Christopher Epps

Christopher B. "Chris" Epps (b. January 25, 1961) is a former commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) and career employee in the state criminal justice system; he started his career as a teacher. Appointed as Commissioner in 2002 and serving to 2014, he served under three governors and was the agency's longest-serving commissioner in the state. Epps came up within the department as a 32-year career employee.

Although MDOC had been sued in two class-action suits in the 21st century on behalf of prisoners because of poor conditions, Epps was respected for his efforts to improve conditions by reducing the use of solitary confinement in Mississippi, reducing the prison population by supporting earlier parole for non-violent offenders, and establishing halfway houses for newly released inmates. Beginning in the late 20th century, Mississippi contracted with for-profit prison companies to run several of its prisons, as did many other states. Epps had been elected president of the American Correctional Association in the early 21st century; he resigned on November 5, 2014. The federal investigation of the state prison system was continuing.

Epps was the only African American who was head of a state department under Governor Bryant. He resigned as commissioner in November 2014, the day before being indicted on federal charges of bribery and kickbacks. He had allegedly received more than $2 million in bribes from Cecil McCrory, a businessman and former Mississippi Republican state house member, and others, including Robert Simmons. Simmons said that he began paying bribes to Epps beginning in 2005. McCrory was most recently a consultant for Management and Training Corporation (MTC) of Utah, a major for-profit prison operating company; at the time, it had a $60 million contract in Mississippi to operate four prisons.

In February 2017, Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood announced he had filed civil cases for damages and punitive damages against 11 corporations and individuals who had engaged in contracts with the MDOC and Epps. He said that state law required the companies and consultants to pay back the value of their contracts.

Christopher Epps was born and grew up in Tchula, Mississippi, in Holmes County, which is bordered on the west by the Yazoo River and the Mississippi Delta. His family was deeply involved in education and several members had PhDs. Epps attended Mississippi Valley State University and received a bachelor's degree in elementary education.

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