Governor Cain has appointed Cain. Tate Reeves is now on the agenda for the full Senate. It is expected that he will be confirmed as Mississippi corrections chief. “I was investigated – three investigations and it all was totally unfounded,” Cain, a former warden at Angola prison in Louisiana, stated to members of the Mississippi Senate Corrections Committee. “That’s why today I stand before your eyes. I have been thoroughly investigated and come out clean. I was exonerated.” Cain told lawmakers Tuesday that he intends to transform the Mississippi Department of Corrections into a “department of rehabilitation” for inmates. Cain also stated that he will bring faith-based rehabilitation programs, which earned him national attention at Angola, to Mississippi’s prisons. This includes the notorious State Penitentiary in Parchman. Cain stated that he has four key principles for fixing Mississippi’s prisons: Good food, good medicine, good playing, and good praying. Mississippi’s prisons, which have been plagued with violence and allegations of inhumane conditions, are the subject of a U.S. Department of Justice civil right investigation and numerous lawsuits. The system has been the scene of dozens of deaths and injuries inmates since late last year. This includes riots, fights, and a few other incidents. Cain stated, “We have to have churches inside our prisons with inmate pastors to change their people… Failure is not an option.” It’s time to fix it.” Cain stated that he intends to reduce red tape and eliminate hiring requirements, such as the requirement for applicants to pay for a private physician’s physical. In the midst of Senate confirmation, Cain said that he has already hired 22 people since Reeves appointed. Cain, who is 77, worked in corrections for 40+ years and was Angola’s warden for 21 years. Cain resigned from Angola in 2015 after being accused of misusing public funds. A 2017 audit by Louisiana’s legislative watchdog found that corrections workers performed work at Cain’s private residence, some of it while being paid state money. He was also said to have received benefits like appliances, flat-screen televisions, and lodging in Angola. The Advocate newspaper published a series of questions that raised concerns about Cain’s real-estate dealings with inmates’ relatives and friends. Cain was not indicted or convicted of any allegations. Reeves stated that Cain was thoroughly vetted and convicted by the selection panel he established to select a new MDOC chief. He also said that Cain’s troubles in Louisiana were purely political. Cain, as warden at Angola was both praised for his efforts to turn around one of the most violent and troubled prisons in America, but also criticized for harsh punishments for his inmates. Reeves’ Mississippi appointment was announced by the Louisiana American Civil Liberties Union. The union stated that Burl Cain had left behind a legacy of cruelty, corruption and disregard for human life. “He denied people medical care and kept three innocent men in solitary confinement indefinitely, which was a affront to justice, human dignity, and justice.” “Burl Cain left a legacy of corruption, cruelty, and callous disregard for the lives of the people he controlled at Angola.” Sollie Norwood (D-Jackson) told Cain that he had received many calls and emails from constituents asking him to vote against Cain. Norwood said to Cain, “I believe that second chances are possible.” “I value what you have said and I believe in you. “I’m going to have the nerve to vote against some of the things that my constituents are saying. But I believe that you’ve touched all the buttons that need touching.” Sen. Daniel Sparks (R-Belmont) asked Cain for assurances about Mississippi’s prison spending and contracts. He was referring to past corruption that resulted in a former commissioner being placed in prison. Cain assured Sparks that it would. Cain, the head of Mississippi corrections will receive $132,000 per year and told lawmakers that he intends to continue his involvement in the Global Prison Seminaries Foundation, which he founded. He stated that he had asked the Mississippi Ethics Commission to give him an opinion about whether he could continue in a paid role with the foundation. Juan Barnett, Corrections Chairman, said that he had spoken with Cain previously about closing Parchman. He asked him again Tuesday if that would be possible. Cain stated that closing Parchman would be a failure. It has to be fixed. “We are going to fix it.”