An investigation conducted by the Division of Investigations of the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) led to the arrest today of a Malcolm Mackey, a former juvenile caseworker at Oakley Youth Development Center (OYDC) for aggravated assault on a student. If convicted, Mackey could face a penalty of up to 20 years in the State Penitentiary.
After a thorough investigation, agency leadership took immediate action to initiate appropriate measures against the employees involved.
“I am proud of our investigators for their diligent work in this investigation,” MDHS Inspector General Hadley Eisenberger said. “We will continue to work with the District Attorney’s Office as this moves through the justice system to final disposition.”
Once the investigation was complete, the information gathered was turned over to the Hinds County District Attorney’s Office who presented the case to the Grand Jury, who returned an indictment that resulted in an arrest warrant.
“We appreciate the thorough investigation conducted by the Investigations Division of the Mississippi Department of Human Services that greatly aided in securing an indictment and arrest warrant,” Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens said. “We are confident our continued cooperation with MDHS will allow us to bring the case to conclusion.”
Mackey turned himself into MDHS investigators and local law enforcement Wednesday morning. The agency will continue to assist in any way. All further questions should be directed to the Hinds County District Attorney’s Office.
“This type of behavior by our employees will not be tolerated,” MDHS Executive Director Bob Anderson said. “We remain committed to the mission of helping children and families transition from a state of crisis to a state of self-sufficiency. Any individual operating contrary to that mission will not be employed at MDHS.”
The Investigations Division is a subset of the MDHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG), which was created in August 2018 and charged with detecting, preventing, and deterring fraud, waste, and abuse within the agency. The Division also investigates matters involving incidents between staff and students at Oakley Youth Development Center.
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