Jackson Jambalaya

And???

omg. Please tell me this is a joke

"2nd verse, same as the FIRST! I’m ‘enery the eighth I am"

Shad, if you’re looking for a truly big case to go after, here’s one on a silver platter.

MDOC is a train wreck. The guy running the place is ready for the nursing home. I also would like to question DFA. Why did DFA allow the contracts? They are the oversight entity. I am pretty sure the Gov told them to allow it.

I should have included that part. I spoke to DFA. DFA has no authority to reject the contract. All the agency director has to do is make an emergency declaration and DFA’s hands are tied.

Well there you go. Mississippi for you. I knew there was something because DFA would have flatly denied it.

Vitalcore low balled the cost to get the contract because they suck. So many have died under their care.

Make Epps look like an amateur

Low balled the cost

Now you comment-taters are messing with my hustle! If you got a problem with the hustle talk to my boss!!!

In Mississippi we don’t learn from our mistakes-we simply repeat them but on a larger scale.

The Governor needs to look into the spending practices, hiring practices, salaries, experience, life and safety issues at MDOC. You see a lot of amazing pictures that bring very little value for the hundreds of millions allocated to MDOCC. Just look at the health inspection reports and how many have died from what they call natural causes since VitalCore has been the contractor. MDOC fired all the medical compliance staff so nobody knows what the company is or is not doing. Maybe that’s what the state wants for half a billion dollars.

Has anyone taken a look at the money outflow from VitalCore? Where does their money go that isn't spent on inmate care?

That 55-gal drum of palm grease never dries up.

Is this a bug or a feature of Mississippi governance?

“If it smells like a duck, it’s a duck” something stinks about this!

October 22, 2024 at 10:27 AM
Both.

The State requires a lot of paperwork and approval for seemingly minor purchases and routine maintenance expenditures and yet millions of dollars can be spent with hardly any approval (DHS/TANF, emergency prison contracts, etc).

One emergency contract - I can understand that. That would give you a year to do bids. So, no, multiple emergency contracts isn't the way to go.

10:19 why would the Governor look? Then the game plan has to change!

This will never end. Its like hiring a fox to protect the hen house.
All of our useless leaders on both sides of the aisle care about is getting rich.
There are no public servants left.
Right Shad?

Guess you have a point

I'm too dumb to know, but is there no oversight or checks and balances to prevent this?

Or do we just have to pray that KF never dies, since no other journos bother to report anymore?

Why can't people understand that Mississippi money going to the use and benefit of the poor or the politically unconnected will always be the target of those who are well connected. Prisoners and poor children are lucky if they get half of what is actually allocated. This is nothing new. It's actually been worse but nobody listens to prisoners or poor children. If they get screwed, who cares? USM gets a volleyball stadium, what's next?

A lot of native Louisianans on vital corps payroll.

Has Shad White ignored this?!?

Overall MDOC under Director Caine is in the best shape it’s been in years. Caine has basically had to reorganize from top to bottom. And if the state justice system is going to continue to house prisoners the state must offer medical care.

I'll do the work for less-

What is there for him to get?

A million here and a million there and pretty soon we are talking about real money. Right?

Good ol' boys will good ol' boy.

"The Governor needs to look into the spending practices..." Don't hold your breath. He's a lame duck who's already made his. Why should he bother?

Somebody get the producers of American Greed on the phone. They might want to plan another trip to Mississippi.

Cane is aligned with so many nonprofit organizations and this contract can be subcontracted to nonprofits should have ALL of us worried that there is money being funneled to organizations that are less accountable in how they report the funds being used. Prison Fellowship Ministry provides reentry services, which can be subcontracted through the grant Vitalcore received.

11:36, you are correct the state must provide medical care, no one disputes that. But you completely miss the point; the medical care should be procured fairly and ethically.

A lot of inmates die because they are old, have not lived a healthy life prior to their being incarcerated (think of the nature of the population) and don't give a damn about their future of life in the pokey. Before you make your damning statement that they died due to this company's care you should check the statistics for inmate deaths prior to VitalCore. The actual number of deaths from natural causes hasn't been statistically higher these years than the rate of the previous decade.

great, if you are qualified - but I'll bet you don't have an idea of what is required, much less have the ability to do it.

There is no excuse for thsi to happen. They had 3 years to get an RFP ready. That tells you the ineptitude of the employees who work for MDOC.

It appears that the emergency contracts issued were all for a rate similar to (once the additions to the services to be provided are accounted for) the cost resulting from the bids. And the low and best bidder is the same company that provided the service under the emergency created in 2020 (within a couple of months of Cain taking over the agency, at the height of the COVID crisis). Interesting that the company that pulled out of their contract mid-term chose to bid for the contract today; besides the fact that their bid was rated third of three, I wouldn't take them back at this time under any circumstance.

Lots of folks bitching here about the emergency contracts but probably none that have had to go through the process of putting together an RFP of this nature and dealing with the State Procurement Board's policies. I would agree that it should have been done this time last year, questioning the fourth 'emergency' renewal, but looking at contracts throughout state and local governments for continuation of a complex service, I think this is really not that unusual

Funny how you attack some agencies yet protect others such as DPS and CZAR Sean Tindell. If there is a problem with emergency no-bid contracts the legislature should abolish the statute allowing such. Until then, it is authorized by law.

Mississippi taxpayers deserve so much more from elected officials. How could this happen after the Epps scandal? Were there no controls put in place that would sound the alarm for abuse? And please don't tell me we don't have the funding. Emergency Contracts begin at $75K...Not only for MDOC but all agencies. Emergency Contracts DO NOT require approval. Let me say that again. Emergency Contracts DO NOT require approval. ? It's time to shine the light on our beloved Mississippi and start taking care of ALL people.

Check your facts 1:59pm. Vital corps has no clue what they are doing? And heavens forbid your medication costs more than they want to spend.

That’s not saying a lot at all. I will say he is making prison comfortable for a select few of inmate, particular those who are white men. He starts programs that no data is provided on, and he spends a lot of taxpayer money and has gotten very little for it. Give any former commissioner the budget he has had and see what happens.

Vital corpse does intake for a fee and have done virtually nothing to expedite or streamline the process. Jails are backed up and staff has lost their jobs. Vital Corpse can and does pay their people more than the state to do less work. And and most are from Louisiana. Cathy FonteNOT is the director of intake.

MDOC = no education or real experience needed to get a job

Who will monitor the contract work so much money for Mississippi ?

Follow the money and work of those contracts right under $75K at MDOC AND other agencies. And why is the leadership at the facilities policy makers not diversified?

Don’t be surprised 4 years from now when the feces hits the fan.

MDOC IS A SHIT SHOW. LOOK AT THE LEADERSHIP FROM TOP TO BOTTOM. Then look into what the staffing issues are now with a larger budget vs what they were with smaller budgets. Mississippi needs to de-carcerate and the parole board needs to do their jobs. Marshall county has 900 inmates and less than 60 officers and rank

How is the Chief medical officer for MDOC not part of the evaluation committee? So there seems to be partnership.

Looks like cost was the deciding factor between those who bid. Wonder how the winner will cut cost and corners now that they have the contract in a state where obesity is the norm and being unhealthy is a way of life.

Look, all hillbillies commenting on this blog, i am boss hog and I run this facility! Y’all know damn well I can’t do a damn thing without the approval from the top Hog. Now we both are lame ducks and I’ll see you on the bayou in a couple of years on my yacht! Ye haw

The evaluation committee the Public Procurement Office, part of the State Personnel Commission. The group of individuals that did the evaluation were not 'picked' for this particular contract but were put in place months/years ago to do these types evaluations.

Let's go to work on this Shad

Auditor's all jammed up catching the low hanging fruit and writing press releases?

Never let an emergency go to waste.

Darn, I didn't post a "low hanging fruit comment in 3, 2, 1" in time.

Thus far, no allegation of a crime being committed. I'm willing to give him a a chance to explain why no bid contracts were used. He did have an absolute mess to clean up.

Where’s Andy Dufresne from Shawshank Redemption when you need him?

What mess? No bigger mess than there is now and he has way more money and everyone looking the other way. He’s opened delta correctional facility with no staff and walnut grove with no staff. Marshall has no staff. Has anyone seen his strategic plan for MDOC? So yea, explain the mess he cleaned up.

I agree. DPS is a shit show now and rarely talked about. The current leadership does what they want with a care free mentality.....cronyism rampant. Look at the pending appeals at the state service board. There are about 10 pending appeals. It will be shown after the hearings that DPS has wronged many by disregarding state service regulations....all for an egotistical agenda to help their buddies who drink the cool aid.

Shad as guest speaker at Mississippi Center for Public Policy luncheon on September 19th..."What would our State look like? What would our policies look like? As Auditor, it starts with WASTE...GOVERNMENT WASTE. I tend to find that somebody powerful is benefiting, or the WASTE exists because NOBODY IS WILLING TO STAND UP AND CALL IT OUT. They're afraid a journalist will write a story about them or be called a mean neighbor."

Where you been KF? Look at the Alabama outside counsel who spent two years writing up the RFP and charged Ms taxpayers 1.5 million! Doesn’t MDOC have Attorneys? Does the AG approve this? Do the Govs attorneys one of whom still thinks he’s a Judge approve? Apparently so. No different than Dept of Mental Health steering contracts and grant money to companies where the exec staffs spouses work! Taxpayers on the hook while the AG and St Auditor fiddle and write books on state time.

I believe you're wrong, Kingfish, and you're serving as a protectionist, as it were, for Ole Burl.

DFA was right to not intercede when the 'true' emergency existed, if it were indeed an emergency. However, to continue on with additional emergency contracts is illegal. With the initial contract soon to expire within, say, four months, there was ample time to secure proposals. Even three months. Even two months.

Wondering how much VitalCore has contributed to ole Burl’s infamous NON-PROFIT’s ? Understand that is the key to his heart?