Two House lawmakers are seeking more information about the legality and legality of an agreement to temporarily house Parchman prisoners at a private prison in the Delta. A number of people were briefed by the Department of Corrections, Nashville-based CoreCivic and shared details with Mississippi Today. Mississippi Today obtained a budget document that was submitted to the Legislature Thursday. It confirmed that CoreCivic is being paid $65 per day per prisoner for housing at the private prison. CoreCivic will receive $2.1 million from the Department of Corrections if 364 of its planned inmates are transferred under the 90-day contract. The Tallahatchie Correctional Facility can house no more than 1,000 state prisoners, but the law states that the inmate costs per day must be at least 10% less than what it costs to house a state prisoner at a state correctional institution. Last year, a legislative oversight committee estimated that the average cost per inmate per night was $53.72. The statutory limit states that the state should not pay more to CoreCivic per inmate per night for inmate housing. Editor’s Note: Charles Overby is a Mississippi Today board member who also serves as a donor to CoreCivic. MDOC-CoreCivic Contract Text (Earlier, several sources, who requested not to be identified because they aren’t authorized to discuss the matter with the media, said that the state intended to transfer 364 prisoners to the private prison. The prison’s parent company CoreCivic would pay the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility “around $60 per per inmate per day.” Legislative leaders began to question whether the amount was legal. Rep. Bill Kinkade, R.-Byhalia, was the chairman of the House Corrections Committee for the past four years. He told Mississippi Today that he would ask the House Accountability, Efficiency and Transparency Committee about the contract. Kinkade stated that he understands the situation is urgent and that he is not saying anything is wrong. However, if he is curious about the contract’s details, a House Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency Committee member will ask. “I think we need the details of this contract.” Kinkade said. Mississippi Today was unsuccessful in obtaining a complete copy of the contract. Officials from the Department of Corrections as well as Gov. Phil Bryant’s Office did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The contract was also not posted to the state transparency website at the end of the day. CoreCivic issued a statement two hours after the publication of this story. CoreCivic CEO Damon Hininger stated that “Situations such as this demonstrate how critical it is for state partners to have access our real estate assets, and associated service offerings.” “… The state would not have an immediate solution without the private sector if the contract is approved by the courts. To cover the cost of this contract, the Department of Corrections must first appoint a deficit — a special cash infusion for budget shortfalls at state agencies. According to a Mississippi Today budget document, to pay for the 364 inmates being transferred to Tallahatchie Correctional Facility (as planned), the department will require at least $2.1million from the Legislature. The department will require $5.8 million if the 1,000-inmate statutory limit is met. MDOC Deficit Request (Text) “We’ll have a deficit,” said Rep. John Read of Gautier, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. “We have a number and the revenue for it, but we don’t know how much. We would have to wait to see what the number is.” Prior to the CoreCivic contract, millions were paid annually by the Department of Corrections to private prison companies. The department spent $64.5million on private prisons in fiscal 2019. Management and Training Corp. (UTC) operates the East Mississippi Correctional Facility and Marshall County Correctional Facility. Wilkinson County Correctional Facility is also operated by MTC. A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed against the state regarding conditions at East Mississippi’s facility. To support this important work, you can make a regular donation to the Spring Member Drive today. Our reporters give a human face to policy’s impact on everyday Mississippians by listening more closely and understanding their communities. To ensure that our work is aligned with the priorities and needs of all Mississippians, we are listening to you. Click the button below to let us know what you think.