MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2014 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Dawkins, Burton, Butler (38th), Frazier, Jackson (11th), Jackson (32nd), Lee, Simmons (12th), Simmons (13th)
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION MOURNING THE LOSS AND COMMENDING THE PUBLIC SERVICE OF DR. DONALD A. CABANA, FORMER WARDEN AND SUPERINTENDENT OF THE MISSISSIPPI STATE PENITENTIARY.
WHEREAS, Dr. Donald A. Cabana, former Warden and Superintendent of the Mississippi State Penitentiary and respected expert on criminal justice and corrections, passed away on October 7, 2013; and
WHEREAS, he was born on October 29, 1945, in Lowell, Massachusetts, the third child and second son of parents, Samuel and Dorothy Walker Cabana; and
WHEREAS, Don proudly served as an Air Force Medic during the height of the Vietnam War before earning a degree in Criminal Justice at Northeastern University in 1972. He also received his Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Southern Mississippi, followed by a Ph.D. in Adult Education; and
WHEREAS, his work in corrections spanned more than 40 years, taking him from his home state of Massachusetts to Florida, Missouri, and finally, his adopted home of Mississippi. He served as a Deputy Warden and Warden in Missouri before being appointed Superintendent of the Mississippi State Penitentiary in 1984. He later served as Superintendent of the South Mississippi Correctional Institution from 1989 to 1991, retiring to pursue a career in academia. He left corrections work for academic life in the early 1990s, largely because of his distaste for the death penalty; and
WHEREAS, he taught as a Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Southern Mississippi for 10 years, serving as Chair of the Department from 2005 to 2006. A published author and death penalty expert, he later became Warden of the Harrison County Adult Detention Center, as well as founder and first Chair of the Criminal Justice Program at William Carey University; and
WHEREAS, Don spent much of his time in classrooms, at public forums and in statehouses decrying capital punishment as an ineffectual deterrent to crime, an expensive burden for taxpayers and an inhumane form of punishment, not only for the men and women who face execution but also for those who carry it out; and
WHEREAS, Mississippi Corrections Commissioner Christopher B. Epps said, "Dr. Cabana was well-known and well-respected in the corrections community. We were extremely fortunate to have obtained his service and commitment"; and
WHEREAS, he was a faithful and active member of St. Thomas Catholic Church in Hattiesburg. Although he touched the lives of countless individuals during his 67 years, he will be deeply missed by those who loved him most: his best friend and beloved wife of 47 years, Miriam Sue Ables Cabana; three sons: Scott Cabana (Melissa Dalby), Samuel Ashley Cabana and Christopher Cabana (Kelsey Lopez Cabana); three daughters: Michelle Hillman (Eddie Hillman), Angela Cabana-Allseitz (Steven Allseitz) and Kristin Fitzgerald (Jared Fitzgerald); six grandchildren: Dominic, Brittany, Joshua, Laura, Jackson and Samuel; and his brother, Albert Cabana (Betty Cabana); and
WHEREAS, we pay tribute to the memory of this most public spirited citizen of our state and we extend the thanks of a grateful state to his surviving family for sharing Don with us:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby mourn the loss and commend the public service of Dr. Donald A. Cabana, former Warden and Superintendent of the Mississippi State Penitentiary, and extend our sympathy to his surviving family on his passing.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to the surviving family of Don Cabana, forwarded to Mississippi Corrections Commissioner Christopher B. Epps, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.