INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT Education and Workforce
“I’m reliable – I will show up, and you can
count on me,” Rainey emphasizes. He is often asked by the program to share his story
with prisoners and business leaders alike.
PEP is a business success story in itself: a
2015 budget of $2.7 million, funded entirely
by donations, has returned more than $9.2
million to the public. The U.S. has the world’s
largest prison population, at 1.5 million inmates. The average annual cost to keep an
inmate for one year is $21,390, according
to a report from the Vera Institute of Justice,
while the cost to put the men through PEP is
significantly less.
But beyond keeping men out of prison and
off taxpayers’ roll, the soft benefits of the
program also include more than 800 relatives – many of them children – reconnecting
Dale Scofield embraces a PEP student. The CEO mentors learn as much from the program as the participants.
T
he program is a proven success, with the numbers to
back it up. The national average three-year recidivism
rate for all prisoners is around 50 percent. For graduates
of PEP, that rate is cut to 7 percent. Employment is a big
part of that success: within 90 days of being released from
prison, 100 percent of graduates are employed. Since the
beginning of the program, almost 200 businesses have
been started by graduates and at least two are already
grossing more than $1 million per year.
The program is a proven success, with the
In his first year of business, Rainey has already
numbers to back it up. The national average
secured several important contracts and has
three-year recidivism rate for all prisoners
earned more than $80,000 in sales. He has
is around 50 percent. For graduates of PEP,
purchased a second vehicle to expand his
that rate is cut to 7 percent. Employment is
reach and is working hard to ensure he hires
a big part of that success: within 90 days of
the right employees to help take his business
being released from prison, 100 percent of
to the next level. Rainey is proud of his repu-
graduates are employed. Since the begin-
tation of being reliable and on-time. He often
ning of the program, almost 200 business-
finds himself transporting important business
es have been started by graduates and at
leaders, jet-setters and A-list Hollywood celeb-
least two are already grossing more than
rities. Many of his contracts have come from
Ken Dunham discusses the business plan of
$1 million per year.
connections he created through the program.
a PEP participant.
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FALL/WINTER 2015