Posted by Bill Osborne
Bradley Lum, CEO of Mississippi Prison Industries Corporation (MPIC), spoke to the Rotary Club of North Jackson about MPIC at the club's April 6 meeting. Lum is a graduate of the University of Mississippi where he was a relief pitcher on the baseball team and of the Mississippi  College School of Law.
 
According to Lum, MPIC is a non-profit corporation that receives no direct appropriations from the State. It operates solely on monies generated from the sale of the products it creates. Those funds are then reinvested into the corporation (training and certification, transitional support, creating classrooms, supplying teaching materials, etc.), MPIC is able to offer on-the-job training and work experiences to inmate workers because of its independence in generating its own cash flow. MPIC operates in four correctional facilities throughout the state of Mississippi including the State Penitentiary in Parchman and the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Rankin County. Products produced by MPIC are offered through a full-service sales division The products that MPIC produces and sells include printing, metal fabrication, office furniture, products for schools and universities, and items for correctional facilities. The organization is developing an online store.
 
Within the MPIC program, inmates learn trades that give them marketable skills upon their release. Per its brochure, the mission of MPIC is "leading offenders to a brighter future through job training and realistic work experiences." The ultimate goal of MPIC is to have a creditable impact on the recidivism rate of the work program participants. Per Lum, the current recidivism rate is 35% after three years and 72% after seven years.
 
Lum also discussed the HOPE Alliance which is a collaboration of MPIC and the Mississipi Department of Corrections (MDOC). HOPE offers comprehensive programming for offenders currently incarcerated and connects returning citizens with community-based employers as they integrate back into society. Its mission statement is " We are committed to providing HOPE to returning citizens by way of comprehensive outcome-driven pathways that led to long-term sustainability."

We thank Lum for his presentation and for his service to the State of Mississippi. His presentation and the complete meeting can be seen by clicking on the following link https://vimeo.com/534204033. Lum is shown in the following photo (left) with club Program Director Jenny Price (center) and North Jackson President Lee Carney (right).