2015/05/01 – Mississippi Corrections Commissioner Marshall Fisher, hired to clean up after corruption removed his predecessor, has his first political fight on his hands.

He is removing inmates from all of the Joint State County Work Programs Aug. 1 and moving them to the 17 state-run Community Work Centers — a move to save $3.2 million that has upset some sheriffs and county supervisors.

“It’s going to be devastating to our county,” said Tate County Sheriff Brad Lance.

He has 28 inmates pick up trash from homes, pick up trash from roads, repair county vehicles, repair county equipment, cut grass and assist municipalities.

“You name it, they do it, not to mention the flooring, painting, things done at courthouse that would cost tremendous money,” he said. “It’s going to cost our county close to $1 million to replace them.”

For 15 years, Tate County has done this, he said. “It’s one of the few programs that’s a win-win. Inmates get to work down their sentences if they abide by the rules.”

Gov. Phil Bryant appointed Fisher to replace Chris Epps, who has pleaded guilty to corruption charges that included allegations that he received $2 million in kickbacks on contracts. Epps will be sentenced June 9.

With a declining inmate population and a budget $23 million less than he asked state lawmakers for, Fisher said he’s being forced to make tough decisions on saving money.

Lincoln County Sheriff Steve Rushing questioned the math on the savings, pointing out that county work programs operate much cheaper ($20 per inmate) compared to ($43 for the state-run centers).

Fisher responded that because there is unused capacity at the centers, it actually ends up saving them money.

If it does save the state money, counties say they’re the ones having to pay the bills.

Yalobusha County is building a brand new jail “with promises from MDOC that we were going to get inmates,” said Sheriff Lance Humphreys.

The 20 inmates would have provided $146,000 a year to help pay for the jail, he said.

They had planned to use the inmates for trash pickup and other tasks, he said. “We had big plans, but it all went out the window.”

Now, he said, “We have a brand new facility that we can’t get inmates for.”

Copiah County Sheriff Harold Jones, president of the Mississippi Sheriffs’ Association, said, “This is going to have some repercussions that haven’t been thought out.”

He is hopeful he and other sheriffs can meet with Fisher about the issue. “It’s hard for sheriffs to fight state government, but somebody needs to back off and take off and look at this,” he said.

In June, Fisher is scheduled to speak to the sheriffs’ association. “I’m sure it will be a spirited discussion,” Jones said.

Fisher is no stranger to political fights.

It took him years to convince the Mississippi Legislature to require prescriptions for over-the-counter medication used to make meth in labs that numbered more than 700 a year in the state. Lawmakers finally agreed, and the number of meth labs plummeted in Mississippi.

In his letter to sheriffs, Fisher wrote: “We expect more hard decisions in the future, and we will continue to look for ways to effectively and efficiently manage this agency. The old way of doing business is no longer a viable option.”

Source: The Clarion-Ledger 

Jerry Mitchell