issues at the facility." He said, "While we've made short-term fixes, the entire system will ultimately need to be replaced." On February 23, 2017, Richardson returned for a scheduled visit accompanied by two other legislators and the director of the Florida Department of Management Services (DMS) which is responsible for overseeing the operations of, and conditions within, private prisons. In the two days before their arrival, institution work crews finally addressed many of the long-backlogged 495 repair orders. The state quickly replaced its on-site monitor. When Richardson returned with two investigators from the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC), as requested by the DMS Office of the Inspector General, other problems were revealed at the prison. Although prisoners said they had been intimidated against complaining to inspectors and feared retaliation, one had sent Richardson a detailed list of 23 serious plumbing problems in just a single housing unit. In February 2017, Richardson requested Governor Rick Scott to direct state officials to take over management of the prison, warning that the health and safety of inmates was at risk. Mississippi state lawsuits On February 8, 2017, Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood filed suit against MTC, along with Cornell Companies, Wexford Health Sources, Global Tel Link, Sentinel Offender Services and many others for allegedly engaging in corrupt contracts with the Mississippi Department of Corrections and its former Commissioner, Chris Epps. The lawsuit claims the companies violated Mississippi public ethics, racketeering, and antitrust laws, and it was suing to recover costs and penalties of the corrupt contracts. On 24 January 2019, the Mississippi Attorney General's office announced it had collected a total of $27 million in lawsuits filed against companies accused of funneling bribes and kickbacks to Epps. That amount included $5.2 million from MTC. See also 2010 Arizona prison escape Arizona SB 1070 Arizona State Prison – Kingman Central North Correctional Centre Eagle Mountain Community Correctional Facility East Mississippi Correctional Facility Estes Unit Idaho Department of Correction Incarceration in the United States Kyle, Texas List of detention sites in the United States List of members of the American Legislative Exchange Council Marana Community Correctional Treatment Facility Marshall County Correctional Facility Operation Mississippi Hustle Red Rock Job Corps Center Walnut Grove Correctional Facility Wilkinson County Correctional Center Willacy County Correctional Center Willacy Detention Center James A. Joseph Lane McCotter References External links 1981 establishments in Utah American companies established in 1981 Companies based in