health services whenever possible. MTC took over the Walnut Grove facility on July 2, 2012. It took over operations of the state's East Mississippi Correctional Facility and Marshall County Correctional Facility six weeks later. MTC spokesperson Issa Arnita said the firm would be bringing in new management, including wardens and deputy wardens, but expected to retain many of the GEO guards. In addition, MTC gained a contract in 2013 for the Wilkinson County Correctional Facility. SPLC attorney Owens said Mississippi must take a tougher position on oversight in order to change conditions with a new for-profit operator. "The state takes the position that their hands are tied, that it's under the control of the private prison provider, and that's just not true," Owens said. "You can't just have an agreement with somebody and say, 'OK, well, they're not doing what they're supposed to do.' If somebody doesn't pay their rent, you kick them out." The Walnut Grove Corrections Facility, used only for adults, remained under court oversight, with a federal monitor providing regular reports on conditions. In May 2013, a series of articles in Mother Jones magazine described the Walnut Grove Correctional Facility as one of the ten worst prisons in the United States. The article did not include any response from the facility or the state. Efforts to improve conditions struggled against violence. In 2014 there were two major riots at Walnut Grove prison. As a result, the federal judge in the class action suit extended court oversight of the facility for an additional period. The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice continued with investigations of overall conditions and practices in the Mississippi state prison system, covering both privately operated and state facilities. These were noted in 2014 for "squalid conditions and violence by guards and inmates." 2014 State changes to sentencing To offset the costs of prisons and burgeoning growth in the incarceration rate, in 2014 state legislators passed a law providing a "sweeping plan" for alternatives to prison for some non-violent prisoners, such as monitored house arrest. This has resulted in a decline in the prison population in the state, with a surplus of beds by 2016. Closure In mid-June 2016, the state announced it would close the WGCF for budget reasons, as the demand for prison spaces had declined; this took place on September 16, 2016. The closing of this facility is expected to