Otis Bailey will begin serving as the new warden of the Yazoo County Regional Correctional Facility on December 15.
Bailey replaces Jay Shaw, who recently resigned.
Bailey has 24 years of experience in corrections with the last 17 of those years in administration. He worked in Yazoo City from 2012-2015 overseeing the state’s satellite facility until it was closed by the Mississippi Department of Corrections due to budget concerns. He currently serves as a warden in Forest.
“One thing I will not bring to the table is an ego and pride,” Bailey said. “Those are things that stop communication.”
Bailey said he plans to focus on training his staff and building a quality working environment.
The new warden inherits a facility with its share of problems. The county recently gave jail employees a raise after they threatened to go on strike. Shaw often complained to the board about the facility being understaffed and it creating a dangerous working environment.
The county recently had 59 inmates who were causing problems on the state side of the facility relocated to another jail.
