Texas is known for job creation—the state adds jobs while others are hemorrhaging them. But who knew that entrepreneurial spirit extended to prison cells?
Prison Fellowship reports on the InnerChange Freedom Initiative, a nonprofit organization which operates in one of Texas’s prisons. The Initiative encourages inmates to formulate and present business start-up ideas. After six months of work, including putting together a vision, executive summary, mission statement, objectives, goals, and operations plans, participants in the Initiative present their plans to local business owners for review.
The business initiation ideas sometimes continue after release: since the Initiative began the competition, 33 former inmates have started their own businesses. This not only creates gainful employment, which reduces the risk of recidivism, but boosts the local economy.
That’s usually called a win-win situation.