About Us

State of Rhode Island

Department of Corrections: Correctional Industries

Mission:

To produce quality salable goods and services for all state agencies, municipalities, and non-profits, while remaining financially self-supporting, and at the same time create a world of work atmosphere employing inmates in marketable skills.

Vision:

The vision of Correctional Industries is to change lives, reaching as many offenders as possible by increasing vital work opportunities. With ninety-seven percent of all incarcerated offenders eventually returning to our communities, it is the responsibility of Correctional Industries to ensure offenders are properly equipped to return to the community with necessary skills.

Rhode Island Correctional Industries (RICI) is able to play a pivotal role in providing job skills and job training to offenders. Critical to the success of our mission is the fostering of new programs offered to the offender which afford them with the tools to succeed. Effective specialized training programs allow offenders to demonstrate a high level of expertise in their work output in turn increasing product quality as well as increasing offenders’ marketability to potential employers ensuring the possibility of a successful reentry. The proper focus on reentry and successful business planning allows for the proper investment in programs that provide skills that are meaningful, that are found in the private sector, and allow us to achieve our mission.

A holistic approach to rehabilitation, our hope is to provide a sound work ethic, self-confidence as well as a sense of accomplishment thereby reducing the probability that the offender will recidivate. Ultimately, making a difference in the lives of an offender that translates into productive taxpaying citizens and overall safer communities.

History:

RICI is a rehabilitative program that started in 1934 with the purpose of providing job skills for offenders and is now a thriving local business that employs approximately 130 offenders who will use those skills to lead productive lives upon their release. Today, RICI has multiple manufacturing shops in the Medium and Maximum facilities located on the ACI grounds, including autobody, upholstery, furniture, warehouse, license plate, garment, and print shop. Minimum security provides outside crews whom maintain Water Place Park, janitorial crews at Department of Labor and Training, moving crews for furniture delivery, assembly and installation crews, along with specialized crews trained to read and understand furniture/space planning blue prints to successfully facilitate power and data connections.

RICI Customers:

Our customers consist of Rhode Island government entities like colleges, schools, cities, towns, hospitals, police and fire departments, social service agencies, non-profits, and other governmental agencies who can reap the benefits from our service of providing high quality products at a modest price.

RICI is a self-supporting local business:

All RICI state employee staff salaries, inmate worker wages, and the costs of production and manufacturing are paid from RICI’s sales of goods and services and receive no tax-payer funds. By law, RICI's customer base is limited and these restrictions strike a compromise between the important goals of protecting private companies from unfair competition and providing meaningful work and job training to help offenders succeed when they return to their communities.

RIDOC's Correctional Industries Policy:

RIDOC’s Correctional Industries Policy

Correctional Industries operates under R.I.G.L. 13-7-1, Prison Made Goods, also referred to as the "State Use Law." This statute allows Prison Made Goods and Services to be sold to state agencies, cities, towns, and non-profit organizations.