Plate Shop

Through a partnership with the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles, the Rhode Island Department of Corrections has been making all license plates for the state for decades. The license plate shop was originally housed at Maximum Security before moving to its current home in the industries building at Medium Security in 1991. The license plates start out as large rolls of aluminum that are run through a blanking press where sheeting is adhered. The license plates start out as large rolls of aluminum that are run through a blanking press, before rolls of sheets are added. These sheets look like a long line of one of the various state license plates. After this, the aluminum goes through a cutting machine which creates blank plates. The individual plates go through a stamping machine that imprints the numbers and letters assigned to each plate. The plates then ride on a conveyer belt through a hot oven followed by a cool oven to create a permanent seal. At the end of the line, workers inspect each plate for imperfections. The plates are bagged and prepared for shipment to the DMV. Approximately 20 inmates work in this shop and have the chance to gain skills similar to those learned from working in a warehouse or factory. The inmates run the machinery, conduct product inspections, and clean, inspect and repair machinery all while gaining the real world skills of teamwork, listening to and respecting a supervisor, responsibility and the importance of hard work.