Governor and Burl Cain, the current MDOC Commissioner, requested the compliance report of 31 pages. Tate Reeves has previously spoken out about corruption in the agency. It audited MDOC from July 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019. The report revealed that hundreds of thousands were spent on illegal comp time buyouts, and that thousands were spent on improper travel reimbursements. It also shows that previous MDOC leaders spent thousands on upgrades to the executive suite and thousands more on purchasing massage chairs, rugs, and Himalayan salt lamps for meditation areas at MDOC facilities. One of the most troubling things is that much of the mispending seems to be due to decisions made at the top MDOC under the former commissioner. A lot of the spending seems have been benefitting people at the top MDOC,” Shad White, State Auditor, said during a Thursday teleconference. “So, that was one of the first things that we noticed when we were doing the audit.” According to the report, the auditor’s office interviewed agency personnel and discovered that MDOC had “accidentally destroyed” records, destroying evidence that could have been used for the audit. The report stated that the agency also destroyed audit documentation and public records, which prevented them from providing some records to auditors. “Inquiry with agency staff revealed that records relating to procurement, purchasing, cash receipts and other vital financial processes were accidentally (sic) destroyed by the agency during the move from one physical space to the next. The report stated that personnel claimed that some records had been marked for destruction and that they should have been transferred to a truck that contained items that would be “burned” (or destroyed). “But, agency personnel misplaced public records and vital accounting documents to the “burn” truck, destroying evidence of many approvals, purchases, and audit evidence. White stated that if records are burned, then we don’t know anything else at the agency. According to the report, Pelicia Hall, former MDOC Commissioner, was paid $109,446, while Jerry Williams, former Deputy Commissioner for Institutions, was paid $240.497 in buyouts. One payment was $160,000 in July 2017. The report also revealed that Betty Lou Jones, current MDOC Parole Board member, was paid $47,321 in illegal buyouts. One payment of $160,000 was made to Jerry Williams in July 2017. Hall and Williams, who were both appointed heads of the department in January 2020, are now receiving pensions from Mississippi. These pensions have been artificially inflated due to illegal buyouts as detailed in the audit. White stated in the teleconference that the audit has been forwarded to the investigative division. They will now begin their work to determine if there is any criminal activity. It is possible that some of the items in this room are criminal. “Yes, it is possible that some stuff in here is criminal. We’re going have to make that decision through the investigative section as we examine more evidence of intent.” MDOC’s audit report also examined Premier Supply Link, LLC’s contract with MDOC. It revealed that MDOC had granted Premier Supply Link, LLC financial authority over restitution funds. This led to one prisoner in a restitution centre earning $1,345.20 more than what was required, while being part of a center. Mississippi Today published in January 2020 the results of a 14-month-long investigation with The Marshall Project. It found that Mississippi’s little-known rehabilitation centers have to employ low-wage workers in order to pay court-ordered bills. It was also discovered that the state does not keep accurate records about who is in the program at any particular time, how many judges send them each year, or how long they stay there. READ MORE: We investigated Mississippi’s restitution centres. “Incarcerated persons are sometimes kept at restitution centres while they pay back money that they owe in the wake of their judgments.” White stated that while inmates should have been informed when enough was done to repay their debts, the audit showed MDOC wasn’t verifying payments so inmates could stop working. White said that his office is now investigating MDOC and Management & Training Corporation which operate three state prisons. Recent investigations revealed that MTC regularly failed to fill many of the required correctional officer positions as per contract. According to The Marshall Project analysis, these “ghost workers” make prisons safer and generate more profit for MTC – at least $8 million. White stated that they are looking into the matter based on “some of the facts” in your report. Cain, the current MDOC commissioner, responded in a five-page reply. He was appointed by Reeves to the post in May. “MDOC has been working tirelessly since February in order to correct many of the errors found in your audit report. Cain responded that MDOC had established its new vision of itself as an honorable and innovative professional organization. You can view the complete compliance report here.