Mike Gross

PRIDE is a self-funded enterprise whose mission makes a positive difference in Florida. We make communities safer and save taxpayers money by training eligible inmates in vocational skills and transitioning them into the job market upon completion of their sentences. This job-centered approach lowers the number of repeat offenders and reduces criminal justice costs for all citizens. Customers invest in Florida when they purchase PRIDE products and services by starting the training-to-job cycle. PRIDE is not run for a profit; instead we combine enterprise with social mission to create a positive impact on communities, people, and customers. For over 30 years PRIDE has helped keep Florida communities safe by significantly reducing recidivism rates of ex-offenders. Inmates receive real world skills through over 40 job training centers offering hundreds of certifications that prepare them for re-entry as productive citizens. Inmates that participate in PRIDE training programs are three times less likely to commit a new offense upon release from a correctional institution than non-participants. PRIDE is the only private program of its type in the US and operates as a not-for-profit corporation, with board oversight, to fulfill four missions defined by Florida statute. PRIDE is funded exclusively through the net proceeds from sales of products and services manufactured by PRIDE inmate training programs. PRIDE serves as a model example of the privatization of government functions and reduces the cost of state government for Florida's taxpayers by millions of dollars every year.