortage of doctors, nurses and
other staff to tend to the inmates, with predictable consequences. At best,
the care has been inadequate. At worst, it may have been downright deadly.
The state of Alabama, which has the ultimate responsibility (and liability)
for what happens to prisoners in its custody, has every reason to demand
better from Prison Health Services. And withholding part of the company's
payment is an appropriate place to start. The state is reducing the company's
$143 million contract by $1.2 million for staffing shortages, and may cut
more if staffing levels aren't increased. Why not? The state is paying Prison
Health Services to provide a certain number of professionals and support
staff to administer inmates' health care. If the company is not meeting the
requirements of the contract, it should not expect to be paid as if it were.
Besides, what's really at stake here is bigger than money. Too many inmates
are not receiving proper care for chronic conditions, and some are dying
unnecessarily as a result, according to doctors who monitor prison health
care for the courts. At the Tutwiler women's prison, the monitor found that
three inmates who died last year received poor or incomplete care, and two of
them may have died as a result. At Limestone Correctional Facility, which houses
HIV-positive inmates, the monitor found prisoners weren't getting crucial
medication and that a required HIV specialist was not on staff. It's true
that turnover has been a big problem. Prison Health Services has had problems
retaining doctors and other health care workers; some have left complaining
they didn't have the resources to do their jobs. But the bottom line is that
the company agreed to provide a certain level of services, and it has been
failing to do so. At the very least, the state should adjust the payments to
Prison Health Services accordingly. So the company is losing dollars. Inmates
are losing their lives.
May 5, 2005 Birmingham
News
Alabama's prison medical provider is losing $1.2 million from the state
because it has not provided enough doctors and nurses to state prisons.
Prison Health Services has not fulfilled minimal contract requirements that
call for a certain number of doctors, nurses, administrators and support
staff. The company is not being fined, Department of
Corrections spokesman Brian Corbett said, but DOC will not have to pay
$1.2 million of its contract. The department hired PHS in November 2003. The
company's three-year, $143 million contract could see more reductions if the
medical staff does not increase. Tennessee-based Prison Health Services also
has come under fire in recent months by physicians who are monitoring two
prisons under federal court settlements. A lawsuit alleging inadequate
medical care is pending at a third prison, the Hamilton Aged and Infirm facility,
where the oldest, sickest men are housed. Dr. Michael Puisis,
court monitor at Tutwiler Prison for Women, said in a March report that
prison medical staff provided poor or incomplete care to three inmates who
died last year. He suggested that negligence might have led to two of those
deaths. The third, a suicide, was likely the result of inadequate care by
mental health workers, who are employed by a different company. Two deaths
since then are still under investigation. Still, attorneys for the Limestone
inmates have asked the federal courts to hold the state in contempt for
failing to abide by the conditions of the settlement. Last year, the state
agreed to dozens of improvements, centering on added medical staff and more
humane housing conditions. Doctors keep leaving,
some after claiming PHS did not allow them the flexibility and resources to
practice medicine as they want to do. "There are just as many complaints
raised after the settlement as before," said
Gretchen Rohr, an attorney with the Atlanta-based Southern Center for Human
Rights, who represents Alabama prisons in both cases.
April 26, 2005 Mobile
Register
Poor, incomplete, substandard -- and perhaps error-ridden -- medical care led
to the deaths of at least three women incarcerated at Tutwiler Prison for
Women last year, emphasizing the need for improved health care in Alabama's
prisons. It also suggests the physician who treated the women should be
suspended while officials determine if he was at fault; and if he was, he
should be fired. Moreover, the poor health care the women apparently received
indicates the state should consider finding a different health services
company. The staggering conclusions by a physician who monitors the prison's
medical system for a federal court settlement were revealed by the Birmingham
News last week, and implicate Dr. Samuel Englehardt,
a retired obstetrician and primary care doctor at Tutwiler at the time of the
three deaths. Two other deaths have occurred this year, and officials should
speedily investigate those, too. Outrageously, Dr. Englehardt,
who provided the health care for one of the three prisoners who died last
year, also performed her death review and concluded that there were no
problems with the health care she had received. A policy of independent
reviews would prevent such conflicts of interest. Dr. Michael Puisis of Illinois, an expert in correctional health
care, studied the three women's deaths for a federal court. He discovered one
patient suffered a brain hemorrhage and died a few months after Dr. Englehardt canceled tests recommended by an outside
cardiologist. Another woman's extremely high cholesterol wasn't treated and
"unquestionably contributed to her death." A third -- an obviously
distraught woman who was denied adequate psychiatric care -- committed
suicide. Dr. Puisis also found that other Tutwiler
inmates received substandard care at the prison, including a lack of
follow-up on treatments and mistakes in prescribing drugs. The inmates
deserved better health care. When the state confines a person in a prison,
preventing her from taking care of herself, then the state assumes the
responsibility for the inmate's medical care. That's part of the cost of
incarcerating people, and the moral duty it entails cannot be avoided. State
officials must hold both the Department of Corrections and its private
contractor, Prison Health Services of Tennessee, accountable for these and
other lapses; and the public must hold the Legislature accountable for
failing to provide funding for an adequate corrections system. The poor
health care alone has subjected the state to three lawsuits so far from
prisoners at Tutwiler, Limestone and Donaldson prisons. Moreover, it has
exposed the state to possible suits by families of deceased prisoners.
Department of Corrections managers apparently did not monitor the care
provided by PHS or, if they did, they ignored or missed problems that should
have been evident. The state, its taxpayers and its prisoners deserve better.
April 24, 2005 Birmingham
News
Three women who died at Tutwiler prison last year received bad medical
care - perhaps even bad enough in two of the cases to be blamed in the
deaths. That's the conclusion of Dr. Michael Puisis
of Illinois, an expert in correctional health care who was hired by a federal
court to monitor Tutwiler's health care services for inmates. Specifically, Puisis found: The primary prison doctor at the time had
"grossly mismanaged" the underlying medical problems of an inmate
who suffered from lupus and died of a brain hemorrhage in March 2004. Her
death came a few months after the doctor, for no clinical reason, canceled
tests that had been recommended by an outside cardiologist. Another inmate
received substandard care for three chronic conditions, including high
cholesterol that went untreated and "unquestionably contributed to her
death." After she died in August, the doctor responsible for her
"substandard care" performed the death review and noted no problems
with her treatment. An inmate hanged herself after being on suicide watch for
five days in January 2004. The day before she died, she was crying, saying
"Daddy, don't hurt me anymore," and banging her head against the
wall. Yet she was not evaluated by a mental health professional except for a
phone call to a psychiatrist who prescribed medicine. These kinds of stories
hardly inspire confidence in the Department of Corrections or its medical
contractor, Prison Health Services. And unfortunately, the cases aren't just
extreme examples. In 19 of 22 cases Puisis reviewed
at Tutwiler, he found problems with followup, drug
errors and substandard care. Women with HIV, staph infections, diabetes and
other conditions were consistently denied treatment, he said. His findings
are simply alarming - especially if, as the Department of Corrections and
Prison Health Services contend, inmate health care services are better now
than they used to be. But scariest of all is that the department and PHS are
now trying to keep Puisis' reports away from public
view. The reports have typically been filed with the court and made public by
the Southern Center for Human Rights, the Atlanta-based law firm representing
prisoners in a lawsuit over health care. Now, the state and its medical
contractor want to keep the reports confidential. That's absurd. The need for
scrutiny is obvious: Inmates aren't getting proper health care, and some may
be dying as a result. The problems need to be brought to light so they can be
fixed. But keeping the monitor reports secret would be a bad idea even if
they were glowing tributes to the health care services provided to inmates at
Tutwiler. Alabama taxpayers are footing the bill for the prison system and
for PHS' $143 million contract, and they have every right to know whether
their money is being well-spent. If Gov. Bob Riley is serious about accountability, he
shouldn't stand for his prison commissioner working to keep such information
out of the hands of citizens.
April 21, 2005 Tuscaloosa
News
Negligence and medical errors may have led to two of three inmate deaths
last year at Tutwiler Prison for Women, according to a report by a physician
and court monitor of the prison's medical system. Dr. Michael Puisis of Illinois, an expert in correctional health
care, based his report on visits to the Wetumpka prison March 7-10. He
reviewed records, interviewed staff and toured parts of the Wetumpka prison.
His report, obtained by The Birmingham News and disclosed Thursday, was
required by a 2004 federal court settlement of a lawsuit over crowded
conditions and medical care at Alabama's only prison for women. With current
patients, Puisis reported that private contractor
Prison Health Services lacked follow-up, made mistakes in prescribing drugs
and gave substandard care to 19 of 22 prisoners whose charts he reviewed.
Women with HIV, staph infections, diabetes and other conditions were
consistently denied treatment, he wrote. Two more women have died at
Tutwiler this year, and their deaths are under investigation. Puisis has yet to review those cases. Dr. Samuel Englehardt, a retired obstetrician and the primary doctor
at Tutwiler at the time of the review, worked there before PHS took over and
was retained by the company. "Based on chart reviews, Dr. Englehardt should not be providing general internal
medical care to the patients," the report states. Among the mistakes the
report cited in the three deaths: -"This patient's underlying medical
conditions were grossly mismanaged," Puisis
wrote about one woman, a lupus patient who suffered a brain hemorrhage and
died in March 2004, a few months after Englehardt
canceled tests recommended by an outside cardiologist. "There is no
clinical basis for this decision," Puisis
wrote. -"Care (of three chronic conditions) was substandard and may have
contributed to her death," Puisis wrote about
a prisoner who died in August. Her hyperlipidemia,
a form of high cholesterol, was untreated and "unquestionably
contributed to her death," he wrote. This woman needed to go to a
hospital, he wrote, but instead was kept in the prison infirmary and was not
seen regularly by a doctor. -The third inmate hanged herself while on suicide
watch. She was on suicide watch for five days, but was not evaluated by a
mental health professional except for a phone call to a psychiatrist who
prescribed medication. On Jan. 24, 2004, the woman was crying, saying,
"Daddy, don't hurt me anymore," and was banging her head against a
wall, a nurse reported. The next day she hanged herself. "It appears
that the record is either incomplete or she was not seen for the duration of
her suicide watch until she died," Puisis
wrote. "This type of death review is inadequate and leaves many
unanswered questions." In the report, Puisis
discusses the publicity issue. While fear of liability keeps doctors from
reporting errors and is counterproductive to improving care, "on the
other hand some errors are due to negligence and gross incompetence," Puisis wrote.
Walnut Grove Correctional
Facility
Walnut Grove, Mississippi
MTC (formerly run by GEO Group, bought Cornell Corporations)
MDOC Sticks with
Private Prisons: Jackson Free Press, June 13, 2012. MDOC
chooses MTC to take over where GEO failed. What are they smoking?
"A Picture of Such Horror as Should Be Unrealized
Anywhere in the Civilized World": by Margaret
Winter, National Prison Project, March 29, 2012. Overview of Federal Judge
Carleton Reeves settlement decree against the State
of Mississippi for its lack of oversight at GEO's Walnut Grove Correctional
Facility.
CHARLESTON
DEPRIEST, VS. CHRISTOPHER EPPS, Commissioner of the MDOC, and TOM BURNHAM,
Superintendent of the Mississippi State Department of Education:
March 26, 2012, 8 pages. Scathing ruling against MDOC and the GEO Group for
abuse at the Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility. Must read.
Town Relies On Troubled Youth Prison For Profits:
by John Burnett, March 25, 2011: NPR report on GEO. Must read.
April 20, 2013 sunherald.com
WALNUT GROVE -- Most privately run
prisons in Mississippi had assault rates two to three times higher than
state-run prisons in 2012, a new report shows. Walnut Grove Correctional
Facility, one private prison in Mississippi, had an assault rate of 27 per
100 prisoners last year, according to the report filed by monitors charged
with making sure the prison complies with an agreement to improve safety and
living conditions. The highest assault rate at a state or regional prison run
by the state Department of Corrections was 7 per 100 inmates, the report
said. Differences in population and custody levels may be one reason for the
higher rates of violence in private prisons. "The privates may have more
inmates in higher custody levels," resulting in a more-violent inmate
population, prisoners' rights attorney Ron Welch said. "Or, private
prisons have higher staffing turnover, so the staffing may be too thin and
inmates may be not be properly supervised." Mississippi began relying on
private prisons after 1996 when lawmakers decided convicts must serve at
least 85 percent of their sentences. State law mandates private prisons
provide their services for 10 percent less than it would cost the state.
"That's really when private prisons started booming, especially in
Mississippi, because we were poor like we are now," said Christopher
Epps, commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, which has an
annual budget of almost $340 million. "It sounded good that you could go
out and contract to build a prison and get somebody to operate at 10 percent
cheaper than we can." The contractors save money by paying their staff
less than state employees are paid, firing employees in a quick and
less-expensive manner, and by providing shorter educational and vocational
programs to inmates, Epps said. The state spends an average of $49.76 per
inmate per day at its own prisons, for example, and pays the operator of
Walnut Grove $37.68 per inmate per day. But the new report renews questions
about the added risks. The court monitor's report follows a series of riots
and allegations of abuse and hazardous conditions at other privately run
prisons in Mississippi in the past year. "I've had two (guards) arrested
in the last two days," said Patricia Doty, the deputy warden at Walnut
Grove, in late March. The prison is run by Management and Training Corp. of
Utah. Doty said she has had problems retaining staff. Almost half the guards
who started in January have already quit or been fired. Concerns over safety,
liability, compliance and cost have led some states to eschew private
prisons. Illinois and New York won't allow private prisons, and Louisiana has
a moratorium on new contracts, though Gov. Bobby Jindal
has recently supported legislation allowing privatization. In late March, the
New Hampshire House of Representatives voted for a bill that would ban
private prisons. Nevertheless, the private prison industry continues to grow.
At least 30 states have contracts with these companies. The companies In
Mississippi, three companies have operated six prisons over the years: The
GEO Group, Corrections Corporation of America, and Management and Training
Corp. However, The GEO Group, which ran Walnut Grove and two other prisons,
left the state in 2012. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
filed a complaint in December 2011 against the East Mississippi Correctional
Facility alleging employees were exposed to violence due to staff shortage and
inadequate staff training. The GEO Group, which ran the prison, was fined
more than $100,000. Earlier in 2011, an inmate there stabbed a guard in the
face. "No one was supposed to be in the housing units alone, but there
wasn't enough staff there to follow that directive," said Berl Goff, who was working there at the time as captain
and unit manager. The GEO Group did not respond to repeated requests for
comments. Conditions at Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility in the
Delta are also troublesome, said Patrick Perry, a former guard there. Perry
recalled a day in the prison when he tried to report an inmate riot to
supervisors but the call never went through. "We were supposed to have a
five-week (training) class, and we were barely in class three weeks when they
put us on the floor," he said. "We never went back to finish our
training because they were always short (on staff). Every day it's at least
40 to 50 officers short, and people are frustrated because they got to do the
job of three or four officers." Repeated requests to Tennessee-based
Corrections Corporation of America for comments were not answered. The future
In many circles, people are looking to solutions, both locally and
nationally, to the bursting levels of prison populations. The economic
downturn has also pushed governments to look for money-saving options.
"The long-term growth opportunities of our business remain very
attractive," Corrections Corporation of America told investors in its
annual report. Corrections Corporation of America and The GEO Group posted
combined profits of more than $300 million in 2012. Their stocks have jumped
35 percent or more in a year. In Mississippi, which has the nation's
second-highest incarceration rate, officials are suggesting alternatives such
as reducing low-risk offenses to misdemeanors, placing more inmates under
house arrest, and offering earlier parole. The court monitor's report about
widespread problems at Walnut Grove and other private prisons may accelerate
those discussions. "On its face, that's a huge disparity (between
violence rates at private prisons and state prisons). If inmates in private
prisons are not as safe as those in the state, something needs to be done
about it," Welch said. "The PEER (Performance Evaluation and
Expenditure Review) committee should investigate and come up with
recommendations as to whether the (private prison) contracts need to be
changed, whether there are performance requirements that ought to be
included." Jody Owens, managing staff attorney at the Southern Poverty
Law Center, said: "The state has done a better job on keeping violence
lower than private prisons can …. Whatever discount private prisons offer,
they do so at the jeopardy of the inmates in their care." Kathryn
Royals, a Jackson native, is a graduate student in the mass communications
program at LSU. She produced this story using research from her thesis on
private prisons in the state. Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/2013/04/20/4608209/report-private-prisons-in-state.html#storylink=cpy
June
14, 2012 Huffington Post
After years of widespread violence and sexual abuse at Mississippi's
for-profit prison for juvenile offenders, state officials and civil rights
groups signed a federal court decree in March aimed at overhauling a facility
described by a federal judge as "a cesspool of unconstitutional and
inhuman acts." U.S. Justice Department investigators found that both
state officials and the GEO Group Inc., the nation's second-largest operator
of private prisons, had essentially ignored the safety of youth prisoners,
denying them basic health care and employing guards with known gang
affiliations. Sexual misconduct between staff and inmates at the Walnut Grove
youth prison was "among the worst we have seen in any facility anywhere
in the nation," the Justice Department's investigation concluded. Yet
two months after a federal court settlement, violence and poor staffing have
persisted, including a fight that resulted in a young man being stabbed in
the eye, according to recent court transcripts. In response, a top
Mississippi state prison official recently testified that the state has no
authority to force the GEO Group to improve security at the chronically
understaffed facility, raising questions about the lines of authority for
corrections policy in Mississippi. "All we can do is make
a request," said Emmitt Sparkman, deputy commissioner of the Mississippi
Department of Corrections, in federal court testimony two weeks ago. He added
that the GEO Group was "under no obligation" to increase staffing
under the terms of its contract with the state. Though a federal judge found
that state officials "repeatedly failed to monitor the contracts with
GEO," Mississippi plans to replace GEO with Management & Training
Corp., a private company responsible for one of the most tragic prison breaks
in recent memory. The GEO Group, which has donated more than $56,000 to
Mississippi elected officials over the past decade, did not respond to
questions about its contracts in the state. A spokeswoman for the Mississippi
Department of Corrections declined to make officials available for comment.
GEO Group has operated Walnut Grove since 2010, after acquiring the prison in
a merger with another prison corporation, Cornell Companies Inc.
June
7, 2012 WTOK
MTC will officially take over operation at East Mississippi Correctional
Facility on July 9th. The company got its start working with young people outside
the corrections system. The Vice President of Corrections at MTC explained
the company's history via a video news release. "We started 30 years ago
by providing training for young adults to succeed in life," says Odie Washington, "we've taken that and applied it to
our corrections division. "All you are going to see is a change in the
name over the door," that's the opinion of Frank Smith, a private prison
watchdog, "it's not going to be a change in
operations." Smith works as a consultant for Private Corrections Working
Group. "The problem is there is such turnover that there is no mentoring
process so everybody is just kind of new on the job, and they don't know what
to do when the problems arise." MTC officials say they plan on providing
EMCF with all the resources it needs to operate effectively. "We'll
provide each facility the resources necessary for them to operate safely and
effectively," says Washington, and we look forward to applying these
high standards to our new Mississippi facilities as well." Only time
will tell whether MTC will have a successful run in the Magnolia State.
June
7, 2012 AP
A Utah-based private prison operator will take over management of three
Mississippi correctional institutions beginning in July. Management &
Training Corporation of Centreville, Utah, has signed 10-year operating
contracts for the East Mississippi Correctional Facility near the Lost Gap
community beginning July 2; Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility in
Walnut Grove on July 9; and the Marshall County Correctional Facility in
Holly Springs on Aug. 13. Financial details of the contracts were not made
public. The announcement came Thursday by the company and the Mississippi
Department of Corrections. The Corrections Department and the GEO Group of Boca
Raton, Fla., in April agreed to end GEO's management contract at the three
prisons. At the time Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps told the AP that the
department felt it might get a better price if all three prisons were
presented as a package to other corrections management companies. "The
Mississippi Department of Corrections is looking forward to a great
partnership with MTC," Epps said in a statement Thursday. "There is
a need for different types of prisons, including state and regional as well
as private facilities in Mississippi. MTC will be held to the same high
standards as set by MDOC and I feel extremely confident that MTC will do a
great job." "We look forward to the opportunity to work in
Mississippi," said MTC senior vice president of corrections Odie Washington in the statement. "We have partnered
with state and federal governments in operating correctional facilities for
the past 25 years, and have a strong record of providing safe, secure and
well-run facilities."
May
20, 2012 WLBT
A celebration in Smith Park commemorated changes at Walnut Grove Youth
Correctional Facility. The Friends and Family Members of Youth Incarcerated
at Walnut Grove held a rally Sunday morning. Parents of children at the
facility thanked department of Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps for ending
the private prison contract with the GEO Group. They said their children were
mistreated under the company's management from being denied medical treatment
to education. "I would like to urge the commissioner to continue to do
the right thing by our children and to not allow another private, for profit
company to take over Walnut Grove," said Walnut Grove parent Kimberly
Carson. "The GEO Group is making money off of these young men. They
don't seem willing to spend any of that money to make sure they have been
properly rehabilitated," said Walnut Grove parent Marietta Larry. GEO
managed Walnut Grove and the East Mississippi and Marshall County
Correctional facilities until last month.
April
24, 2012 NPR
In 2010, former inmate Ross Walton describes mistreatment he says inmates
received from guards. Faced with a court order to reform the Walnut Grove
juvenile prison, the company managing the prison is leaving Mississippi. One
month after a federal court ordered sweeping changes at a troubled juvenile
prison in rural Mississippi, the private company managing the prison has
announced it is pulling out of the state. A report by the Justice Department
describes "systemic, egregious and dangerous practices" at the
Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility. As those words imply, the official
report is scathing. Federal Judge Carlton Reeves wrote that the youth prison
"has allowed a cesspool of unconstitutional and inhuman acts and
conditions to germinate, the sum of which places the offenders at substantial
ongoing risk." Walnut Grove, located an hour's drive east of Jackson, is
a 1,450-bed prison that houses inmates ages 13 to 22 who are minors convicted
as adults. It is run by GEO Group of Boca Raton, Fla., the nation's
second-largest for-profit prison corporation, which posted a profit of $284
million last year. The Mississippi Department of Corrections pays GEO to
manage the prison. Jonathan Smith is chief of special litigation in the civil
rights section at the Justice Department, which spent two years looking into
conditions at Walnut Grove. "To have a prison that's chaotic, poorly
run, dangerous, didn't provide services, highly sexualized and highly violent
really limits the ability of the state to turn those folks around, and to
ensure public safety upon their release from prison," Smith said. Among
the conditions described in the report released last month: Prison staff had
sex with incarcerated youth, which investigators called "among the worst
that we've seen in any facility anywhere in the nation." Poorly trained
guards brutally beat youth and used excessive pepper spray as a first
response. The prison showed "deliberate indifference" to prisoners
possessing homemade knives, which were used in gang fights and inmate rapes.
Some guards had gang affiliations — a finding confirmed to NPR last year by
former inmate Justin Bowling. "A lot of times, the guards are in the
same gang," Bowling said. "If an inmate wanted something done, they
got it. If they wanted a cell popped open to handle some business about some
fighting or something like that, it just pretty much happened." A GEO
spokesman said via email that the abuses documented by the government
occurred before GEO took over Walnut Grove in late 2010. Another private
prison company, Cornell Companies, ran the Walnut Grove facility until
Cornell was purchased by GEO. At the Justice Department, Jonathan Smith does
not accept that statement. He said troubles at the prison continued after GEO
stepped in. In an interview last Thursday, Mississippi state Corrections
Commissioner Chris Epps had nothing but praise for GEO. "Since GEO took
over August 2010, have there been incidents? The answer is yes," he
said. "Will there be more? The answer is yes. But they're doing better,
and I'm pleased with it." On Friday, the news broke that GEO was pulling
out of all three prisons in Mississippi that it manages by July. Later that
day, Epps had changed his tune. He told The Associated Press that a new
operator at all three state prisons may "do a better job in the
operation of the facilities" than GEO did. GEO did not give a reason why
it was pulling out of Mississippi. Last week, CEO George Zoley
said the company was discontinuing its contract at the East Mississippi
Correctional Facility that houses inmates with mental illness because the
facility had been "financially underperforming." The Walnut Grove
Youth Correctional Facility houses 1,200 boys and young men east of Jackson,
Miss. The Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility houses 1,200 boys and
young men east of Jackson, Miss. The Southern Poverty Law Center and the ACLU
have been investigating reports of abuse and inmate suicides at the GEO-run
East Mississippi Correctional Facility, located near the city of Meridian.
Sheila Bedi, deputy legal director at the Southern
Poverty Law Center, said that her group is considering legal action against
the prison. Regarding Walnut Grove, Bedi said
whoever takes over management of the facility, at
least the juvenile offenders held there will be safer under the court order.
"Some of the more significant relief includes an agreement to remove all
children from that facility, and to put them in a stand-alone unit that will
be operated by the Mississippi Department of Corrections and governed by
juvenile justice, as opposed to adult correctional standards," she said.
The state corrections commissioner said they'll be looking for a new operator
for the three GEO-run prisons. With one of the prisons under a stern federal
court order and another prison the possible target of a class-action lawsuit
in the future, it remains to be seen how attractive those properties will be
for a private company.
April
20, 2012 AP
The Mississippi Department of Corrections says GEO Group Inc., one of the
country's largest private prison operators, will no longer manage three
facilities in Mississippi. On Thursday, the Boca Raton, Fla.-based company
said it was backing out of a contract to manage the East Mississippi
Correctional Facility near the Lost Gap community by July 19. Company
officials told The Associated Press on Friday that it had nothing else to
say. Corrections Commissioner Christopher Epps told the AP on Friday that the
department felt it might get a better price if all three prisons were
presented as a package to other corrections management companies. Epps said
he would expect GEO Group to end its ties to the Walnut Grove Youth
Correctional Facility in Walnut Grove and Marshall County Correctional
Facility in Holly Springs by July 20. "We feel this may be a golden
opportunity to provide a better price for the taxpayers of the state and at
the same time maybe do a better job in the operation of the facilities,"
Epps said. "That's what I would like to see." Epps said there was
some concern at MDOC about incidents at all three prisons. The Walnut Grove
facility is presently under a federal court order to remove juvenile inmates
amid allegations of physical and sexual abuse. That court order came in a
settlement of a lawsuit filed against Walnut Grove in 2010. GEO Group has
repeatedly declined to comment on the lawsuit. Epps has said his plan is to
send the 17-and-younger inmates to Central Mississippi Correctional Facility
in Rankin County by Oct. 1. He said there are about 1,000 vacant beds at that
prison now, so there is no need for a new building. Walnut Grove also houses
adults. They would remain there under a settlement that ended a 2010 lawsuit.
Epps said Friday that local authority boards deal
with management contracts at EMCF and Walnut Grove with MDOC help. He said
MDOC works directly with vendors at Marshall County. "There are a lot of
these management companies out there. We're reaching out to those private
operators to see what the best proposal is we might get," he said. In
its announcement, GEO chairman/CEO George C. Zoley
said EMCF was "financially underperforming." GEO Group vice
president Pablo E. Paez said Friday the company
would have no other comment.
March
29, 2012 Sun Herald
A federal judge has approved an agreement that would move juvenile
offenders out of a privately run prison that has been hounded by allegations
of physical and sexual abuse. The settlement was reached between civil rights
advocates and the state of Mississippi in a 2010 lawsuit. U.S. District Judge
Carlton Reeves approved the agreement in a March 26 order made public
Thursday. Reeves had harsh words for the state in his order noting that
officials "have been derelict in their duties and remain deliberately
indifferent to the serious medical and mental health needs of the offenders."
"The sum of these actions and inactions ... paints a picture of such
horror as should be unrealized anywhere in the civilized world," Reeves
wrote. Walnut Grove opened in 2001 in Leake County
and holds inmates ages 13-22 who were minors convicted as adults. It was run
by the private prison firm Cornell Companies Inc. until Cornell was acquired
by the GEO Group Inc. in a $730 million deal in 2010. GEO Group of Boca
Raton, Fla., is now the nation's second largest private prison company. The
company has declined to comment on the lawsuit. Reeves said the misconduct
was widespread. He said the facility was "deliberately indifferent to
the serious and substantial risk of harm to which these youth are
subjected." "And to add one final insult to these injuries, State
officials repeatedly failed to monitor the contracts with GEO and simply
rewarded the company by either extending or offering new contracts, or by not
revoking the existing contract despite 'systemic, egregious, and dangerous
practices exacerbated by a lack of accountability and controls.'" Reeves
said. The Southern Poverty Law Center, the American Civil Liberties Union and
Jackson attorney Robert McDuff sued the state over
conditions at the facility in 2010. The class action suit claimed guards
smuggled drugs to inmates, had sex with some of them and denied others
medical treatment and basic educational services. The sides reached a
proposed settlement in February that would require youth to be moved to a
facility governed by juvenile justice standards. Mississippi Corrections
Commissioner Chris Epps has said his plan is to send the 17-and-younger
inmates to Central Mississippi Correctional Facility by Oct. 1. He said there
are about 1,000 vacant beds at CMCF now, so there is no need for a new
building.
March
24, 2012 AP
A federal judge is considering whether to approve an agreement that would
move juvenile offenders out of a privately-run prison that has been hounded
by allegations of physical and sexual abuse. Six young inmates from Walnut Grove
Correctional Facility attended a hearing in Jackson on Thursday and urged
U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves to approve the settlement reached between
civil rights advocates and the state of Mississippi in a 2010 lawsuit. The
hearing came just two days after the Justice Department issued a scathing
report that said sexual misconduct at Walnut Grove Youth Correctional
Facility in central Mississippi "was among the worst that we have seen
in any facility anywhere in the nation." Walnut Grove opened in 2001 in Leake County and holds inmates ages 13-22 who were minors
convicted as adults. It was run by the private prison firm Cornell Companies
Inc. until Cornell was acquired by the GEO Group Inc. in a $730 million deal
in 2010. GEO Group of Boca Raton, Fla., is now the nation's second largest
private prison company. The company has declined to comment on the lawsuit or
the Justice Department findings. The Mississippi Department of Corrections
declined to comment before the settlement is approved. The Southern Poverty
Law Center, the American Civil Liberties Union and Jackson attorney Robert McDuff sued the state over conditions at the facility in
2010. The class action suit claimed guards smuggled drugs to inmates, had sex
with some of them and denied others medical treatment and basic educational
services. The sides reached a proposed settlement in February that would
require youth to be moved to a facility governed by juvenile justice
standards. Reeves must sign off on the deal, known as a consent decree. Corrections
officials have already been making plans to move the prisoners. State
lawmakers have worked on legislation that would allow them to be moved to a
separated unit at Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Pearl. The
settlement hearing Thursday was considered a formality by some involved, but
Reeves said he wanted to consider the issue before making a decision. The
prisoners who attended the hearing wore yellow prison jumpsuits and shackles.
Nearly 50 supporters wore matching orange shirts with a Bible verse that says
to "remember those in prison, as though in prison with them." The
prisoners testified about stabbings, beatings, a lack of mental health
treatment and educational opportunities and long periods of confinement.
March
21, 2012 AP
The Justice Department says juveniles were subjected to sexual misconduct and
other abuses at a privately run Mississippi prison, though the report comes
three weeks after plans were revealed to move youth to another facility. The
report dated Tuesday says sexual misconduct at Walnut Grove Youth
Correctional Facility in south Mississippi "was among the worst that we
have seen in any facility anywhere in the nation." Walnut Grove — which
also houses adults — is run by GEO Group of Boca Raton, Fla., the nation's second
largest private prison company. A spokesman for GEO Group declined to comment
Wednesday. The company assumed management of the facility in late 2010. The
Southern Poverty Law Center, the American Civil Liberties Union and Jackson
attorney Robert McDuff sued the state over
conditions at the facility in 2010. The suit, filed on behalf of 13
plaintiffs, claimed guards smuggled drugs to inmates, had sex with some of
them and denied others medical treatment and basic educational services. A
proposed settlement reached in February requires youth to be moved to a
facility governed by juvenile justice standards. State lawmakers have worked
on legislation that would allow juveniles to be moved to a separated unit at
Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Pearl. The lawsuit settlement
would also ban the practice of housing youth in long-term isolation.
"The Department of Justice's groundbreaking investigation into the
GEO-Group operated Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility confirms what
Mississippi's communities have known for over a decade: the combination of a
profit hungry private prison, and a bad law that allows too many teenagers to
enter the adult justice system has created a public safety crisis in
Mississippi," said Sheila Bedi, deputy legal
director for the Southern Poverty Law Center. "This is a crisis that
destroys young lives and has wasted over $100 million in taxpayer dollars. In
the wake of this report, Mississippi lawmakers should examine the harm that
private prisons inflict on our communities and take action to end the
practice of trying children in the adult criminal justice system." The
Justice Department report listed numerous problems, including that the
facility was "deliberately indifferent to staff sexual misconduct and
inappropriate behavior with youth." It also said the facility used
excessive force, is indifferent to gang affiliations within the ranks of
correctional staff and is indifferent to risks that young inmates posed to
others. "Youth also reported staff involvement with youth gang members
and that, in fact, several staff members are actually members of various
gangs and are involved in gang activity at the Facility. Surprisingly, a high
ranking WGYCF official acknowledged to our DOJ investigative team that some
of the Facility staff are involved in gangs," the report said. The
facility also didn't provide adequate mental health and failed to adequately
assess and treat youth at risk of suicide, the report said. Walnut Grove
Youth Correctional Facility opened in 2001 in Leake
County and holds inmates ages 13-22 who were minors convicted as adults. A
federal judge must approve the settlement agreement, known as a consent
decree. A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Jackson.
February,
27, 2012 AP
A proposed settlement of a lawsuit would prohibit minors in Mississippi from
being held in solitary confinement and would require corrections officials to
move youth out of a privately run prison where there were allegations of
sexual and physical abuse. The 2010 lawsuit claimed that some guards at
Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility smuggled drugs into the prison, had
sex with some inmates, assaulted others and put some in solitary confinement.
The lawsuit was filed in November 2010 by the Southern Poverty Law Center,
the American Civil Liberties Union and Jackson attorney Robert McDuff,
It also claimed inmates weren't given proper medical care or educational
opportunities, among other things. Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility
opened in 2001 in Leake County and holds inmates
ages 13-22 who were minors convicted as adults. It's operated by GEO Group
Inc., the second largest private prison company in the country. The proposed
deal would require the Mississippi Department of Corrections to move the underage
prisoners to a facility governed by juvenile justice standards. A federal
judge must approve the agreement, known as a consent decree. A hearing is
scheduled for March 22 in U.S. District Court in Jackson. Mississippi
Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps was at a legislative hearing Monday at
which the House Corrections Committee approved a bill dealing with Walnut
Grove. Epps said the bill is a direct response to the lawsuit settlement. The
law would separate anyone 17 and younger who is now housed at Walnut Grove
from those 18 and older. Epps told The Associated Press after the meeting
that his plan is to send the 17-and-younger inmates to a building at Central
Mississippi Correctional Facility in Rankin County. He said that would happen
by Oct. 1, under the bill He said there are about 1,000 vacant beds at CMCF
now, so there is no need for a new building. Bill 523 now moves to the full
House for consideration sometime in the next few weeks. Pablo Paez, a GEO spokesman, said Monday that the company doesn't
comment on litigation. The advocacy groups that filed the lawsuit said the
settlement, if approved, would be the first time a federal court has banned
the practice of housing youth in long-term isolation. Margaret Winter,
associate director of the ACLU National Prison Project, said in a statement
that the ban on solitary confinement for young people would be "truly
unprecedented." "It's been known for a long time that prolonged
solitary confinement causes terrible suffering and psychiatric breakdown even
in mature healthy adults - let alone in emotionally vulnerable children and
teenagers," she said. Sheila Bedi, deputy
legal director for SPLC, said in a statement that the deal "represents a
sea change in the way MDOC will treat children in its custody." "As
a result of this litigation, Mississippi's children will no longer languish
in an abusive, privately operated prison that profits each time a young man
is tried as an adult and ends up behind bars," she said.
October
26, 2011 Ya'll Politics
State Auditor Stacey Pickering announced today that a demand has been
issued against Walnut Grove mayor Grady Sims in the amount of $31,530.29 for
using city employees and city equipment to work on private prison facilities
and allowing city equipment to be used on personal property. The
investigation analyzed records from 2008 until 2010. “The demand issued
against Mayor Sims represents multiple instances where city employees were
directed by the mayor to do work at a private prison facilities located in
Walnut Grove,” said State Auditor Stacey Pickering. “Taxpayers of Walnut
Grove have been paying for equipment and labor to do work at these facilities
that are for-profit, private prisons. In addition, town equipment and labor
have been used on private property at taxpayer expense.” In addition to the
civil demand issued by the State Auditor, the Federal Grand Jury has indicted
the mayor on federal charges unrelated to the State Auditor’s investigation,
and Sims was arraigned today in United States District Court.
May 17, 2011 NEMS Daily
Journal
A riot was under way the night Tyler Edmonds began his three-year stay in
hell. Edmonds, now almost 22, was sentenced to life in prison in 2004 after
an Oktibbeha County jury found him guilty in the shooting death of his stepsister’s
husband. “They walked me to my unit, and a riot was going on,” he recalled
last week. “Guys in khaki pants, black T-shirts, gas masks, cans of pepper
spray and shotguns against some brawling inmates – it was a horrible shock.
“I went from hell to the deepest depths of hell.” The West Point native
breathes free air these days, after a new trial in 2008 set him free. His
original trial drew national headlines because he was just 13 when he
arrested for the crime. “I wonder how I came out a decent person – I ask
myself, how did I keep from losing my mind?” Edmonds said about the
experience. Today, Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility, where he spent
those torturous years, has drawn public attention with hundreds of petitions
to the Mississippi Department of Corrections, alleging systematic brutality
of its 22-and-under aged prisoners. The petitions ask MDOC to cancel its
contract with GEO Group Inc., the Florida-based company that runs the state’s
only youth prison. Walnut Grove, in central Mississippi southeast of
Carthage, also is the object of a federal lawsuit on behalf of 13 of its
1,200 prisoners. And the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating
treatment of juveniles there. Walnut Grove officials have yet to respond to
the lawsuit filed in the Southern District of U.S. District Court in Jackson.
Speaking during his lunch break at a Yuma, Ariz., auto dealership, Edmonds
blamed poor staff training and structural instability for making a bad
situation worse at Walnut Grove. “There were problems there every day,” he
said. “You never know what’s going to happen. People at Walnut Grove don’t
want to be there. They’d rather be at Parchman.”
Edmonds said that’s because prisoners at Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman can count on a regular system of sleep, meals,
exercise and other activities. That’s not what he found at Walnut Grove,
where he said whatever happened depended on what the guards felt like. “It’s
a dog-eat-dog world, and you have to be tougher or smarter than everybody
else to stay safe.” Edmonds, whose youthful appearance belies his years, said
he fit into the “smarter” category but at times had to fight. “I was a kid. I
needed stability,” he recalled. “That kind of environment contributes to
mental and emotional instability. “It’s like putting a bear in a cage and
poking it with a stick.” During his time at Walnut Grove, Edmonds said the
guards didn’t seem to know any other way to control prisoners except with
violence. “Fights are going to happen, but that doesn’t mean the prisoners
aren’t people,” he noted. “The employees just aren’t trained to deal with it
any other way.” He said some guards belonged to the same gangs as some of the
prisoners, and this created its own problems. “I’m not surprised to hear of
public complaints about Walnut Grove,” he said. “People haven’t been blind to
what’s going on there, but they’ve just chosen not to see it.” While held in
the facility, Edmonds said prisoners couldn’t be certain of any kind of
routine, and after entire zones were locked down because of small fights, the
rest of the zone’s inmates would come out of lockdown ready to punish the
ones who caused lockdown in the first place. “I would just stand with my back
against the wall, when that happened, and if you’re going to come close to me,
you’re going to get hit,” he said. “It’s not that I wanted to – it was the
only way to survive.”
May 13, 2011 The Root
Amid the furor over conditions at a private youth prison in Mississippi, the
father of a brain-damaged inmate seeks answers. Mike McIntosh II, 21, used to
be a vibrant athlete who loved doing kick flips on his skateboard, scoring
goals on the soccer field and executing extreme bike tricks on his BMX. He
was smart, too, studying welding at a community college, his father recalled
recently. "He was a sports fanatic," the father, Michael McIntosh,
47, told The Root. "He used to work out with me, so I knew he was a
strong kid, because I'm a former U.S. Marine." But now the 5-foot-8
youth of medium build is a shell of his former self, physically hobbled and
brain damaged during a 2010 riot at Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility,
the private prison in Jackson, Miss., where he remains incarcerated, his
father said. (The elder McIntosh declined to discuss the reason for the
arrest that led to his son's incarceration because of pending litigation.)
McIntosh blames the prison for lack of supervision and a staff that flouts
the law, engaging in abuse of young prisoners themselves. "He drags his
right leg when he walks now, and he's just gaining use of his right
arm," McIntosh said. "He has brain damage. He can't tell you what
happened. He doesn't remember things we talked about yesterday. It's sad and
torturous for me." Taking Legal Action -- On May 5, dozens of members of
Friends and Family Members of Youth Incarcerated at Walnut Grove -- an
organization founded by McIntosh -- held a news conference to announce the
delivery of petitions to Mississippi Corrections Commissioner Christopher
Epps, calling on him to cancel the system's contract with the GEO Group, the
Florida company that runs the facility. (Epps said in an email to The Root
that he could not comment because of pending litigation. Pablo Paez, a spokesman for GEO Group, also declined to comment
via email.) The petitions, with 1,600 signatures, are part of a long-running
battle between families and Walnut Grove. In November 2010, the Southern
Poverty Law Center, American Civil Liberties Union and civil rights attorney
Robert B. McDuff filed a federal class-action
lawsuit on behalf of 13 inmates against GEO, the prison administration and
state officials. The suit charges that children are forced to live in
barbaric and unconstitutional conditions and are subjected to excessive force
by prison staff. The prison houses 1,200 young men between the ages of 13 and
22 who have been tried and convicted as adults. More than two-thirds of the
facility's inmates have been incarcerated for nonviolent offenses, and the
population is about 90 percent African American. The suit unveils a litany of
disturbing complaints, including internecine warfare, prison staff exploiting
youths by selling drugs inside the facility, and staff engaging in sexual
relationships with youths in their care. It also reveals that inmates like
McIntosh have received serious, permanent injuries as a result of Walnut
Grove's deficient security policies and violent staff members. One young man,
according to the lawsuit, was tied to his bunk for almost 24 hours by another
inmate, then brutally raped and sexually assaulted after prison staff failed
to respond to his cries for protection. In yet another example, the suit says
that other youths suffered multiple stabbings and beatings at the hands of
inmates and staff, said Sheila Bedi, deputy legal
director of the SPLC. Profits, Not Rehab -- At the core of the suit is the
allegation that the purpose of Walnut Grove and other for-profit prisons is
intrinsically flawed because they are set up to maintain prison populations
rather than rehabilitate and release inmates, Jody Owens II, director of the
Jackson office of the SPLC, told The Root. It's a condition that's getting
increasing attention as the ranks of inmates in private prisons grow. As of
June 30, 2008, there were 126,249 prisoners in private facilities, accounting
for 7.8 percent of all prisoners in the U.S., according to the Bureau of
Justice Statistics. That's up from 6.5 percent in 2000. Owens lauded NPR,
which in March ran a hard-hitting series about the conundrum of for-profit
prisons, which supply jobs and revenue to the communities in which they're
based. The GEO Group is paid based on the number of youths housed at Walnut
Grove, which was constructed with more than $41 million of taxpayer funding.
When it opened in 2001, it was praised as a model youth facility, but since
then, independent consultants have had to help overhaul procedures. It has
also tripled in size, resulting in significant profits for the GEO Group.
"Facilities like Walnut Grove receive federal dollars to educate these
inmates," Owens said. "The kids say they never go to school, or
attend very irregularly. Instead of an everyday thing, they might go once
every three weeks because guards find reasons not to let them go. You hear
things about excessive lockdown, where kids are left in the cells 23 hours a
day. You imagine what life is like for these youth." The Civil Rights
Division of the U.S. Department of Justice recently began investigating some
of the allegations, according to NPR. A Father's Search for His Son -- For
his part, Michael McIntosh, an environmental biologist, is waiting for
justice to be served. He tells the poignant story of showing up at the prison
one Sunday in March 2010 to find his child gone, like so much air. "I
was told that he was not there," he said. "I knew something was
wrong with that answer because he would have called when he was released. No
one at the facility would let me know where he was. They suggested I call
during regular business hours. "After three days of trying to get
answers, the warden called me back," McIntosh continued. "He said
there was an incident and my son was involved. They still would not tell me
where my son was. They referred me to the Department of Corrections. They in
turn played kick the can. So I bounced back and forth between the two for 2½
weeks." McIntosh recalled how, during that time, he also began a frantic
search of local hospitals. After about 3½ weeks, he found his son at a local
hospital, but staff refused to allow him to visit, referring him instead to
the Department of Corrections. The department granted him authorization to
see Mike, but when he arrived, he was told that his son had been moved to
another facility the previous day. After another search, he found him, this
time at a hospital two hours away, he said. He was permitted to see Mike after
a week of red tape. "I went into the room to see my son. I was overcome
with emotion," he said. "I was two feet away from him, and he could
not see me. He had cuts all over his face. He couldn't walk, couldn't talk
and couldn't sit up. He couldn't do anything. His eyes were bloodshot, and he
had a severe head injury. He was in critical condition. "By this time,
I'm upset and hurt. He can't remember anything," McIntosh continued.
"I had to contact the Department of Corrections again, and they refused
to answer any more questions. Walnut Grove wouldn't answer any questions. No
one ever said sorry. "It wasn't until some time
later that I found out there was a riot and my son was jumped on, severely
beaten and almost lost his life," he said. "They did nothing to
warn or tell me that. They just decided to try to sweep it under the rug as
much as they could. But I'm not going to let that happen. I'm not going to
let that happen at all."
May 5, 2011 Clarion
Ledger
Those upset with conditions at Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility
delivered hundreds of petitions to Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps
Thursday, calling for him to cancel the contract with GEO Group, the
Florida-based company that runs the prison. Because of pending litigation,
the Mississippi Department of Corrections cannot comment, said MDOC
spokeswoman Tara Booth. Mississippi's lone youth prison that holds 1,200
inmates remains the target of a federal probe and lawsuit. Michael McIntosh
said it's been 14 months since his son was brutally beaten and stabbed,
resulting in irreparable brain damage. A number of young inmates were injured
in a Feb. 27, 2010, melee. The Rev. Milton Johnson, an associate pastor in
Meridian, noted that delivering these petitions was appropriate on the
National Day of Prayer. "If we succeed in real rehabilitation, then they
(youth) will be an asset to our communities and state, not society
rejects," he said. "We cannot allow our children to abandon
hope." Ethel Thomas Heard noted that this Mother's Day, her only son will
remain behind bars at Walnut Grove, and she is not alone, she said. "We
know what it feels like to wake up with our heads on tear-drenched
pillows." A number of young The U.S. Department of Justice is now
investigating the treatment of juveniles at the prison. In November, the
Southern Poverty Law Center, the American Civil Liberties Union and Jackson
lawyer Robert McDuff filed a lawsuit against the
GEO Group on behalf of 13 offenders at the Leake
County prison. The lawsuit alleges young offenders are being forced to live
in "barbaric, unconstitutional conditions." The lawsuit alleges
guards beat inmates, smuggled drugs to the youths and engaged in sexual acts
with them.
February 28, 2011 Clarion
Ledger
Friends and relatives of those incarcerated at Walnut Grove Youth
Correctional Facility held a candle-light vigil Monday to mark the first
anniversary of violence that reportedly injured dozens of inmates. More than
a dozen gathered in protest outside the Mississippi Department of Corrections
building at 723 President St. Former inmate Monico
Lopez, 22, told reporters he was among the inmates injured at the state’s
youth prison, which is the target of a federal probe and lawsuit. The attacks
began on Feb. 27, 2010, when some inmates grabbed shanks, pieces of glass and
other weapons and began slashing, he said. “It was like a war zone.” He said
both he and his cell mate, Michael McIntosh Jr., were stabbed repeatedly and
that he dragged McIntosh to one of the doors and began banging for help. He
said it took guards 15 minutes to respond. The guards never intervened to
halt the violence among inmates, he said. He doesn’t know what started the
violence and woke up four days later in the hospital, he said. McIntosh’s
father, Michael McIntosh Sr., said his son was brain injured from the attack
and that he didn’t learn of his son’s injuries until five weeks later. His
son is no longer in Walnut Grove but remains in custody, he said. Both the
elder McIntosh and Lopez called for authorities to close down Walnut Grove. MDOC
officials referred questions on the incident to the Walnut Grove Correctional
Authority, which oversees the private prison. In January, former inmates,
family members and the state’s corrections commissioner gave conflicting
accounts of conditions at the state’s youth prison. The U.S. Justice
Department is investigating the facility. The Southern Poverty Law Center
filed a lawsuit in federal court in November, alleging guards beat inmates,
smuggled drugs to the youths and engaged in sexual acts with them. The
Justice Department informed Gov. Haley Barbour late last year that it had
begun an investigation into the treatment of juveniles at the prison.
January 12, 2011 AP
A former employee at a privately run youth prison says many inmates were
denied access to an education because they were often placed on lockdown for
days or weeks at a time. George Cole, who was a principal at the Walnut Grove
Youth Correctional Facility from 2005 to 2009, told a House committee Tuesday
that he also saw evidence of physical abuse of inmates. “I thought I was
going to a place interested in rehabilitating children. They were not,” Cole
said during a House Juvenile Justice Committee hearing that drew dozens of
former inmates or their relatives. The U.S. Justice Department is investigating
the facility. The Southern Poverty Law Center filed a lawsuit in federal
court in November claiming guards beat inmates, smuggled drugs to the youth
and engaged in sexual acts with them. Democratic Rep. Earle Banks of Jackson,
chairman of the House committee, said he’s pursuing legislation to address
some of the alleged problems at the facility, including requiring more
training for guards and stiffer penalties for contraband. The prison is run
by a private company under a contract by the town. The state pays the town to
house state inmates there. Banks (said) the correctional authority and
Florida-based GEO Group, which is contracted to operate the facility, were
invited to the hearing, though no one came. City officials and the GEO Group
didn’t immediately respond to The Associated Press for comment. “The
committee is determined to get them here if we have to subpoena them,” Banks
said.
January 10, 2011 Clarion-Ledger
A former inmate testified today at a House Juvenile Justice Committee hearing
that he was beaten at the state's youth prison. "The Walnut Grove Youth
Correctional Facility was hell," recalled Ross Walton, a 25-year-old
former inmate. The private prison is the target of a federal investigation.
The U.S. Department of Justice informed Gov. Haley Barbour late last year
that it had begun an investigation into the treatment of juveniles at the
prison. In November, he Southern Poverty Law Center,
the American Civil Liberties Union and Jackson lawyer Robert McDuff filed at lawsuit against Florida-based the GEO
Group on behalf of 13 youthful offenders at the Leake
County prison. It alleges young offenders at the 1,200-inmate prison are
being forced to live in "barbaric, unconstitutional conditions."
Other defendants in the lawsuit are state Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps
and the Walnut Grove Correctional Authority, which was created by the city to
oversee the facility, and others. Walton told state lawmakers today of being
beaten by guards and seeing other inmates being beaten. "I've witnessed
guards beat inmates over drug money," he said. He said he's seen the
staff bring drugs to the facility, including marijuana, cocaine and pills.
Prices at the prison canteen are hugely inflated, he said. The price of a bar
of Irish Spring? $2. The price of a tube of Colgate? $5. "A lot of
times, it caused fights," he said. "It's hard to continue paying
off the lawyer and have to send off money to your children." Shannon
Busby and her husband told the committee that the same Ramen soup that cost
15 cents at Walmart is $4.60 in the canteen. She
told the committee about the experiences of her son, Kenneth Page, at the
prison. "He wants to be be
somebody," she said. "He wants to change his past." They are
unable to send him a Bible, she said. The only Bible he can get they must
order from the prison's website. The same website allowed them to buy him a
Christmas dinner for $100, she said. "We didn't do it because we
couldn't afford it." "One dinner?" a lawmaker asked.
"Yes," she replied. Walton already had a high school degree, but he
said he saw other young offenders denied an education. George Cole, who
served as principal at Walnut Grove between 2005 and 2009, said many of the
students were bright, scoring as high as 33 on an ACT test. But unfortunately
the prison had so many lockdown days, the school was never able to meet the
180 days required for certification, he said. He wound up being disappointed
and quit, he said. "I thought they would really be interested in
rehabilitation." Walton is now getting an accounting degree in Jackson
State University. "Being labeled as a convicted felon I'm still being
punished," he said. "Not only did I deal with abuse, I've had
employers tell me they don't want to work with convicted felons." Michael
McIntosh Sr. said his son, Michael Jr., was beaten so severely at Walnut
Grove that he suffered permanent brain damage. Tom Burnham, superintendent of
the state Department of Education, testified he was bothered by what he had
heard about education at the facility. He said when he was researching a
dissertation at the State Penitentiary at Parchman
in the 1980s he saw a series of lockdowns that delayed the inmates’
education. "We're now in 2010, and obviously some of the things that
were going on then are still going on," he said.
November 18, 2010 Courthouse
News
Mississippi underwrites a privately run juvenile prison where youngsters
"live in barbaric, unconstitutional conditions," where rape,
beatings, drug smuggling by guards and medical and educational neglect are
the norm, 13 boys and young men say in a federal class action. The Walnut
Grove Youth Correctional Facility, built with more than $41 million in
taxpayer dollars, "has generated approximately $100 million for the
various for-profit entities that have operated the prison since it opened its
doors in 2001," according to the complaint. Mississippi taxpayers pay
Walnut Grove Correctional Authority $14 million a year to run the prison.
"In turn, the WGCA contracts with the GEO Group Inc., the second-largest
private correctional company in the United States, to oversee the prison's
daily operations," the complaint states. Walnut Grove, the GEO Group,
and top prison officials are named as defendants, as are Health Assurance
LLC, which provides medical services in the prison, and the Superintendent of
the Mississippi Department of Education. Walnut Grove is a private prison for
13- to 22-year-old offenders, most of whom are
jailed for nonviolent offenses. The teens say the prison is extremely
dangerous, with violent fights every week. They say they "live in
unconstitutional and inhumane conditions and endure great risks to their
safety and security." Understaffing is the norm; the Joint Committee on
Performance Evaluation and Expenditure and a corrections auditor warned that
lack of staffing could cause an increase in violence. The complaint adds that
the jail is "dangerously understaffed and because existing staff lack
the training and supervision necessary to care for the youth in their
custody, corruption and violence is rampant." One "young man was
held hostage in his cell for almost 24 hours, brutally raped and physically
assaulted after prison staff failed to heed his pleas for protection,"
the complaint states. "Other youth suffered multiple stabbings and
beatings - including one youth who lives with permanent brain damage as a
result of an attack in which prison staff were entirely complicit."
Inmates attacked by cellmates say prison staff ignore requests to be moved,
and say the staff, especially those working in protective custody,
"routinely incite violence among prisoners by leaving cell doors
open." They add that prison doors can be "rigged" to remain
unlocked when shut, which has led to numerous assaults. "Prison staff
exploit youth by selling drugs inside the facility," the complaint
states. "Other staff members abuse their power by engaging in sexual
relationships with the youth in their care. ... Youth who are handcuffed and
defenseless have been kicked, punched, and beaten all over their bodies. For
the sole purpose of inflicting excruciating pain, some WGYCF staff have sprayed dangerous chemical restraints on young men
who are secure in their cells. Some youth are stripped naked and held in
isolation for weeks at a time." Prison staff ignore
inmates who are suicidal; one young man committed suicide after telling
guards he was going to kill himself. The staff put nonsuicidal
inmates into a "suicide watch cell" where they are stripped naked,
forced to sleep on a steel bed frame without a mattress, given only one blanket
and confined to the cell for 24 hours a day. Inmates say they are denied the
legally required "free and appropriate education;" some have had to
wait weeks or months for medical treatment, and they have been denied
necessary medications. The plaintiffs seek declaratory judgment and an
injunction, correction of the unconstitutional abuses, costs and damages.
They are represented by Sheila A. Bedi with the
Southern Poverty Law Center.
November 17, 2010 Clarion-Ledger
A federal lawsuit filed Tuesday against the private prison company that runs
the Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility claims young offenders are being
forced to live in "barbaric, unconstitutional conditions." The
lawsuit, which represents one side of a legal argument, accuses Florida-based
GEO Group of perpetuating violence and corruption. Some prison staff exploit
youth by selling drugs inside the facility and engaging in sexual
relationships with youth in their care, the suit alleges. Many youth have
suffered physical injuries, some permanent as a result of dangerously
deficient security policies. The litigation came weeks after U.S. Department
of Justice officials told Gov. Haley Barbour they had begun an investigation
into the treatment of juveniles at the prison. "As a matter of policy,
our company cannot comment on litigation-related matters," said Pablo Paez, vice president of corporate relations for the GEO
Group, said Tuesday. The Southern Poverty Law Center, the American Civil
Liberties Union and Jackson lawyer Robert McDuff
brought the litigation on behalf of 13 youthful offenders at the Leake County prison, which holds 1,200 inmates between
the ages of 13 and 22. In addition to the GEO Group, the suit was filed in
U.S. District Court in Jackson against Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps
and the Walnut Grove Correctional Authority, which was created by the city to
oversee the facility, and others. Suzanne Singletary, a spokeswoman for the
Corrections Department, said the agency had not seen the complaint and could
not comment until the department had time to review it. Jeff Webb, an
attorney for the city of Walnut Grove, could not be reached for comment.
Sheila Bedi, deputy legal director of the Southern
Poverty Law Center, said Mississippians spent $41 million to build the prison
designed to give young men a second chance. "Unfortunately, private
prison companies prioritized their profits over the well-being of
Mississippi's youth," she said. State law requires prison officials to
educate teenagers kept at the Walnut Grove facility and many judges require
offenders to earn GEDs. But Bedi said less than
half of those behind bars are actually getting an education. "Lawmakers
deciding to send children as young as 13 into the adult criminal justice
system is a symptom of our nation's addiction to mass incarceration,"
Margaret Winter, associate director of the ACLU National Prison Project, said
in a statement. In 2007, Dennis Earl Holmes died after a lawsuit claimed he
was denied adequate medical care. He suffered from treatable diabetes,
according to a lawsuit his family filed on Oct. 29 in federal court. Two
years later, Victor Allen died in an apparent suicide at the facility. House
Juvenile Justice Committee Chairman Earle Banks, D-Jackson, said teenagers at
the prison were convicted of adult crimes but "the brutality they
sometimes experience on a daily basis should not be part of their
sentence." Banks said he would seek reforms at Walnut Grove. "Every
community in the state would benefit if these youth become productive,
law-abiding, taxpaying adults," said Banks. Ross Walton, who spent three
years inside the prison, said he saw fellow inmates handcuffed and beaten.
"The officers did nothing to protect kids from beat downs and sexual
assaults," he said. There was little time for education, he said,
"because the place was so disorganized, and the officers didn't care
about our future." Michael McIntosh of Hazlehurst alleges that because
of the abuse his 21-year-old son suffered in the Walnut Grove prison,
"he will live with permanent brain damage for the rest of his
life." Under Mississippi law, juveniles 13 or older are automatically
tried as adults if charged with murder, rape or armed robbery. Those as young
as 13 are automatically transferred to Walnut Grove if they use a deadly weapon
in a felony. Also under state law, 17-year-olds are automatically considered
adults if they commit any felony. When Walnut Grove opened in 2001, it held
321 offenders, none of them older than 18.
November 16, 2010 AP
The Southern Poverty Law Center has filed a lawsuit over conditions at a
juvenile prison in Walnut Grove, where the group contends youthful offenders
have been abused and denied medical treatment. The lawsuit was filed Tuesday
in federal court in Jackson on behalf of 13 offenders. The lawsuit, which
gives only one side of the legal argument, alleges mistreatment by staff.
Sheila Bedi, an attorney with the law center, says
the U.S. Justice Department also is investigating the Walnut Grove Youth
Correctional Facility. It houses youthful offenders ages 13-22.
November 3, 2010 WXVT
The family of a deceased inmate is suing the town of Walnut Grove and a
private corrections company, claiming Dennis Earl Homes was denied adequate
medical care before dying of diabetes. The lawsuit, filed Friday in U.S.
District Court, said Homes went to Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility
on a robbery conviction in 2007. The lawsuit alleges Homes lost 30 pounds
over five months before dying Nov. 1, 2007. He was 20. The lawsuit said
Walnut Grove is named as a defendant because the town has a contract with the
state to house inmates ages 12-21. GEO Group Inc. and Cornell Companies Inc.,
which runs the facility, are also named as defendants. The town attorney
didn't immediately respond to a message. GEO Group had no comment.
December 8, 2004 Commercial
Appeal
The convictions of two Leake County prison inmates
on charges of plotting an escape were upheld Tuesday by the state Court of
Appeals. Steven Farris, serving a life sentence for a 1998 murder, and Thomas
Frederick, serving a four-year sentence on car burglary, were
accused of conspiring to escape the Walnut Grove Correctional Facility in
2001. The Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility, in Leake
County, is privately run and houses juveniles who have been sentenced as
adults. Witnesses testified at their 2003 trial that prison officials
intercepted telephone calls and letters between the inmates and their
mothers, alerting them to the escape plans.
Walnut Grove Transition
Center
Leake County, Mississippi
American Transition Services
June 9, 2012 AP
A former prison warden who was also one of the longest serving mayors in
Mississippi will soon be an inmate himself for telling a prisoner to lie
about having sex with him. Grady Sims, who served as the mayor of Walnut
Grove in east-central Mississippi for 31 years, is scheduled to report to a
federal prison in Miami by Monday to begin serving a seven-month sentence for
witness intimidation. He is also to serve six months on house arrest and two
years of probation. U.S. District Judge David Bramlette
in Jackson allowed him to report to prison on his own. Sims' attorney did not
immediately respond to a message seeking an interview with Sims or a comment.
A letter filed in court records in May by Sims' lawyer, Christopher Collins,
requested permission to travel to Tampa, Fla., this past week to visit a
relatives before reporting to prison. The judge allowed it. During his
sentencing hearing in April, Sims apologized to the court and his family and
said he made a mistake that embarrassed him and his family, and cost him his
job as mayor and his personal vending business. He said he was a Christian
who lost his way, but later "came back to God" and accepted
responsibility for his mistakes. "I am ashamed and sorrowful to be here,"
he said then. Sims, 61, was first elected mayor in 1981 and served in a
part-time capacity for the town of about 1,900. In October 2009, he became
warden of the Walnut Grove Transition Center, a privately-run prison designed
as a "re-entry" facility where inmates are allowed to get jobs in
the private sector. Court records do not describe how he became involved with
the female inmate or what kind of relationship they developed, but
prosecutors said he drove her to a hotel in a nearby town to have sex in
November 2009. He was secretly recorded a few months later in telephone
conversations telling the inmate to lie to investigators in an attempt to
influence the grand jury investigation.
April 21, 2012 AP
Before he got caught for having sex with a prisoner, Grady Sims was one
of the longest serving mayors in Mississippi and the warden of a private
prison in his hometown of Walnut Grove. On Tuesday, Sims will stand before a
federal judge in Jackson and find out how long he could spend in prison
himself. He faces up to 20 years and a $250,000 fine. Authorities say he took
a female inmate to a hotel for sex in 2009. Sims was indicted on Oct. 18,
2011, and charged with sexually assaulting the Walnut Grove Transition Center
prisoner and intimidating a witness. He pleaded guilty to the intimidation
charge as part of a plea deal in February. He was required to resign as mayor
immediately.
October 25, 2011 AP
The longtime mayor of a small Mississippi town who once worked as a jail
warden has been charged with sexually assaulting an inmate and trying to
cover it up, authorities said Tuesday. William Grady Sims, who’s the mayor of
Walnut Grove and the former warden of Walnut Grove Transition Center, was
indicted on two federal charges last week. He appeared Tuesday in U.S.
District Court in Jackson and was released on a $10,000 bond. A trial date
for was set for Jan. 9. The indictment alleges the mayor assaulted the inmate
in November 2009. He’s also charged with telling the inmate to lie to
investigators in March 2010. Sims was first elected in 1981 and is in his
eighth term. He didn’t immediately respond to messages left Tuesday at his
office and home. A call to his attorney wasn’t answered. The lawyer’s voice
mailbox was full. U.S. Attorney John Dowdy and Daniel McMullen, the top FBI
agent in Mississippi, announced Sims’ indictment Tuesday in a news release,
saying Sims was charged with sexual assault of an inmate while acting under
color of law. Court records only identified the inmate by initials and did
not say whether the prisoner was male or female. The Walnut Grove Transition
Center is privately run, but houses house men and women in the custody of the
Mississippi Department of Corrections. State Auditor Stacey Pickering
announced Tuesday that Sims has been ordered to pay $31,530 for using city
employees and equipment to work on private prisons in the area, including the
one he ran. “The demand issued against Mayor Sims represents multiple
instances where city employees were directed by the mayor to do work at a private
prison facilities located in Walnut Grove,” Pickering said in a news release.
“Taxpayers of Walnut Grove have been paying for equipment and labor to do
work at these facilities that are for-profit, private prisons. In addition,
town equipment and labor have been used on private property at taxpayer
expense.”
October 21, 2009 Clarion
Ledger
Seven probationers who absconded from an inmate re-entry facility in Walnut
Grove Sunday night remain at large. Mississippi Department of Corrections has
issued warrants for the escapees. A Walnut Grove Transition Center official
said the men walked off the minimum-security campus during an evening smoking
break. "They were in a fenced-in area and were able to take the bar that
connects the chain link to the post and bend it to get out," said Cecil McCrory, a managing partner of the center. "These
guys are kind of like parolees in a halfway house setting. They can walk away
but most don't because they are there to pay restitution." McCrory said the absences were noticed during a routine
head count, which guards conduct every two hours. All of the guards on duty
at the time of the escape have been fired. And wardens have made head counts
more frequent and have eliminated nighttime outdoor smoking breaks. The
200-bed center in Leake County is owned by American
Transition Services and opened in March.
Wilkinson
Correctional Facility
Woodville, MS
CCA
May 17, 2013
www.natchezdemocrat.com
WOODVILLE —
A new management company will take over operations of the Wilkinson County
Correctional Facility in July. In a news release from Management and Training
Corporation, a Utah-based private corrections company, MTC officials
announced the company had received a five-year contract from the Mississippi
Department of Corrections to operate the state prison facility in Woodville.
The news release says MTC plans to retain the “vast majority” of WCCF’s
current employees. Corrections Corporation of America — the same company that
runs the federal immigration prison north of Natchez, the Adams County Correctional
Center —currently operates WCCF. The MTC contract has two 12-month options
for extension.MTC currently operates in Mississippi at the East Mississippi,
Walnut Grove and Marshal County correctional facilities. “MTC prides itself
on performance and integrity. We look forward to a long and successful
partnership with the Department of Corrections and the community of
Woodville,” MTC Senior Vice President of Corrections Odie
Washington said.
June 20, 2012 AP
A series of fights between inmates led to 23 inmates being injured Tuesday at
the Wilkinson County Correctional Facility, the prison's operator says.
Corrections Corp. of America tells The Natchez Democrat that fights broke out
in multiple parts of the Woodville prison Tuesday night. Three inmates were
taken to area hospitals for treatment. Another 20 were treated at the prison
for injuries. CCA, based in Nashville, Tenn., said it took employees about an
hour to contain the fights. The company said no staff members were injured.
It said the Mississippi Department of Corrections had sent officials to the
995-bed prison, which houses state inmates. A riot last month at CCA's Adams
County Correctional Facility near Natchez resulted in the death of a prison
guard. That prison houses federal inmates.
December 29, 2011 WLBT
A Wilkinson County inmate is recovering from stab wounds. Enoch Taylor, 27,
was stabbed at the county's correctional facility around 5:00 Thursday
morning. Taylor has been an inmate at the prison since January of 2009. He's
serving time for uttering forgery and robbery. Officials at the private prison
are currently collecting information about the incident. They say Taylor's
injuries are not life threatening.
November 12, 2009 The
Prisoner of the Census
County Supervisors in Wilkinson County, Mississippi faced a quandary after
the last census. The Corrections Corporation of America had just opened a
large private prison in the county, and, per its usual practice, the Census
Bureau credited the population of the prison to the county. Should the county
draw a county legislative district where almost half of the population was
incarcerated in the private prison? This would give the actual residents of
the prison district almost twice as much influence over county affairs as
residents of the other districts. They wrote to State Attorney General Mike
Moore to seek his advice. He replied: Inmates under the jurisdiction of the
Mississippi Department of Corrections … are not deemed “residents” of that
county or locality, as incarceration cannot be viewed as a voluntary
abandonment of residency in one locale in favor of residency in the facility
or jail. For purposes of the Census, these individuals should have been
counted in their actual place of residence. Such inmates should not be used
in determining the population of county supervisor districts for
redistricting purposes by virtue of their temporary presence in a detention
facility or jail in the county, unless their actual place of residence is
also in the county. (Emphasis added. Opinion No. 2002-0060; 2002 WL 321998
(Miss. A.G.)) The Attorney General is right. Until the Census Bureau changes
where it counts incarcerated people, the people who draw districts need to
correct the Census.
November 11, 2004 The
Advocate
A Louisiana State Penitentiary bloodhound chase team captured one of three
escapees Tuesday night from a prison in neighboring Wilkinson County, Miss.,
Warden Burl Cain said. The team responded to a request for help from the
Wilkinson County Sheriff's Office after three inmates escaped from the
Wilkinson County Correctional Facility, a private prison north of Woodville,
Miss., Cain said.
July 15, 2002
Crime and politics drive the private
prison industry, and Wilkinson County may have climbed aboard at
the right time. But how long will the ride last?
It is a question many people in the
county are asking after state actions put the private prison
industry's future in doubt.
Five privately operated prisons were
built in Mississippi during the late 1990s, including the
Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (WCCF), which opened in
1998. The state's prison population soared then due to
"truth in sentencing" laws, which required inmates to
serve 85 percent of their sentences before parole eligibility.
However, lower crime rates, shorter
sentences for nonviolent first-time offenders an
alternative sentencing options - such as drug courts
and house arrests - have slowed the boom in private prison
construction. Last week, Gov. Ronnie Musgrove announce
plans to renegotiate state contracts with private
prisons The result, he said, will save between $6 million
and $12 million. The governor said he will call a special
session of the Legislature to approve the smaller private prison
budgets. Despite more than 2,500 empty state prison beds,
the Legislature budgeted $54.7 million for private prison
operations in the 2003 fiscal year, which began July 1.
Shortly after the legislative session
ended in April, Musgrove exercised a line-item veto power
to cut the $54.7 million out of a larger appropriations bill.
Corrections Commissioner Robert Johnson has suggested
closing or taking over privately run facilities in Greenwood and
Holly Springs which house routine, medium-security inmates.
Wilkinson County Chancery Clerk Thomas
Tolliver said the prison has been "nothing but beneficial
to the county." Tolliver also serves on the Wilkinson
County Industrial Development Authority, a non-profit entity
that was formed to recruit the prison and oversee its
management. The
Development Authority subcontracts the actual operation of the prison to
Corrections Corporation of America (CCA). "The
Development Authority receives $200,000 each year from CCA as a
Community Impact Fee for economic development," he
said, adding that the money is used to help recruit and support
new industries. Wilkinson County and CCA are profiting
from WCCF, but the taxpayers are paying the bill.
WCCF's per diem is higher than some other
private facilities are paid. The state is also paying the
cost of building the prison.
M. Binford
Williams, a Jackson attorney who represents the Development
Authority, said $31.4 million was raised to fund the construction
in 1996. Williams said certificates of participation, which
are similar to bonds, were sold to investors. (The Democrat)
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