Marshall Fisher appointed new MDOC commissioner

JACKSON, MS (WLOX) - Marshall Fisher is Mississippi's new Corrections Commissioner. He replaces Christopher Epps, who resigned Nov. 5 amid allegations of corruption.

"Marshall's integrity and his decades of experience overseeing complex public safety issues at the state and federal levels will be instrumental in his role as MDOC Commissioner," Governor Phil Bryant said, as he announced the appointment Friday. "He has met operational and budgetary goals in previous positions, and his time serving in the U.S. Navy lends itself to establishing the type of departmental discipline expected in Mississippi's correctional system. His first mission will be to detect and eliminate any criminal activity that occurs within our correctional facilities. I'm pleased Marshall has accepted the position and look forward to working with him."

Fisher will assume this new position in January 2015.

"I am honored to be named to this position by Governor Bryant, and I look forward to the challenge," Fisher said. "I am proud of Mississippi and am grateful for the chance to do something good for the state."

Fisher served as executive director of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics from 2005-2014, where he oversaw the state's largest methamphetamine bust and provided staff for Mississippi's first comprehensive intelligence center. Most recently, he served as state director for the Mississippi Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.

Throughout his career, he has coordinated joint operations involving DEA, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, Mississippi Highway Patrol, and numerous other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

He is retired from the Drug Enforcement Administration, where he was assigned as Agent in Charge of Mississippi DEA operations. During his tenure with the DEA, Fisher was assigned to field offices in Texas, Kansas, Kentucky and DEA Headquarters, where he served as section chief in the Office of Domestic Operations to Europe, Asia, Africa and Canada.

Fisher started his career in law enforcement as a police officer in Texas and as a parole agent in Louisiana. He is a U.S. Navy veteran and a graduate of the University of Memphis. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice.

Fisher and his wife, Thelma, have two sons, Grady and Shane, both of whom work in federal law enforcement.

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