Under is a press launch from the Mississippi Division of Corrections:

The Rankin County Sheriff’s Division teamed up with KLLM trucking firm to supply a tractor trailer rig for the Mississippi Division of Corrections to make use of for its industrial driver’s license coaching program for inmates.

The Rankin Sheriff’s Legal Interdiction Group, with the help of Rankin County District Lawyer Bubba Bramlett, seized the 2008 Worldwide Professional-Star rig and KLLM supplied a 48-foot trailer, a complete bundle value about $90,000, which the MDOC will use to assist practice inmates for careers in truck driving after their launch.

Sheriff Bryan Bailey stated his thought to donate the truck when he heard Commissioner Burl Cain converse concerning the MDOC’s industrial driver’s program. His deputies had seized the truck on Interstate 20 the place Mexican drug cartels had been utilizing a secret compartment within the truck to move medication into Mississippi. Sheriff Bailey gained unanimous approval from the Rankin County Board of Supervisors to supply the donation.

“It doesn’t appear to be a lot, however it’s a life-changing rig,” stated Sheriff Bailey, who added that “God laid it on my coronary heart” to supply the donation. “It could actually have an effect on a whole bunch of lives by serving to these women and men get [a] industrial driver’s license.”

Commissioner Cain had secured the funds for driving simulators, however lacked a tractor trailer rig for palms on coaching. He was shocked and excited when informed concerning the sheriff’s donation. All that was wanted was a trailer for the truck to drag and that’s the place KLLM got here into the image.

Commissioner Cain and Sheriff Bailey contacted Jim Richards of KLLM Transport Companies who instantly stated his firm would donate a trailer. Commissioner Cain and MAGCOR CEO Bradley Lum had been offered the keys to the rig on Thursday, June 30.

Richards stated the partnership between enterprise and regulation enforcement is necessary in serving to to make a constructive distinction for individuals ultimately popping out of jail.

“It’s a method that enterprise can work together with regulation enforcement to attempt to change individuals’s lives. This factor will go so much additional by altering lives, maintaining them out of jail,” Richards stated. “If we are able to proceed serving to individuals be taught a ability, get them productive, get them assist of their households, then no matter little piece we are able to play, we’d love to do this.”  

Commissioner Cain stated he by no means imagined visiting with KLLM and getting a trailer out of the deal, however he praised the corporate for his or her contribution to serving to

inmates. The commissioner stated the tractor trailer rig can be put into use initially at Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman.

“They only gave us a college. We’re going to have inmates employable, much less victims of violent crime; they’ll have jobs with they get out of jail all due to these

two gents,” Commissioner Cain stated of Sheriff Bailey and Richards. “They’re giving this to us, to the state of Mississippi to have a college to assist prisoners. That’s unimaginable. That’s superb.”

Profitable re-entry of inmates into the workforce via gainful employment and never returning to jail has been a precedence for the Mississippi Legislature in current

years. The industrial driver’s program is certainly one of a number of vocational coaching applications arising from laws that expanded a pilot program began in Rankin

County in 2021 to incorporate the MDOC and different counties. Commissioner Cain had stated he needed to begin many re-entry applications, such because the industrial driver’s program, from scratch – ultimately resulting in the truck donation.