> about VCE
The idea of prison industries
Does this word conjure up any positive thoughts? Probably not. Most of us have little sympathy for people who don't play by the rules. Today, this very minute, over 30,000 men and women are behind bars and razor wire in Virginia's prisons. It is not a pretty place nor should it be. Prison should be a place no one wants to go, yet it must not be a place entirely without...
For a few hard workers, there is an opportunity. An opportunity that must be earned. Nonviolent inmates that apply for and win a job with Virginia Correctional Enterprises learn some of life's most valuable lessons. Like...
A regular work schedule, accountability for what they produce and teamwork are foreign concepts to many inmates. But with a full 92 percent of inmates returning to the streets from which they came, it is to your advantage and mine that we give them some legitimate way to survive in the modern American economy. And productive work helps prison management maintain...
Each prison is a small yet complex society, one that is difficult and sometimes dangerous to control. Real work has proven to be one of the most effective ways to manage prisons. Over the years we have learned that this type of program reduces assaults and disciplinary problems and improves the positive give and take between inmates and staff. But, no matter how positive the results, we must pursue our mission with a sense of...
No one wants to take jobs from honest, hard working citizens. And we don't. To the contrary, we actually employ 160 Virginians to run the program. And because we buy many of our raw materials and supplies from Virginia businesses, we generate jobs and income that would otherwise leave our borders. It is truly a win-win proposition. Yet most people we talk to find it hard to believe that it is also...
The truth is, we pay our own way. We purchase our own equipment and supplies. We employ our own staff. You and I and every other Virginian profits because what we do helps to minimize the huge tax bite required to run the prison system. And as you can imagine, because we must be self sufficient, the only way we can employ more inmates is to earn your business. And to do that, we must make products of the highest...
Though state agencies are mandated to purchase many products through VCE, we all know that the great majority of purchases squeak in under the prescribed limits or are waived for various reasons. But we promise you this; we don't lose many orders for lack of quality. Our chairs, desks, office systems, and accessories are assembled from parts produced by some of the world's leading manufacturers. Our printing, laundry and micro-film services are second to none. Our products, our services, and our standards create an atmosphere of...
Whether or not we reach our goal is in your hands. Without your voluntary support and the help of other state agencies and non-profits, VCE can only employ a handful of inmates. Our one chance to instill responsibility, discipline, and a sense of accomplishment in those who need it most, will pass us by. Their success is our success. Because tomorrow morning, like every other morning of the year, inmates will be released to join us side-by-side on the streets of Virginia. Your purchasing power can improve the odds that they won't go back.
For more information about VCE and other offender programs, see the Virginia Department of Corrections Web site. http://www.vadoc.state.va.us