Management and Training Corporation

Management & Training Corporation
Company type	Private
Industry	Corrections, Education, Healthcare, Economic and Social Development
Founded	1981
Founder	Robert L. Marquardt
Headquarters	Centerville, Utah, United States
Area served	United States, United Kingdom (as MTCNovo)
Products	Correctional institution management, Job Corps center management, healthcare services, economic and social development programs

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Management and Training Corporation, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 25 July 2025

Management & Training Corporation (MTC) is a privately held company specializing in the administration of correctional institutions and U.S. Job Corps centers, with its main office located in Centerville, Utah. The organization’s primary areas of operation encompass corrections, education and training, healthcare services, as well as economic and social development initiatives. MTC manages 21 correctional facilities across eight different states and is involved in managing or collaborating on 22 out of the 119 Job Corps centers throughout the United States. Additionally, it conducts business in the United Kingdom under the brand name MTCNovo.

Education and training

MTC maintains contractual agreements with the U.S. Department of Labor to operate or collaborate on Job Corps centers in various states including Washington, Oregon, California, Texas, and Florida.

Corrections and Immigrant Detention

Ranking as the third-largest operator of correctional facilities in the United States, MTC has the capacity to house over 31,000 inmates. The company prioritizes rehabilitation by providing educational opportunities such as GED preparation, vocational skill development, substance abuse programs, and life skills training for offenders.

A total of twelve MTC-operated facilities have received accreditation from the American Correctional Association for meeting or exceeding national benchmarks related to safety and security. Ten of these institutions have also surpassed standards set by the Correctional Education Association for their educational offerings. Other certifications held by MTC facilities include Licensed Substance Abuse Treatment Facility designation, accreditation from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, and recognition by The Joint Commission.

In August 2016, the U.S. Department of Justice announced intentions to terminate contracts with private prison operators due to concerns over safety and efficacy compared to federal institutions. MTC publicly expressed regret over this decision and contested assertions regarding cost efficiency, security measures, safety performance, and quality of rehabilitative programs. The DOJ highlighted difficulties in replicating services like education and employment training within privately managed prisons.

This policy shift faced criticism from industry analysts and media for a perceived lack of objective evaluation. A report from the Office of Inspector General noted challenges in comparing expenses because of variations in inmate demographics and program offerings. In 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions reversed this policy direction under the administration of President Trump.

Towards the end of 2016, Texas officials announced the closure of the South Texas Intermediate Sanction Facility operated by MTC due to a reduction in inmate numbers attributed to effective treatment programs and diversion efforts; this closure impacted roughly 115 staff members.

MTC Medical

MTC Medical provides healthcare services including medical and dental care at 14 correctional institutions located in states such as Arizona, California, New Mexico, Ohio, Texas, and Florida. Notable facilities served include Marana Community Correctional Treatment Facility (Arizona), Taft Correctional Institution (California), and Gadsden Correctional Facility (Florida).

Economic & social development

Founded in 2004, MTC’s Economic & Social Development division delivers technical support worldwide. Its initiatives cover vocational education, small and medium enterprise development, and designing skill-building systems aimed at disadvantaged populations including women and youth. Internationally, its projects have extended to countries such as China, Haiti, Iraq, Palestine, South Sudan, Mongolia, Jordan, and Tunisia.

Background

Established in 1981 by Robert L. Marquardt (1925–2012), MTC was formed following Morton Thiokol's decision to sell off its Job Corps training division. Marquardt and his associates raised $3.5 million to purchase this spin-off, marking a notable entry into the workforce development sector.

California

On October 25, 2003, a violent disturbance lasting 90 minutes erupted at the Eagle Mountain Community Correctional Facility, a low-security prison in California. Around 150 inmates engaged in confrontations using improvised weapons. Private security personnel retreated while state law enforcement was called in. The riot resulted in two fatalities among inmates and numerous injuries; eight individuals were later convicted of murder. The facility was subsequently shut down by the end of that year.

Willacy County

In November 2007, four employees working for MTC at the Willacy Detention Center in Raymondville, Texas, faced charges related to smuggling undocumented immigrants through checkpoints using company vehicles. The individuals smuggled originated from Mexico and various Central American nations.

On June 22, 2011, Edwin Rodriguez, a security officer employed by MTC, was arrested and charged with sexually abusing a female detainee.

On February 21, 2015, a riot involving nearly 2,000 inmates broke out at the Willacy County Correctional Center, a "tent" style prison facility, triggered by inadequate medical care. The Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP), which had contracted MTC to manage approximately 2,800 inmates, declared the center "uninhabitable." Law enforcement agencies at federal, state, and local levels intervened to quell the unrest. Following the riot, about 570 inmates were transferred out, and MTC terminated all staff by March 9, 2015. Afterward, Standard & Poor’s downgraded the bonds financing the prison’s construction to junk status; at closure, outstanding bond debt was roughly $128 million with annual payments around $8 million.

In December 2016, Willacy County initiated a federal lawsuit against MTC citing "abysmal mismanagement" and deplorable conditions that contributed to the riot. The FBOP had contracted MTC to house low-risk inmates who were non-U.S. citizens. The county alleged that MTC neglected proper oversight and maintenance of the facility and disregarded ongoing problems since it opened. The prison generated up to $2.7 million annually in revenue for the county.

Prior to the FBOP contract, this tent prison operated as an immigrant detention center plagued by allegations of persistent sexual assault, physical abuse, and medical neglect. After immigration authorities ended their contract in 2011, federal prison officials began housing immigrants convicted of crimes there. The Texas ACLU criticized private prison operators like MTC for reducing expenses to increase profits, which led to understaffing and unsafe environments for both detainees and staff. In 2014, ACLU-documented complaints detailed overcrowding and hazardous conditions.

The lawsuit claimed that inmates endured unacceptable circumstances including solitary confinement with minimal supervision—only one guard assigned per housing pod each shift. This inadequate management directly precipitated the February 2015 riot. As a result of these failures, the FBOP vacated the facility and dismissed all 400 employees. Additionally, the suit alleges that MTC frequently failed to inform government authorities about ongoing issues within the prison.

Diboll

In July 2014, a section of the ceiling inside the Diboll Unit Correctional Center collapsed, causing multiple inmates to require hospitalization, with one individual sustaining critical injuries. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice intends to take over direct management of the Diboll Unit in 2023.

Arizona State Prison – Kingman

On July 30, 2010, three inmates convicted of homicide escaped from the Kingman facility after staff from MTC failed to respond to alarms triggered by a fence breach. This incident led to the resignation of two MTC personnel, including the unit’s warden and security chief.

Subsequent investigations by the Arizona Department of Corrections revealed that the perimeter security system had been improperly installed and nonoperational for more than two years. One of the escapees was apprehended following a shootout in Colorado and received a 48-year sentence; the remaining fugitives committed further violent offenses before their capture. The mastermind was sentenced to life imprisonment plus an additional 235 years and died while incarcerated in federal prison in 2017. Other accomplices received lengthy federal sentences.

After these incidents, Arizona ceased transferring inmates to Kingman due to operational failures at the facility. MTC threatened legal action for breach of contract because the state failed to maintain a guaranteed 97% occupancy rate, resulting in a $10 million revenue shortfall; eventually, the state renegotiated terms and paid $3 million.

In January 2015, inmate Neil Early died following a fatal assault at this MTC-managed prison. Investigations uncovered weapons, contraband cell phones, and heroin within the facility. Staffing deficiencies were highlighted, including one guard overseeing 200 inmates during the attack. Early’s family initiated a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against the state, MTC, and healthcare providers for delayed medical response.

Between July 1 and 4, 2015, riots erupted at the prison causing injuries to nine correctional officers and seven inmates. To regain control, Arizona deployed 96 specially trained tactical officers.

In August 2015, Governor Doug Ducey terminated MTC’s contract after an Arizona Department of Corrections report criticized a pervasive "culture of disorganization, disengagement, and disregard" for regulations. Subsequently, a new contract was awarded to Florida-based GEO Group, effective December 1, 2015. Notably, GEO had contributed $2,000 to Ducey’s 2014 gubernatorial campaign along with $50,000 to an independent Super PAC supporting him.

Mississippi

After Mississippi ended its agreement with GEO Group in 2012, MTC acquired the contract for Walnut Grove Correctional Facility.

In 2013, the ACLU filed suit against MTC over unacceptable conditions at East Mississippi Correctional Facility (EMCF), which houses inmates with mental health issues. The lawsuit cited violations of fundamental human rights and insufficient medical treatment. Federal trial testimony in 2018 exposed instances of abuse, deaths, suicides, and neglect at EMCF.

In November 2014, MTC became entangled in corruption allegations linked to Mississippi Corrections Commissioner Christopher Epps. Epps accepted approximately $1.9 million in bribes in exchange for awarding contracts to private prison companies connected to former legislator Cecil McCrory. The indictment detailed widespread violence, inadequate healthcare, and corruption at EMCF during this timeframe. Epps pleaded guilty in 2015 to charges including tax evasion and bribery involving roughly $2 million.

Following Epps’ indictment, Governor Phil Bryant mandated renegotiation of MTC’s $60 million contracts covering three state prisons—Walnut Grove, East Mississippi, and Marshall County Correctional Facilities—as well as Wilkinson County Correctional Facility previously managed by CoreCivic. MTC faced lawsuits alleging inmate mistreatment at two of these institutions.

McCrory initially served as a consultant for Cornell Companies and GEO Group earning $10,000 monthly before being hired by MTC at $12,000 per month upon Epps’ recommendation. After federal charges emerged against McCrory, MTC severed ties but denied awareness of his illicit activities or improper connections with Epps.

Epps’ sentencing experienced multiple postponements due to legal proceedings involving McCrory’s attempts to withdraw his plea and examination of financial records from 15 corporations implicated in bribery schemes. McCrory was ultimately sentenced in 2017 to eight and a half years imprisonment.

Due to declining inmate populations, Mississippi closed Walnut Grove Correctional Facility in September 2016, adversely impacting local economic conditions.

In February 2017, Attorney General Jim Hood filed civil actions against MTC and other companies alleging corrupt contractual arrangements with the Department of Corrections under Epps’ tenure. The lawsuits claimed violations of public ethics laws, racketeering statutes, and antitrust regulations seeking restitution of public funds.

Judge Wingate sentenced Epps in May 2017 to nearly two decades in federal prison citing an unprecedented scale of corruption. By mid-2017, Epps was transferred to a federal facility in Texas.

By January 2019, Mississippi had recovered $27 million through lawsuits against firms involved in the bribery scandal, including $5.2 million from MTC.

Illinois

In July 2016, approximately 100 individuals from Hopkins Park voiced their opposition to MTC's planned immigration detention center. Comparable resistance had previously prevented larger firms such as Corrections Corporation of America from establishing facilities in Joliet and Crete, Illinois, as well as GEO Group in Hobart and Gary, Indiana. Demonstrators referenced Arizona's termination of MTC’s contract for the Kingman state prison as a cautionary example against collaborating with the company.

Idaho

From 2014 through 2016, the Correctional Alternative Placement Program (CAPP) located in Kuna, a 430-bed facility and the state's final for-profit prison, documented 175 violent incidents necessitating disciplinary measures. Following exposure of fraudulent billing practices, inadequate supervision, and notable corporate donations to the governor, the Idaho Department of Corrections assumed control of this institution from Corrections Corporation of America.

Florida

Over an 18-month period, State Representative David Richardson, acting as a legislative inspector, conducted unannounced evaluations at the Gadsden Correctional Facility in Quincy—a women's prison with a capacity of 1,500 beds contracted to MTC since 2010. Early inspections uncovered classrooms lacking instructors and materials alongside inmates enduring prolonged periods without heat or hot water due to a failing sewage system that caused daily flooding in bathrooms and imposed water restrictions.

Although the state approved a $10,000 expenditure to replace the water heater, facility administrators postponed granting permission for repairs. MTC spokesperson Issa Arnita confirmed awareness of hot water shortages since the previous year, noting temporary fixes had been implemented but emphasizing the necessity for a comprehensive system overhaul.

On February 23, 2017, Richardson returned accompanied by fellow legislators and the director of Florida’s Department of Management Services (DMS), which oversees private prisons. In anticipation of their visit, maintenance crews addressed many of the 495 outstanding repair requests, and the state replaced its on-site monitor.

Further inspections by Richardson alongside Florida Department of Corrections investigators revealed additional problems. Inmates reported intimidation tactics that discouraged complaints; one inmate submitted an extensive list detailing 23 serious plumbing issues within a single housing unit.

In light of these discoveries, Richardson called upon Governor Rick Scott in February 2017 to mandate state assumption of management responsibilities at Gadsden Correctional Facility due to concerns over inmate health and safety.

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