State taking over prison

The state is taking over the operation of the Marshall County Correctional Facility in Holly Springs.

Sheriff Kenny Dickerson announced the pull-out of Management Training Corporation at a recent board of supervisors meeting. MTC has managed the facility since August 2012.

Commissioner Burl Cain said last week Mississippi Department of Corrections can’t operate prisons in communities that lack an adequate workforce pool for the size of the prison.

MTC’s contract called for about 1,000 inmates but it was impossible to hire adequate staff, so the decision was made to reduce the inmate population to about 450 and MDOC can take over, Cain said.

“We had to match the workforce of that community,” he said. “It is all driven by availability of the workforce. It’s just good business practice. We follow best business practices.”

Cain said MDOC will hire all those who worked for MTC who can qualify for the job and who have a decent work record.

A new warden is already waiting in the wings, he said.

Legislation passed allows more people to be eligible for probation and parole, so about 1,500 more inmates are eligible statewide, Cain said. Dickerson said inmate

meals at the county jail have been procured through the prison at a cost of less than $6 a day for three meals per inmate. Another source of meals may have to be found, he said. MDOC will try to continue supplying meals to the jail for a short time, he said.

Cain reassured the county that he will work together to help.

“I am not going to ever let the sheriff have his inmates hungry,” he said. “I am going to work really close together. I will get with the sheriff to see (what can be done).”

Issa Arnita, with MTC, said the state is taking over operations of the facility September 13.

Cain stressed MDOC has no criticism of MTC.

“You just didn’t have the workforce to sustain 900 inmates,” he said.

“I need about 180 to 190 corrections officers for 900 inmates.” Inmates are being moved to other facilities to reduce the population.

Cain said it takes four weeks to train a new correctional officer.

He said he needs people with a good work ethic and those who will show up for work.

He estimates after the drawdown there will be about 100 medium security inmates and 400 minimum security inmates at the Marshall County Correctional Facility.

State legislator Bill Kinkade discussed how the prison can become a training facility.

“As we evolve our reentry system, this will hopefully be a transition center for training, because we have so much corporate support and this is a very attractive location for job training and reentry opportunities,” Kinkade said.

There were numerous problems the last few years in inadequate staffing, overcrowding and custody management at the facility, Kinkade said.

“At times there were over 1,100 inmates,” he said.

Kinkade, who served on the House Corrections Committee seven years and also as committee chairman, said there has been evolution for the release of non-violent offenders who qualify through state training programs.

“The last five years, we have had several criminal justice reform bills,” he said. “Substantial reentry efforts have been realized for specific criteria. With the success rate of our existing drug courts we have realized a tremendous success in our regions in retraining and monitoring reentry (of inmates to the community).”

Dickerson said the commissioner came by with some of his assistants several weeks ago to visit.

“He wanted to let us know what’s going on and to be a good neighbor,” the sheriff said.

When the facility opened in Holly Springs about 20 years ago, the public was told the prison would house only nonviolent offenders, Dickerson said.

“But that changed over the years,” he said. “They have had a lot of violent incidents to occur.” His concerns about procurement of county inmate meals have to be addressed. He said the state may start cooking its own meals when it takes over.

“We are looking at the cost factor,” the sheriff said. Inmate meals must be guaranteed to meet both state and federal guidelines regarding nutritional requirements, he said.

The board of supervisors will have to advertise for meals after MTC pulls out unless the state helps out, he said.

Dickerson said at the worst, meals could be prepared at the jail short term but the kitchen is too small for it.

On several occasions the prison security has been severely understaffed, Dickerson said. There were not enough security personnel at times to adequately meet the needs at the prison.

“But, with the state’s intention of having non-violent offenders, that will be a big plus for us and the county,” Dickerson said.

MTC continues to operate the East Mississippi Correctional Facility in Lauderdale County and the Wilkinson County Correctional Facility, Cain said.