Oprah Winfrey once said: “If you are still breathing, you have a second chance.”
Second chances come in many forms. It can be a chance to revisit a friendship or heal a broken relationship with a family member. For some individuals who found themselves incarcerated at the Winston-Choctaw Regional Correctional Facility, the second chance has come in the form of the ELITE program.
The “elite” in the ELITE program stands for Enhanced Learning for Incarcerated Training and Education. Glen Haab with the Winston Partnership explained that the program came about because of a need for “talent” or skilled individuals who were ready to go to work in local industries. For Winston County, this means employers such as The Taylor Group of Companies and Kloeckner Metals needed individuals skilled in areas such as welding.
Haab explained that current trends in employment, particularly here in Mississippi, made the ELITE program an excellent choice for Winston County. He noted that while one generation of workers is approaching retirement age, many of those preparing to enter the workforce aren’t fully equipped with skills that match the industries here. Filling this “talent gap” is just one reason that the ELITE program was established.
The ELITE program, however, is so much more than just filling jobs in Winston County.
When those who partnered to create the ELITE program came together to consider the talent gap in the area, they also considered who could benefit from specialized training. With Mississippi being a state with one of the highest incarceration rates – as well as one of the highest recidivism rates – the partners saw potential in one of the “forgotten” populations in the state – the inmate.
In Mississippi, according to a Magnolia Tribune report from June 2023, 575 of every 100,000 people in the Magnolia State are currently incarcerated. This same report noted that currently, 19,500 people are serving time in Mississippi prisons. PrisonPolicy.org claims that, when considering booking data from local and city jails, a whopping 84,000 different people are booked each year. Super Talk reports that, in 2022, the recidivism rate in Mississippi was a shocking 77 percent for five years (meaning that, within release from serving time for one offense, there is a 77 percent chance the individual will re-offend).
In many communities, individuals who spent time in prison – or even in a local facility – were considered flawed, second-rate, and unemployable.
The ELITE program is working to change that stigma.
While the Winston Partnership is facilitating the program, Haab noted that the success of the program is based on the various partners who are working together to give participants from Winston-Choctaw Regional Correctional Facility a second chance.
Certainly, one of the most involved partners in the program are those who are providing the training to program participants. The Louisville Municipal School District as well as East Central Community College has partnered to provide training, specifically in the area of welding. ECCC helped to garner the Accelerate MS grant which primarily funds the program, while the Winston-Louisville Career Technical Center, under the direction of Shane McDaniel, provides the facilities for training. Both McDaniel and Jimmy Rushing are the instructors for the program.
Funding is also provided by the TVA, Accelerate MS, and Winston Community Development.
Haab noted that McDaniel was hugely instrumental in structuring the program in its current form.
The education and preparation for entering the workforce with a desired skillset doesn’t stop with welding classes. Community Counseling Services is providing services to participants. “With Andrew Levine, along with CCS, they are providing a key service to program participants in substance abuse counseling,” said Haab. Levine noted that his therapists at CCS are really diving into the thought processes of those in counseling in order to help provide them with ways to improve their mental health. He also noted that, when CCS was asked to come on board, he took a look at the great responsibility of helping the participants have “full redemption.” Addressing any possible mental health and/or substance abuse issues that might have lead to incarceration was paramount to the task.
The program consists of a “cohort,” which is eight individual participants, who participate in the two-year program. They participate in four months of actual welding training. Each participant must be within twelve to eighteen months away from possible parole.
First, they begin the program by working on completing High School Equivalency (HSE) work, if necessary. While there are exceptions, many incarcerated individuals do not formally graduate from high school, so this is priority in the ELITE program. During the day, participants also pursue NCCER certification, which is the National Council for Construction and Educational Research. In the evenings, hands-on training takes place. Basic welding, metal fabrication, blueprint-reading and metal fitting and forklift training are all a part of the skills taught as a part of the program. Advanced welding is also part of the instructional plan, which acts as the capstone class for the program.
The first cohort recently completed training. The program began with eight participants, and five completed all training requirements. During the process, local manufacturers “put eyes” on the participants, which is highly important. The interview process is also a part of the program, and, upon successful completion, the Winston Partnership will then outfit the successful candidate with items needed to go to work.
Haab noted that local HR managers have been very receptive to the program. Needing to fill the “talent gap,” these individuals are also helping to provide the second chance that so many of these individuals desperately need.
Among others who are making the ELITE program a success are administrators and support staff at Winston-Choctaw Regional Correctional Facility. Warden Terrance Watt has opened up the facility to the program, and he’s assisted by the prison chaplain, Reverend Anthony McIntosh. Watt makes sure that participants are transported to and from classes and substance abuse counseling. A reserved individual, Mr. Watt is proactive in making sure that the program is supported. Reverend McIntosh, who works with the incarcerated on a daily basis and is an advocate for programs to assist the incarcerated to a reintroduction to society, described the ELITE program as a “Godsend” and a “blessing.” “The ELITE program has certainly been a Godsend for the men who have been able to participate in the program. When you advocate for change, it’s truly a blessing when a door like this opens for a man to better his life after being reprimanded for wrongdoing. I’m glad to have the opportunity to be able to sit at the table and discuss opportunities for this program to help individuals experience what so many have. This is needed within the criminal justice system and that is real rehabilitation. The ELITE program is providing real rehabilitation for incarcerated men who really want to better their lives after their dismissal from MDOC. Something I learned from a mentor is just because you have a bumpy ride doesn’t mean you will never reach your destination. I heed to this because I now stand in a position after having a bumpy ride myself. I am blessed to be able to help others achieve a better life if they want to.”
Together with the local school district, ECCC, Community Counseling Services, and several other partners, the Winston Partnership is helping to give hope to those willing to try to make their lives better. They are not only helping to fill jobs, but they also benefit society as a whole by becoming successful citizens, in spite of, as Rev. Mac noted, a “bumpy ride” to achieve that prosperity.
