Morrissette Suggests DOC Audit Manipulation
The Legislature may have underfunded the Department of Corrections in order to manipulate a $1 million independent performance audit of the organization, says Rep. Richard Morrissette.
The Department of Corrections was underfunded by $42 million, despite agency officials and legislators agreeing that amount was needed by the department to do its job for Fiscal Year 2008, said Morrissette.
“If the Department of Corrections isn’t given the appropriation it needs, which it clearly wasn’t, of course they will come out on the wrong end of an independent performance audit,” said Morrissette, D-Oklahoma City. “We have the State Auditor and Inspector right here in the Capitol with not only the Constitutional mandate to audit and review state agencies, but also the expertise and experience to do so.
“It begs the question: why not save the state $1 million and have the State Auditor and Inspector’s Office handle this function? It is apparent that someone in the House majority doesn’t like our state auditor.And by the way, who are the so-called legislative leaders who picked this non-Oklahoma company to conduct this audit?”
In May, the Legislature approved a $1 million performance audit of the department to find a qualified firm to conduct the review of both the DOC’s operational costs and its internal policies that may be contributing to the agency’s annual budget shortfall.
This month, the state contracted with MGT of America, Inc. to conduct the independent review at a cost of $844,000.
Morrissette said it is a given that the audit will put the department in a bad light, which will lead to an increase in the use of privately run prisons in Oklahoma in the future.
“This is an overt attempt to bash a state agency and place the state corrections system on the path to a particular agenda of privately controlled prisons throughout the state,” said Morrissette. “This expenditure is unnecessary, appears politically motivated and will not result in better government."
Morrissette said the most obvious solution, short of allowing the State Auditor’s Office to conduct the review, is to form a legislative task force to study the issue and submit a report to the Legislature prior to the reconvening of the legislative session in February.
The Department of Corrections was underfunded by $42 million, despite agency officials and legislators agreeing that amount was needed by the department to do its job for Fiscal Year 2008, said Morrissette.
“If the Department of Corrections isn’t given the appropriation it needs, which it clearly wasn’t, of course they will come out on the wrong end of an independent performance audit,” said Morrissette, D-Oklahoma City. “We have the State Auditor and Inspector right here in the Capitol with not only the Constitutional mandate to audit and review state agencies, but also the expertise and experience to do so.
“It begs the question: why not save the state $1 million and have the State Auditor and Inspector’s Office handle this function? It is apparent that someone in the House majority doesn’t like our state auditor.And by the way, who are the so-called legislative leaders who picked this non-Oklahoma company to conduct this audit?”
In May, the Legislature approved a $1 million performance audit of the department to find a qualified firm to conduct the review of both the DOC’s operational costs and its internal policies that may be contributing to the agency’s annual budget shortfall.
This month, the state contracted with MGT of America, Inc. to conduct the independent review at a cost of $844,000.
Morrissette said it is a given that the audit will put the department in a bad light, which will lead to an increase in the use of privately run prisons in Oklahoma in the future.
“This is an overt attempt to bash a state agency and place the state corrections system on the path to a particular agenda of privately controlled prisons throughout the state,” said Morrissette. “This expenditure is unnecessary, appears politically motivated and will not result in better government."
Morrissette said the most obvious solution, short of allowing the State Auditor’s Office to conduct the review, is to form a legislative task force to study the issue and submit a report to the Legislature prior to the reconvening of the legislative session in February.
posted by Mike McCarville @ 1:19 AM
<< Home