. Mississippi Department of Corrections. Retrieved on May 4, 2015.
Established as a low to medium-security prison, it was converted to a maximum-security prison when prisoners were transferred in 2010 from the
Mississippi State Penitentiary
Mississippi State Penitentiary (MSP), also known as Parchman Farm, is a maximum-security prison farm located in unincorporated Sunflower County, Mississippi, in the Mississippi Delta region. Occupying about of land,Walnut Grove Correctional Facility
The Walnut Grove Correctional Facility, formerly the Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility (WGYCF), was operated as a for-profit state-owned prison in Walnut Grove, Mississippi from 1996 to 2016. Constructed beginning in 1990, it was expande ...
, closed in September 2016.
State contracts with MTC and the previous operator, Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), have been under investigation in what is known as Operation Mississippi Hustle, a wide-ranging corruption case investigated by the FBI. Former Commissioner Chris Epps was indicted in November 2014 (the day after he resigned), as was Cecil McCrory, a consultant and former state legislator. Both pleaded guilty in February 2015 and have cooperated with investigators. Numerous other figures have been indicted; some have pleaded guilty and others convicted at trial. In February 2017, Mississippi State Attorney announced a civil suit against the private prison operators and numerous other contractors, for damages and punitive damages.
History
The private prison opened in January 1998. The low to medium-security prison was originally managed by Corrections Corporation of America (CCA, now CoreCivic). The state and county authorized construction of the prison in this location in the expectation that persons living in the Woodville area would be able to find jobs there.Mitchell, Jerry 'Killing Field': Prison gangs roam with homemade swords
Mississippi State Penitentiary
Mississippi State Penitentiary (MSP), also known as Parchman Farm, is a maximum-security prison farm located in unincorporated Sunflower County, Mississippi, in the Mississippi Delta region. Occupying about of land,Sunflower County, as part of settlement of a class action suit, the state closed Unit 32, which included the prison's Death Row and other prisoners in lockdown. Numerous prisoners with mental illness were transferred to
East Mississippi Correctional Facility
East Mississippi Correctional Facility is a men's prison located in unincorporated Lauderdale County, Mississippi, near Meridian. It is about 90 miles east of the capital, Jackson. Opened in 1999, the special needs prison is intended to provide a ...
, which is to provide specialized treatment. Other prisoners were transferred to WCCC to improve their conditions, and the facility was converted to maximum-security level.
But, the rate of violence began to rise at WCCC due to the influx of prison gang leaders and members from Unit 32. Eighty-six percent of prisoners at Wilkinson now belong to gangs for protection. WCCC became known as the "New Unit 32" and "The Killing Field." The violence rate at WCCC from 2011 through June, 2013, under CCA management, exceeded any state-operated prisons. Raymond Byrd had become warden, transferred in 2012 after the closure of
Delta Correctional Facility
Delta Correctional Facility was a Mississippi Department of Corrections state prison for men, one of opened in the late 20th century and early 21st century in the state, and operated by for-profit corporations. Located in Greenwood, Leflore Coun ...
On April 20, 2013, inmate Demond Flowers was stabbed in the heart by members of Gangster Disciples and Vice Lords. Prison officials had ended a lockdown the previous day that was used to suppress violence after an incident of gang conflict. Flowers' family filed suit against CCA, settling for an undisclosed amount.
In 2013 MDOC commissioner Chris Epps replaced CCA, awarding MTC a five-year contract to manage WCCC. This was effective July 1, 2013, at the beginning of the state's fiscal year.Nave, R. L. Can MTC Fix Woodville Prison?
Archive . '' Jackson Free Press''. Friday May 24, 2013. Retrieved on May 5, 2015. In mid-2012, MTC had been awarded a contract to manage three other private prisons in the state:
East Mississippi Correctional Facility
East Mississippi Correctional Facility is a men's prison located in unincorporated Lauderdale County, Mississippi, near Meridian. It is about 90 miles east of the capital, Jackson. Opened in 1999, the special needs prison is intended to provide a ...
Walnut Grove Correctional Facility
The Walnut Grove Correctional Facility, formerly the Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility (WGYCF), was operated as a for-profit state-owned prison in Walnut Grove, Mississippi from 1996 to 2016. Constructed beginning in 1990, it was expande ...
(WGCF). It took over these facilities from the GEO Group, which was forced out as part of a settlement of a class-action suit over conditions at WGCF. The fifth private prison is
Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility
Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility (TCCF) is a private prison for men,The Clarion Ledger'' stated that if WCCC was a city of 100,000, it would have murders of more than 111 people per year. Mitchell said this was twice the homicide rate of the city of Detroit, which had an annual murder rate of 54.6 per 100,000.
On May 25, 2014, inmate Kendrick Walker was stabbed 81 times, resulting in his death. Convicted of a non-violent crime, he had been a year from release after serving a 10-year sentence. A videotape suggests that tower guards contributed to his death, but none was prosecuted. The warden took nearly 27 minutes to reach the tier with backup; by then Walker was dead.
Former MDOC Commissioner
Robert L. Johnson
Robert Louis Johnson (born April 8, 1946) is an American entrepreneur, media magnate, executive, philanthropist, and investor. He is the co-founder of BET, which was acquired by Viacom in 2001. He also founded RLJ Companies, a holding company ...
had opposed Mississippi contracting for private prisons. After viewing the videotape of the assault on Walker, he said, "Honestly, I think it is symptomatic of the profit motive that drives a lot of the corrections industry instead of concern for public safety."
According to the ''Clarion-Ledger'', CCA has annual revenues surpassing $1.7 billion, and "a CEO pulling down more than $3.2 million in salary and benefits. MTC, which began managing the prison in summer 2013, earns annual revenues exceeding $525 million."
MDOC and contractor corruption case
Chris Epps resigned as Commissioner of MDOC in early November 2014. The next day he was indicted by the US Attorney of the Southern District of Mississippi, together with consultant and former state legislator
Cecil McCrory
Cecil McCrory (born December 1, 1951) is a former Mississippi state legislator, justice court judge, Rankin County school board president and businessman. His indictment was made public in November 2014 for corruption related to his dealings with p ...
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...
. Additional indictments, guilty pleas and convictions have taken place. The unfolding nature of the case and trials of other figures delayed sentencing for Epps, now scheduled for late May 2017. McCrory was sentenced to years in prison in February 2017.
In February 2017, Mississippi Attorney General
Jim Hood
James Matthew Hood (born May 15, 1962) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 39th Attorney General of Mississippi from 2004 to 2020.
A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he was first elected in 20 ...
announced he had filed civil cases against 15 corporations and numerous individuals who had engaged in contracts with the MDOC and Epps, seeking damages and punitive damages. Among the companies named were MTC, GEO Group, and CCA.Mississippi AG files lawsuits in Epps bribery case '' The Clarion-Ledger'', Jimmie E. Gates , February 8, 2017. Retrieved 9 February 2017.