Maryland Correctional Enterprises’ mission is to “provide structured employment and training activities for offenders in order to improve employability upon release, to enhance safety and security, to reduce prison idleness, to produce quality, saleable goods and services, and to be a financially self-supporting State Agency.”
For nearly 40 years MCE (previously State Use Industries) has been tirelessly working on fulfilling this mission and consequently changing lives for the better. As you could expect, we have many success stories under our belts and we are proud to share some of them on this blog.
Meet Bronwynn Byers
Bronwynn Byers is a former Maryland Correctional Enterprises (MCE) inmate participant that was able to secure a position as a Designer at MCE Headquarters immediately after her release.
To watch Bronwynn’s interview and learn her story click here
Power of Influence
Every young person gets showered with cliche sayings from their parents, grandparents, and teachers. Surely, you could recall at least a dozen examples from your own childhood (or maybe from your more recent experience as a parent) with the notorious “Because I said so” as a staple.
But not all of those sayings were cliches… Definitely not the one on choosing carefully who you surround yourself with.
The power of influence has been already extensively discussed and proven - it can be used for good or it can be used for bad. Just think about people in your life and how some of them with such an ease positively influence your day, your work performance, your view of the world, etc.
On the other hand, the bad influence can lead you to make questionable choices that surprise not only your friends and family, but even yourself! Before you’re able to realize what is happening, it is already too late.
Complete Transformation
Bronwynn Byers learned the power of bad influence the hard way. She comes from a good and well-structured family. She smiles when she speaks of her childhood, her mom, and her family. Her mom was a hard worker that tried her best to make sure her daughter had everything she needed to be happy.
Things changed when Bronwynn started to hang out with the wrong crowd. One thing led to another, she made one bad decision after another and ended up with a 30-year sentence.
Shortly after her incarceration, Bronwynn learned about MCE’s program from one of the Correctional Officers. She has tears in her eyes when she’s asked to talk about her experience with MCE. The work at one of the MCE shops and mentors she met there helped her to find a new purpose and meaning in her life. Today, Bronwynn is thriving. She has maintained and re-established positive influences in her life which has enabled her to excel in her personal and professional life.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Bronwynn's CASE STUDY
Bronwynn is one of many MCE participants that, promptly after release, was able to obtain stability thanks to saved earnings and soft and trade skills acquired throughout her time with MCE. Throughout the next couple of months, we will be introducing more former MCE participants that are a living testimony of MCE’s mission and vision statements.
Written by: Natalia F.