More corruption at MDOC. Commissioner & cronies partied on MDOC dime.
Commish had a thing for salt lamps, bounce houses, massage chairs, & bubble wands.
State Auditor Shad White issued the following statement.
An audit released today by State Auditor Shad White shows widespread misspending at the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC). Actions by previous agency leadership and an absence of proper spending safeguards led to significant losses for taxpayers, according to the audit.
The audit of MDOC, which was requested by current MDOC leadership, revealed:
• Vital accounting records had been burned or destroyed by previous agency leadership, which limited evidence of many agency purchases.
• MDOC leadership made illegal “comp” time buyouts to top agency leaders. When an employee has worked more hours than a normal workweek, they sometimes earn compensatory time – “comp time.” Accumulating comp time allows those employees to take time off later and still be paid. In some situations, an employee may ask the agency to “buy back” the comp time (to be paid instead of taking time off). A “buy back” is only legal for certain employees and under certain conditions. In this case, large, illegal buyouts were given to some agency employees already making over $100,000 per year in salary. The former Commissioner of MDOC received an illegal buyout of
$109,446. Another former Deputy Commissioner received over $240,000 in buyouts, including one lump sum payment of $160,000.
• Thousands in improper travel reimbursements were paid to the former Commissioner of MDOC.
• Thousands in improper travel reimbursements were paid to a member of the State Parole Board.
• Twenty massage chairs were purchased for MDOC staff, along with thousands spent on rugs, art, Himalayan salt lamps, CDs, and other items for multiple meditation rooms at MDOC facilities.
• Thousands were spent to upgrade MDOC’s executive suite.
“I want to thank the current staff of MDOC,” said Auditor White. “They brought many of these issues to us. Without them, it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to uncover some of the misspending here. It is encouraging to see their proactive approach to fixing the problems.”
“I also applaud the diligent work of the auditors at the Office of the State Auditor for drilling down to discover the depths of these problems. It is infuriating to see such waste when more money needs to be spent on the frontline corrections officers and directly in Mississippi’s prisons,” said White.
Auditors also found serious issues at the state’s restitution centers. Incarcerated people are sometimes held at restitution centers while they work to pay back money they owe as a result of judgments against them. Inmates should have been informed when they worked enough to fully repay what they owe, but the audit revealed MDOC was not verifying the amounts that inmates had paid so the inmate could cease work.
“This audit shows how a pervasive lack of spending controls can have devastating effects on real people. I’m appalled at what this audit showed. The state must fix this, and now,” said White. Some of the findings in the audit will now be handed to the Investigations Division at the Office of the State Auditor and other portions have been forwarded to federal authorities.
Kingfish note: Massage chairs? Salt lamps? Travel? The only thing missing is Buddy D's magic carpet and I'm not so sure it won't pop up somewhere in this mess. There are some more gems in the audit. Just look for the "details of findings" under each section in the audit. Those details are where the dirt is. Records and receipts were destroyed. The Commissioner, her cronies, and a member of the Parole Board treated MDOC as their personal travel agency while traveling on the state dime. Sometimes they didn't even travel but got reimbursed anyway.At other times, they got up front money for travel but didn't repay the funds. What a country.
Personnel weren't trained for their jobs. Remember that corrective action plan that was created after the Chris Epps scandal? Well, they remembered it long enough to throw it overboard.
Oh my gosh. I'm writing this as I read. Stress reduction rooms, bubble wands, massage chairs, salt lamps, boom boxes and stress reduction rooms. (p.13). There was even a bounce house. A BOUNCE HOUSE??? Just read page 13. It says it all.
You can't make this up. Remember, Hall asked the legislature to exempt MDOC from public records laws. Can't imagine why she might have made such a request. Earlier post.
This is posted after I sat through Brett Dibiase's hearing this morning. What does it all mean? Simple. Just one more example of the culture of corruption that was the Phil Bryant administration.
43 comments:
So Hall now works for GTL, the company that rips off inmates making phone calls from prison. That seems appropriate.
As usual KKKingfish is all over Black cortuption.
12:20 -- This is not "Black corruption." It is plain and simple corruption. Ripping off the taxpayers is color blind. You're tossing the race card onto the table like "black corruption" is okay. Black, white, green, purple, they should and must be held accountable. Public servants feeding at the taxpayer trough are the worst kind of pigs.
Corruption on a grand scale.
That Hall bitch that ran it was just another product of affirmative action.
Prosecute her ass and her cronies.
Oh and once again I will say: Create a law that allows the state to clawback stolen monies from their PERS accounts and this shit will stop.
Don’t forget ... Pheel “Culture of corruption” Bryant got Shadrach where he is today. Isn’t it ironic?
MDOC = Miss. Dept. of Corruption
This is the reason people hate paying high taxes. Government agencies steal and waste your hard earned dollars and the offenders rarely get jail time. Totally ridiculous how corrupt the state government in MS is.
Hall was "entitled"
And I can’t get a raise to save my fucking life. (State employee) begging for years and this shit still happening!
12:20 - look at the preceding post on JJ. It was about Brent Diabiase. I believe the last time I checked, he was white. As were all the other folks that have been indicted and brought out on JJ with the DHS scandal. So tell me - how can you defend your baseless allegation only so you can try to bring in the race card?
Waiting.
Parole Board member collected thousands of dollars in illegal travel payments? Considering where the five previous parole board members live, the unnamed individual is not hard to figure out. And we all know who had to sign off on those travel reimbursements - Phil's hand picked chairman at the behest of former Sheriff Mac.
Just remember, Marshal Fisher, got her appointed. What a legacy he leaves behind. Hall, Perkins, and Dowdy. Two of the three improperly spent state funds. Makes you wonder what he got away with.
Somebody’s approval signature is on the request for payment of the six figure buyouts. I want to know who signed off.
There’s a reason we stay in last.
Does this kind of shit go on in other states? If not, why not?
The race card? Really? When you are dealing with public funds the only color that matters is green.
The corruption is the product of affirmative action? Seriously? Didn’t the current Commish, who is not a product of affirmative action, get caught doing the same in his home state of Louisiana? 1
12:39 is spot on: corruption is corruption. Any true Southerner knows it’s not limited exclusively to one race or another. It’s a product of those we elect and those the elected appoint.
Salt lamps and meditation rooms is unprecedented in wonkiness, through.
Another one of Phil’s great picks, but just wait BC studied with the Big Boys in Louisiana. He can do more damage in 6 months than most can do in 3 years.
I know. The flip side is he is more than capable of doing the job. We can hope the flip side prevails.
How about instead of letting criminals out of prison to save money we put the corrupt in there right along with em
Greed, lack of integrity and ethics are equal opportunity, nonpartisan phenomenas. Unfortunately, when African Americans were finally allowed as significant players in the "system", some chose to follow the behavior of some of their unscrupulous Caucasian counterparts inhabiting the positions before them. One should be careful who one chooses to learn from.
Exact reason I am a Libertarian. Shrinking government is only answer.
Most everyone in law enforcement knew Hall was a terrible appointment. I knew Hall was going to be as bad or worse than Epps. The people of this state deserve much better and deserve justice. Remember, one of the first things she did was wanting to take the word "convict" off the back of the clothing worn by inmates. That should have told you something then.
IT OCCURS TO ME...OK, an extensive report, cover letter and a bunch of posts in response - But not one single damned word about what will be done, what charges could result or what fate could befall these thieves.
I retired from a management career in State Government, over the years earned comp time (allowed by federal law - and took it) but have never heard of 'certain employees' being allowed to gain a 'payout' for it.
Why jump on Burl's case, idiots? Take note of the fact that he is the one who asked for this audit. Pay attention.
Those comp time buyouts would factor into earnings calculations to determine the four highest years average for eventual PERS retirement benefits.
Can that be corrected?
Phil’s legacy as gov continues to grow! #asleepatthewheel
Feel made disastrous appointments. Everything with him was about political patronage. That even included him using his muscle to get jobs for cronies in Madison County, including his daughter.
So 5:26 suggests “shrinking government” because one agency screwed up. Shrink all agencies that are doing a good job serving the public efficiently and effectively because one agency is inept. You would make quite a good leader. Dumb ass that wears a tin hat.
The price of Preparation-H in Tallahatchie County just increased by a few dollars a tube,
"Phil’s legacy as gov continues to grow!"
But he felt warm and fuzzy after this appointment !
@9:21 Phil wasn’t asleep. He knew exactly what was going on with his agencies. Look at the contracts his new firm has and the money steered his way after he left office. His pawns are still in certain places (Shad, Watson, Delbert) and they’re working to cover his ass and that of the GOP. Shad should, but never will look under the hood. Hopefully others will.
Former Miss Bureau of Narcotics chief John Dowdy had to repay $30,000 for improper comp time and boots.
But you can bet your ass that if Dowdy is state-retired, his retirement-draw was not re-figured with that amount removed. If it only means $7.50 a month, that money is being stolen, monthly.
Part of my former job at a state agency was to make sure state funds were only spent for eligible purchases. We occasionally had an agency wide staff meeting with a meal but all of the senior leadership paid out of pocket for the food and anything else needed.
I was the one that had to answer to the auditors and probably could have bullshitted my way through some tough questions but it wasn’t worth being put in that position. I personally spent over $1K a year out of my own pocket buying things for my staff that I supervised. Wife didn’t like it but when the legislature didn’t allow any type of raise from at least 2007 through 2016 I did what I could to retain my staff and save the agency money by not having to continually train new employees.
My point to this is that because of inaction by the legislature it can be real easy to blur the lines and slide a few purchases through that I shouldn’t but it wasn’t worth me worrying about.
Also I was surprised when I left the private sector and started working for the state how many people are actually hard working people. Go ahead and roll your eyes but it shocked the hell out of me.
Who signed off on these compt time buyouts?
12:29 It's not corruption if you don't know any better.
This is just one more reveal of why I hate government "EMPLOYMENT" agencies with thick curtains around them.
The KKK comment guy....I bet you live a sad life trying to tie race INTO everything....CLOWN
"That Hall bitch that ran it was just another product of affirmative action."
Not at all.
She was a political appointment.
But, But, But . . . she was the "first this or that".
Just another example of Phil feeling warm and fuzzy when babbling in front of the news cameras.
Then we have this:
"I personally spent over $1K a year out of my own pocket buying things for my staff that I supervised. Wife didn’t like it"
Say it ain't so.
I can't believe your wife had a problem with that.
The Libertarian logic appears to be "there are some bad apples in government, so let's get rid of the government." It seems to me that the ones really pushing the Libertarian ideology are those who would most profit from a weak government, i.e., Koch Industries, Big Coal, etc.
The answers to the following question tends to be a Libertarian ideologue: In whose side is the EPA a thorn? Lest we get off on a tree-hugger rant, remember the EPA's authority traces back to the Clean Water Act (1948) and the CLean Air Act (1955). Presidents Truman and Eisenhower weren't exactly flaming liberals.
11:54 - We can also trace socialist entitlement programs all the way back to LBJ's initial plan to provide training for farm workers. But, I agree with your hidden point that unchecked cancer will always grow out of control.
The EPA (which you apparently worship) is just as much an overblown, misdirected and out-of-control monstrosity as is the modern-day Great Society.
Go to work in a private sector management job and you'll learn something.
Have you noticed how many of the Phil peeps were around Waller?
If Waller had been elected, you would have more of the same corruption.
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