MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2012 By: Senator(s) Horhn, Simmons (13th), To: Rules Gollott, Butler (36th), Turner, Butler (38th), Frazier, Jackson (11th), Jackson (32nd), Jordan, Jones, Browning, Burton, Carmichael, Clarke, Jackson (15th), Jolly, Kirby, Lee, Longwitz, Montgomery, Stone, Watson, Wilemon SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 551 1 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING AND SALUTING MISSISSIPPI 2 CORRECTIONS COMMISSIONER CHRISTOPHER EPPS AS THE LONGEST-SERVING 3 COMMISSIONER IN THE STATE'S HISTORY, ON THE OCCASION OF BLACK 4 HISTORY MONTH. 5 WHEREAS, as the state celebrates Black History Month, we 6 acknowledge that Mississippi Corrections Commissioner Christopher 7 Epps, the longest-serving Commissioner in the state's history, was 8 recently honored with the Michael Francke Award as the outstanding 9 Director of Corrections for 2011 by the Association of State 10 Correctional Administrators (ASCA); and 11 WHEREAS, Christopher B. Epps was appointed Commissioner of 12 the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) by former 13 Governor Ronnie Musgrove on August 30, 2002, and by Governor Haley 14 Barbour in 2004. Currently serving his 10th year, he was 15 reappointed to the post on January 12, 2012, by Governor Phil 16 Bryant; and 17 WHEREAS, Commissioner Epps started his career with the 18 Mississippi Department of Corrections in 1982 as a Correctional 19 Officer at the Mississippi State Penitentiary. His extensive 20 corrections experience with the MDOC includes: Chief of Staff, 21 Deputy Commissioner of Institutions, Deputy Commissioner of 22 Community Corrections, Director of Offender Services, Deputy 23 Superintendent, Chief of Security, Corrections Case Management 24 Supervisor, Director of Treatment Services and Corrections Case 25 Manager. Additionally, he has served as Disciplinary Hearing 26 Officer/Investigator and Director of Records for the agency; and 27 WHEREAS, Commissioner Epps has held various leadership 28 positions throughout his career in corrections and in the S. C. R. No. 551 *SS02/R737* N1/2 12/SS02/R737 PAGE 1 29 military. Having served in the Armed Forces since 1984, 30 Commissioner Epps received an honorable discharge from the 31 Mississippi Army National Guard after attaining the rank of 32 Lieutenant Colonel. The Commissioner is a member of the 33 Association of State Correctional Administrators, serving on the 34 Correctional Industries, Research and Technology, Reentry and 35 Community Corrections, Racial Issues and the Program and Training 36 Committees; and 37 WHEREAS, he serves as an Auditor with the American 38 Correctional Association (ACA), and in 2008, was elected to a 39 two-year term as Treasurer of the ACA. He was elected in 2006 to 40 serve on the ACA Nominating Committee, and in June 2004, he was 41 elected to the Commission on Accreditation for Corrections of the 42 American Correctional Association for the term of 2004-2008; and 43 WHEREAS, in 2007, he was appointed to the Executive Committee 44 for the Commission. He is a long-standing member of the Southern 45 States Correctional Association (SSCA), and in 2008 was selected 46 to serve as President of the Association. Additionally, he serves 47 on the Board for Alcohol Services, Mississippi Prison Industries, 48 the Mississippi Drug Court Advisory Committee, and is a former 49 mentor with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Mississippi; and 50 WHEREAS, other appointments consist of serving on the Council 51 of Advisors for the College of Public Service at Jackson State 52 University; and appointments by Governor Haley Barbour to the 53 State Workforce Investment Board, and the Interstate Commission 54 for Adult Offender Supervision as Mississippi's representative. 55 He is Chairman of the Mississippi Wireless Communications 56 Commission and is a member of the Joint Terrorism Task Force. 57 Former Chairman of the Victim Services Committee for ASCA, the 58 Commissioner has also served ACA as the Chairman of Workforce 59 Development and as Chairman of the Adult Corrections Standards 60 Committee; and S. C. R. No. 551 *SS02/R737* 12/SS02/R737 PAGE 2 61 WHEREAS, Commissioner Epps' list of accomplishments and 62 awards are numerous and include being named "Humanitarian of the 63 Year" in 2007 by the Mississippi Association of Professionals in 64 Corrections as well as "Professional of the Year" in 2000 and 65 2004; the 2007 Distinguished Alumni Award from the National 66 Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education; one of the 67 "50 Most Influential African-Americans in Mississippi" by 68 BlackMississippi.com and 2004 recipient of "The Distinguished 69 Public Service Award" by the University of Southern Mississippi, 70 Department of Criminal Justice, for his contributions to the 71 criminal justice system; and 72 WHEREAS, additional honors include: Army Commendations 73 Medal; Army Achievement Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster; Army Reserve 74 Component Achievement Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster; National 75 Defense Service Medal; NCO Professional Development Ribbon; Army 76 Service Ribbon; Mississippi Medal of Efficiency; Mississippi War 77 Medal; and the Mississippi Longevity Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster. 78 Commissioner Epps was awarded the honorary title "Kentucky 79 Colonel" in 2007 by Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher. On May 28, 80 2009, presented by the Mississippi House and Senate, Resolution, 81 No. 114, for dedication and outstanding service as the 82 longest-serving Commissioner in the history of the Mississippi 83 Department of Corrections; and 84 WHEREAS, Commissioner Epps' correctional/civilian 85 affiliations include the American Correctional Association, 86 Association of State Corrections Administrators, North American 87 Association of Wardens and Superintendents, Southern States 88 Correctional Association, Mississippi Association of Professionals 89 in Corrections, the Correctional Peace Office Foundation, the 90 National Guard Association of Mississippi and the National Guard 91 Association of the United States; and 92 WHEREAS, a native of Tchula, Mississippi, Commissioner Epps 93 is a graduate of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia with a S. C. R. No. 551 *SS02/R737* 12/SS02/R737 PAGE 3 94 Master of Arts Degree in Guidance and Counseling. He received his 95 Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education from 96 Mississippi Valley State University. This year, the Association 97 of State Correctional Administrators honored Christopher B. Epps, 98 Commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, as the 99 outstanding Director of Corrections for 2011. Commissioner Epps 100 is married to Catherlean Sanders Epps and they have two sons, 101 Chris and Tracey; and 102 WHEREAS, Chris Epps' accomplishments in the field of 103 Corrections, his outstanding service to the state and the local 104 community, active participation in the Association of State 105 Correctional Administrators, and his integrity, diplomacy and 106 competence all illustrate how truly deserving he is to be honored: 107 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF 108 MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That 109 we do hereby recognize and salute Mississippi Corrections 110 Commissioner Christopher Epps as the longest-serving Commissioner 111 in the state's history and the recipient of the Michael Francke 112 Award as the outstanding National Director of Corrections by the 113 Association of State Correctional Administrators, on the occasion 114 of Black History Month. 115 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to 116 Commissioner Epps and his family at Hanging Moss Church of Christ 117 on February 25, 2012, in acknowledgment of its Black History 118 Program, forwarded to the Governor and the Association of State 119 Correctional Administrators, and made available to the Capitol 120 Press Corps. S. C. R. No. 551 *SS02/R737* 12/SS02/R737 ST: Recognize Mississippi Corrections PAGE 4 Commissioner Christopher Epps as longest-serving Commissioner in state's history. .