Jackson Free Press

A few new releases due out tomorrow...

The East Mississippi Correction Facility, which recently became the subject of a class-action lawsuit, is getting a new warden.

Management and Training Corporation, the Utah-based private company that operates the prison for the Mississippi Department of Corrections, released the following statement:

EAST MISSISSIPPI CORRECTIONAL FACILITY WELCOMES NEW WARDEN

Jerry Buscher Named New Warden

June 13, 2013 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(MERIDIAN, Mississippi) – Management & Training Corporation (MTC) is pleased to announce Jerry Buscher has been named new warden of the East Mississippi Correctional Facility effective June 17, 2013.

Warden Buscher will replace Warden Frank Shaw. Mr. Buscher spent more than 25 years with the Illinois Department of Corrections, most recently serving as executive chief to the director. He also served as warden multiple times, regional deputy director, and operations security director.

“Warden Buscher brings decades of experience to East Mississippi,” said MTC Senior Vice President of Corrections Odie Washington. “We are confident he will continue the pattern of excellence established at the East Mississippi facility.”

Warden Frank Shaw will take over operations at the Wilkinson County Correctional Facility in Woodville, MS.

Mr. Washington added, “Warden Shaw has done an excellent job of creating a safe, secure, and clean facility. In the last 11 months alone, Warden Shaw and his staff were responsible for a 74 percent reduction in offender on offender violence and a 60 percent reduction in use-of-force incidents. He has been instrumental in making significant improvements at the facility since MTC first took over in July 2012.”

Also during Warden Shaw’s tenure at the East Mississippi facility, his team was responsible for developing 45 educational and vocational classes for inmates including Adult Basic Education, GED, literacy, anger management, life skills, computer technician, and facility maintenance. More than 700 offenders currently participate in these programs.

Mr. Washington said, “We know Warden Shaw will do an equally effective if not better job of operating the Wilkinson facility—that’s why we made the decision to relocate him.”

With the addition of the Wilkinson County Correctional Facility, which MTC will begin operating on July 1, 2013, MTC will partner with the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) in operating all four of its privately-run facilities.

“MDOC has been a tremendous partner. They have provided effective monitoring of these facilities and have been extremely supportive of MTC’s initiatives to enhance and improve the conditions at prisons,” said Mr. Washington.

MTC has also recently announced the addition of Vice President Marjorie Brown who will oversee MTC’s new Mississippi/Florida region which includes the following facilities:

East Mississippi Correctional Facility Walnut Grove Correctional Facility Marshall County Correctional Facility Wilkinson Correctional Facility Gadsden Correctional Facility (Quincy, FL)

Vice President Brown was most recently MTC’s senior medical director. Ms. Brown has an MBA, and has been in corrections for more than 34 years. She served in many leadership positions including deputy director of a major correctional system for nearly a decade, state administrator of MTC’s medical operations in Tennessee, and warden.

Mr. Washington said, “Marjorie will …