The state of Mississippi sued several companies, including Management and Training Corp. (MTC) and GEO Group, for their role in a scheme involving the payment of bribes and kickbacks to state officials in exchange for contracts with the Mississippi Department of Corrections. The state filed civil RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) lawsuits alleging that, from approximately 2007 through 2014, the companies defrauded the state by engaging in “a conspiracy scheme” involving “bribery, kickbacks, misrepresentations, fraud, concealment, money laundering and other wrongful conduct.” In January 2019, the companies settled with the state—MTC agreed to pay $5.2 million, and GEO Group agreed to pay $4.6 million.