The Yazoo Community Work Center’s days appear to be numbered, but county officials hope that inmates from the state side of the county jail can help fill the void.
The Mississippi Department of Corrections recently announced plans to close Yazoo County’s Community Work Center along with centers in Bolivar and Jackson counties. The work centers provide inmate labor to communities.
The agency closed the Alcorn County Community Work Center in November and the Jefferson County Community Work Center in May of 2015.
Marshall Fisher, commissioner of the MDOC, said the closings are due to staff shortages. Fisher attributes low pay as the reason for low employee numbers.
The average pay for a corrections officer is $25,969. Most of the corrections officers are women, many of whom are single parents. The agency’s turnover rate for corrections officer is 47 percent.
The average pay for a probation/parole agent is $32,520. There is a 21 percent vacancy rate for parole/probation agents.
Over 20 inmates were removed from the local work center this week. More are expected to follow as the center prepares to close.
Cobie Collins, president of the Board of Supervisors, said he has learned through talks with the governor’s office that the county should be able to use inmates from the Yazoo County Regional Correctional Facility.
“When we built the jail that was supposed to be part of the program,” said District 2 Supervisor David Berry.
“Let’s hope that works out because losing this free inmate labor will be very expensive to the county and to the city,” said District 4 Supervisor Jayne Dew.
The board agreed to ask Sheriff Jake Sheriff to follow up with the Mississippi Department of Corrections to determine the next step.
