By By Steve Gillespie/The Meridian Star
Aug. 16, 2001
Warden William Jarvis of the Kemper-Neshoba Regional Correctional Facility was fired Wednesday, and two jail employees have apparently resigned in protest.
Sheriff Sam Tisdale said he relieved Jarvis for "unsatisfactory job performance" after issuing a number of official warnings.
A corrections officer, Lt. John Mullin, and a maintenance worker, Johnny Brown, walked off the job shortly after the termination.
Tisdale said he has no one in line to replace Jarvis, and that he will oversee the prison until a replacement can he found.
The Kemper-Neshoba Regional Correctional Facility opened on Oct. 29, 2000. Jarvis, a veteran Mississippi Highway Patrol officer, was chosen as the prison's first warden.
Jarvis and his staff had been working toward accreditation in December with the Mississippi Department of Corrections, but had faced earlier lay-offs due to revenue shortfalls. County officials said the shortfalls were due to fewer state prisoners than expected being housed in the jail.
Tisdale and Jarvis had faced each other twice in elections for Kemper County sheriff. The first time was in a special election after the Aug. 9, 1997 death of Kemper County Sheriff Mike McKee, who was killed in the line of duty. The second was in a general election in 1999. Tisdale won both elections.
Jarvis could not be reached for comment.
Steve Gillespie is a staff writer for The Meridian Star. Call him at 693-1551, ext. 3233, or e-mail him at sgillespie@themeridianstar.com.