Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Governor appoints new MDOC Commish

Governor Phil Bryant issued the following press release.


Governor Phil Bryant Appoints Pelicia Hall Commissioner of Mississippi Department of Corrections

Jackson, Miss. – Gov. Phil Bryant announced today that he has appointed Pelicia Hall commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. Hall replaces Marshall Fisher, who was recently appointed commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. Hall has served as interim MDOC commissioner since late January.

Previously, Hall served as Fisher’s chief of staff. In her role as commissioner, Hall will oversee more than 2,200 employees, three state prisons, three private prisons, 15 regional facilities, 10 community work centers, three technical violation centers and four restitution centers.

“Pelicia’s previous experience within the Department of Corrections has made it clear that she is the perfect choice to lead the agency,” Gov. Bryant said. “I know she will continue her outstanding service to the people of Mississippi, and I am delighted she has agreed to accept this appointment.”

Hall is former lead counsel for the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. She has 15 years of legal experience in the government and private sectors in a wide variety of disciplines. She has litigated cases in federal and state courts and served as both a special assistant United States attorney and as a special assistant attorney general with the Office of the Mississippi Attorney General. The MDOC was one of the agencies she represented during her nearly three years as a state attorney.

Hall assumed the state position after six years with the private Jackson law firm of Page, Kruger & Holland, where she litigated cases involving personal injury claims, employment discrimination, contract disputes, products liability, premises liability, insurance coverage and general tort litigation.

She learned about both civil and criminal matters as a law clerk for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi and Hinds County Circuit Court. Hall clerked two years for Circuit Judge Tomie Green.

A graduate of Mississippi College School of Law, Hall was the recipient of the American Jurisprudence Award in Real Estate Finance & Development. She earned her bachelor of arts degree from Alcorn State University, where she graduated cum laude in political science.

Hall is admitted to practice in Mississippi and before the United States Court of Appeals and the United States District Court. She is a member of the Mississippi Bar Association, National Bar Association, Magnolia Bar Association, Capital Area Bar Association, Mississippi Women Lawyers Association and the American Bar Association.

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm sure Ms Hall will do well in her new " position" but has no experience in corrections.
I'm sure we have some well rounded professionals that are employed by MDOC that have worked their way up through the ranks and would have been a more qualified correctional professional. But,I ain't the Governor.
If she surrounds herself with people that know what there doing, not afraid to speak up, and she listens. She will survive!
Ms Hall would have made an excellent, Governors Chief of Staff.

Anonymous said...

How did he come to pick her?

Anonymous said...

Chris Epps had experience and we see where that got us?

She has more experience than most political appointments.

Anonymous said...

So, we have a black, female lawyer with zero experience in any of the jobs of the 2200 employees she will be over. No experience of any sort in corrections. No experience in management of a state agency or large organization. No demonstrated skills or background in law enforcement or corrections at any level. According to the statements of Bryant, however, she's done some investigations.

Why could we not have hired a second in command from another state...someone with a proven track record ready to step up, instead of rolling the dice on an unknown quantity in an on-job-training scenario? Imagine if she fails how impossible it will be to rid ourselves of her.

This reminds me of the JSU traffic cop who came chief of police in Jackson a few years back.

Anonymous said...

1:37 - What resume are you reading?

Anonymous said...

People this was Marshall Fisher's pick just like MBN Director.

Fisher now has full control. Thanks Feel

Anonymous said...

Let's just say that she had a good teacher. Already doing shady deals!

Anonymous said...

I don't know why we are questioning what a lame duck Governor does!!! He don't give a shit.

Anonymous said...

I understand there's a Secretary of the Navy who was also an ambassador to Saudi Arabia as well as a governor for four years....who is back on the job market, or soon to be. He has all kinds of management experience. Why was he overlooked?

Anonymous said...

Do tell! What are the shady deals?

Anonymous said...

Nothing will change. Community Corrections is still poorly ru.ns and the third dimension of hell

Anonymous said...

This is such a "Home Cooked" Appointment. I am always amazed at FEELS reduction in standards when he appoints different people to the same positions. Look at the accolades he lays on Fisher when he was appointed and how he can barley bring himself to say this women is qualified for this job.

Bryant on Fisher:
"Marshall's integrity and his decades of experience overseeing complex public safety issues at the state and federal levels will be instrumental in his role as MDOC Commissioner," Governor Phil Bryant said, as he announced the appointment Friday. "He has met operational and budgetary goals in previous positions, and his time serving in the U.S. Navy lends itself to establishing the type of departmental discipline expected in Mississippi's correctional system. His first mission will be to detect and eliminate any criminal activity that occurs within our correctional facilities"
Throughout his career, he has coordinated joint operations involving DEA, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, Mississippi Highway Patrol, and numerous other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

He is retired from the Drug Enforcement Administration, where he was assigned as Agent in Charge of Mississippi DEA operations. During his tenure with the DEA, Fisher was assigned to field offices in Texas, Kansas, Kentucky and DEA Headquarters, where he served as section chief in the Office of Domestic Operations to Europe, Asia, Africa and Canada.

Fisher started his career in law enforcement as a police officer in Texas and as a parole agent in Louisiana. He is a U.S. Navy veteran and a graduate of the University of Memphis. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice.

Bryant on Pelicia:
“Pelicia’s previous experience within the Department of Corrections has made it clear that she is the perfect choice to lead the agency,” Bryant said in a news release announcing his choice. “I know she will continue her outstanding service to the people of Mississippi, and I am delighted she has agreed to accept this appointment.”

Please Pelicia continue to follow Fisher like his puppy and fetch his coffee. This appointment is by far the worst Feel has ever made.

Anonymous said...

I guess there wasn't a job at DPS she was qualified for so Fisher secured this appointment for her before he accepted the DPS appointment. Hell even Bryant cant bring himself to say she meets the qualifications for this appointment. She will make it ever so hard for any other qualified female to hold this position in the future. She will fail as that is what they have set her up to do. I wonder how many Legislators are already in communication with their MDOC constituents trying to stop this confirmation. I hope she has some big girl panties and is ready for big girl games.

Anonymous said...

Don't know if its true but phils people say confirmation is a "done deal". Surely someone on the corrections committee will stand against this insane appointment.

Anonymous said...

Says she got training from Tomie Green and the first thing out of her mouth was rehabilitation. Oh boy. The thugs don't care about rehabilitation so why should society. I say bring back the boot camp and mandatory hard labor and just maybe someone might be deterred from becoming a criminal or repeat offender

Anonymous said...

Same kind of stuff is happening in DC, I don't here you guys hollering about that.

Anonymous said...

7:15
What does DC have to do with a inexperienced, unqualified and worst MDOC appointment in history?

Anonymous said...

Look at some of the contracts that have been let since Fisher left. She must have Epps on speed dial!

Anonymous said...

Again, what contracts are a problem? Have you notified the senate core committee? I can't believe they would risk more trifling with contracts. At some point they will be called upon to explain Hall's confirmation

On A Silver Platter With Gravy.. said...

2200 employees will eat her alive and the inmates will feast on her bones. That typically happens when you throw a chihuahua in with pitt bulls.

Anonymous said...

I guess Pelicia will not be interested in pursuing who squeezed the Charmin too hard to get the MsDOC paper products contracts.These same boys may have helped her get this new position.Hope the indictments coming soon from the Gulfport Federal Courthouse will shed some light on these chuckle headed rascals.They have been protected too long.

Fortune Teller.. said...

This woman has been set up for failure. In two years, after a string of failures and screw-ups, inaction and inability to solve problems, the then-governor will think about replacing her only to find that she's filed actionable complaints with the EEOC, the State Personnel Board (which doesn't cover her position), the ACLU, Amnesty International and the NAACP.

Then we will be saddled with her incompetent ass for five more years after that. At minimum.

Bring Back Sparky! said...

Where's the 'let's give her a chance' crowd? Not a soul on the planet thinks this was a sensible choice. Feel's handlers convinced him it didn't matter who he put in this job so he might as well appease certain groups.

Anonymous said...

I do wish her well. Some of the predictions have shown the usual bigotry. She won't fail because she is black or because she is a women but because she has put all of her faith and trust in the current Deputy Commissioners who can't wait to set her up for failure. All three of them know that the can never be named com missioner because of FBI. investigations and other life issues. They are working to undermine her right now.

Anonymous said...

8:47
No one has said she would fail because of her gender or race. She is not qualified or experienced for this job. She worked for about fifteen minutes as a overpaid administrative assistant to Marshall Fisher at this agency and then was named the commissioner. There are so many qualified people of both genders and all races that could do a competent job. The safety of the public, the increased cost of corrections and the loss of good employees is what this appointment will accomplish.

Anonymous said...

10:32
It appears from Fortune Tellers comments that he believes her race and gender are a problem. Even if a current employee were qualified to be commissioner, he OR she would have no respect from the current staff. And again, whoever is commissioner will have Deputy Commissioners going for his/her throat. This agency needs an outsider that will make some changes instead of keeping the status quo like Fisher did.

They need someone from out or state. or perhaps the parole board.

Anonymous said...

10:32
I am in total agreement Fisher should have removed the Epps regime from the front line when he was in charge. That being said, I am not sure he really understood the magnitude of running that department although he did do some good things for the employees. Not sure anyone from out of state can deal with the MS politics and many serving on the parole board are not qualified to serve on that board much less lead MDOC. Look at who they are releasing these days! Rumor is if you get the correct attorney, pay the correct fee, that is then passed to certain member(s) of the board then magically and mysteriously the release is granted.

Anonymous said...

The rumor is garbage. Parole board doesn't tame money...... However, there are attornes who prey on families with the promise of getting a prisoner released that the board is going to release anyway.

Anonymous said...

Mabus was overqualified for the job.

Epps, an old buddy of Emmitt Sparkman when the latter was with Wackenhut (GEO Group) in 1997, when Epps first went on the take from McCrory, had to know that the 100% accreditations done by the ACA were 100% bogus. Sparkman, made Deputy Commissioner by Epps, retired on August 31st. I wonder if the feds ever asked Epps or McCrory about Sparkman's possible knowledge of, or participation in, the corruption scheme? I wonder if Jim Hall did so, or if anyone ever interviewed Sparkman?

Anonymous said...

Interesting about Sparkman. He isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer but he catered to Epps in a way that was embarrassing.

has the corrections committee looked into any of this? Do they have any idea what a mess DOC is in or do they just not care? Do they know about personal relationships determine vendor awards as well as personal feelings driving disciplinary procedures in community corrections.

pelecia supports every crazy thing her deputies want to do. Only a matter of time u til recognizes her mistake. Hope it isn't too late for her by the time the light cones on.



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