NORTH CARROLLTON — I hated to hear the news that Malcolm McMillin resigned as Mississippi Parole Board chairman.
His tenure on the board began with an interesting observation, and it also ended with one. Keeping inmates locked up was at the forefront last year, and now the cost of doing so is at the forefront this year. It is a case of public safety vs. cost of keeping the public safe.
When McMillin was appointed by Gov. Phil Bryant in April 2012 to the Parole Board, it was in the aftermath of all the pardons by Haley Barbour at the end of his gubernatorial term. McMillin, the former Hinds County sheriff, was viewed by many as just what this state needed when it came to granting or revoking parole from state prisons. Toward the end of his tenure, it was reported that paroles had dropped significantly under McMillin — 539 fewer over a 10-month period — and that was costing the state $8 million more a year. Last year, the Department of Corrections had a budget shortfall.
In this column last year, I supported Bryant on his decision to appoint McMillin. I still stand by it. However, I regret that he did not stay longer.
McMillin made clear from the beginning that protecting victims would be his priority. When a violent act is committed, there is no undoing it. All the press conferences and budget hearings in the world do not change the violent act that occurred to the victim and the consequences also for the victim’s family. Although it is expensive for the state to house prisoners, it is the price for helping to keep our communities safe.
Rehabilitation and saving money can go hand in hand by putting inmates to work. When city, county and state governments utilize inmate labor, it not only saves money but helps the inmates learn a trade and gives them something worthwhile to do.
McMillin, with more than 40 years in law enforcement when he came to the Parole Board, used his instincts on inmates and whether he thought they had been rehabilitated to decide whether they should be paroled.
In the 24-hour news cycle, a violent crime dominates the news for a period of time, but for the victims and their families the consequences are from now on. During his tenure, McMillin kept his commitment to protecting victims.
• Ken Strachan is a former mayor of North Carrollton and serves as Carroll County coroner.
