Gov. Ronnie Musgrove says the state cannot continue to build prisons if there are not enough prisoners to fill them.
While in Greenwood on Wednesday to help facilitate a new after-school program at the National Guard Armory, Musgrove responded to questions about the closure of Delta Correctional Facility. The governor was not specific in his comments about the concerns Deltans have about the closure of the prison, but he did remain firm in his commitment to help displaced Department of Corrections employees retain jobs in the correctional system or to help them find new jobs.
Musgrove also talked about the replacement of Department of Corrections Commissioner Robert Johnson, who resigned on Monday.
Key state legislators are pushing Mississippi Valley State University graduate Chris Epps as a replacement for Johnson. Epps, who had previously served as a guard at Parchman, now serves as the state's deputy commissioner for the Corrections Department's division of institutions.
Musgrove said plans were being made to appoint an acting director, but he did not comment specifically about Epps.
"It is going to be hard to replace Robert Johnson," Musgrove said. "And we want a visionary person to do that."
The governor also commented on the recently declared state of emergency concerning West Nile virus in the state.
"We are trying to increase funding to help with the spraying of mosquitoes," Musgrove said. "Prevention is the biggest key. As you know here in the Delta, mosquitoes are a big problem, and we are focusing our efforts in this area."
