JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi State Auditor Shad White announced that his office has issued civil demands totaling more than $7.4 million to Management & Training Corporation, a private prison operator. The demands have been referred to the Attorney General’s Office for enforcement in court, White said.
White described the action as one of the largest civil demands in the history of the Auditor’s Office. He urged the Attorney General’s Office to pursue litigation immediately to ensure accountability for taxpayers.
The investigation began after allegations that MTC failed to provide the staffing required by its contracts with the state. White’s office found the company did not supply the minimum mandatory staff needed to ensure safety for inmates and staff, yet still received payment for those staffing credits.
The auditor issued demands for repayment of improperly invoiced staffing credits at three facilities: $462,299.32 for the East Mississippi Correctional Facility, $959,240.06 for the Marshall County Correctional Facility, and $6,002,027.92 for Wilkinson County Correctional Facility.
White emphasized that no matter the size of the company or its political contributions, the state will seek repayment if contractors fail to fulfill their contractual obligations. “If you owe taxpayers money because you failed to live up to a contract with government, we will demand you pay it back,” he said. “No free rides on the backs of taxpayers.”
Suspected fraud can be reported to the Auditor’s Office via its website or by calling 1-800-321-1275 during business hours.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
