The programs at MCE benefit public safety in our prisons and communities by keeping inmates active and engaged while incarcerated, and providing inmates who will return to the community with opportunities to learn life and job skills. Inmates develop work ethic that enables them to become productive employees, good neighbors and law-abiding, tax-paying citizens.

Several national studies indicate that inmates involved in correctional industry training programs are less likely to reoffend and are between 20 to 40 percent more likely to stay out of prison.

The majority of MCE's training programs are self-supporting. In fact, 92 percent ($18.8 million) of MCE funding is generated from self-supporting enterprise fund programs. The general fund budget of $1.7 million covers the education and vocational program’s educational component and the canteen’s three civilian staff.