MARSHALL CO., Miss. (WLBT) – State Auditor Shad White has demanded nearly $2 million dollars from a private prison operator after the company understaffed a Marshall County facility, which violated the terms of its contract.

White said agents served Management & Training Corporation (MTC) with a civil demand totaling nearly $2 million.

MTC developed minimum mandatory staffing levels risking the safety of inmates and prison staff.

The company also failed to appropriately notify and credit the Mississippi Department of Corrections when its staffing levels fell below the minimum amount required by the contract.

The Auditor’s demand accounts for nearly 12,000 unfilled mandatory shifts at the Marshall County facility from 2017 to 2020.

“This is one of the larger demands we’ve issued in my time in office. Our investigators have proven we will take on the biggest cases down to the smallest to protect taxpayer dollars,” said Auditor White. “We look forward to a swift recovery of these funds.”

If the company does not make payment on the demand within 30 days, the case will be transmitted to the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office for litigation.

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