Ernst praises Lomont for hiring incarcerated individuals from MPCF with PIE

Sen. Joni Ernst praised Lomont Molding, LLC. for hiring incarcerated individuals at the Mt. Pleasant Correctional Facility to supplement their workforce through the Prison Industry Enhancement Program.

Ernst stopped in Mt. Pleasant on Friday, April 26, during her 99 county tour, and met with Jason Bender, president and CEO of Lomont, as well as other leaders in the community.

'This will be important, not just because I think it's the right thing to do for individuals to get back on their feet, but because we do have a labor shortage in Iowa,” Ernst said. 'There are just not enough folks out there to fill all the (65,000) open positions we have across the state. We're not growing our population fast enough.”

Ernst said that the Prison Industry Enhancement Program (PIE) ties in well with the First Step Act, which was to provide additional training, resources and support systems for people in the prison systems to learn new occupations and skills. When formerly incarcerated individuals return to their communities, they will be ready to seek employment, be hired, support themselves and their families and be productive members of the community, Ernst said.

Ernst said the First Step Act and PIE will impact 'multiple generations.” Parents who exit the prison system will support their children and set a good example.

'That is a really important thing. We think the impact on future generations is going to be significant. I'm not sure if there will be ways to measure that, but it will be significant,” Ernst said.

Ernst said part of the reason she does an annual 99-county tour across Iowa and why Sen. Chuck Grassley has done it for 38 years is because she wouldn't have been able to experience the work Lomont is doing with PIE any other way.

'To come here and meet people intimately involved in the PIE program and First Step Act and understand the progress they are making through these efforts, now I can go back and communicate that, maybe to some of the naysayers who weren't in favor of the First Step Act,” Ernst said. 'I can go back and say, ‘Listen, I just saw an employer who is really excited about the opportunity they have to develop the skills of our prison population and make them better citizens.' I'm a believer. I'm sharing the word.”

Lomont announced in March that they will be supplementing their workforce with inmates from the Mt. Pleasant Correctional Facility. Incarcerated individuals will keep 20 percent of their earnings working at Lomont. The other 80 percent of their paycheck will go to federal and state taxes, social security, Medicare, victim compensation and court ordered restitution. Wages are determined by the state.

Bender said he knows other companies are watching Lomont as they incorporate PIE into their workforce.

'We accept the responsibility of knowing that other people are watching, that we have to be very aware of how we're introducing it to our workforce and to our families here,” Bender said.

Bender said there are 220 Lomont employees who work in Mt. Pleasant and more are needed. Ernst said she hears that at 'every single company” across Iowa.

'I want to encourage other employees that (PIE) is a really great opportunity to help develop some really wonderful workers. It's better to take a chance than not,” Ernst said.

Bender said that PIE will help solve the problem of how they can grow when there is a workforce shortage.

'It's not a secret our population isn't overwhelmingly growing. That doesn't mean we still can't do great and powerful things with technology, coupled with software and people,” Bender said.

Kristi Ray, executive vice president of the Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance, said that Mt. Pleasant is blessed to have the correctional facility in town.

'People think that's funny to say, but so many things in this town would not happen if it were not for those people,” Ray said. 'They set up the Christmas lights around the square, Old Threshers, clean up our parks, and are nothing but respectful. I have nothing but positive things to say about our relationship with the Mt. Pleasant Correctional Facility.”

Ray said that Lomont is training employees who will end up in communities across Iowa by hiring incarcerated individuals because after they are released from the correctional facility, they have to go to their hometown for six months.

'If this works here and they're good employees, there are going to be companies all across Iowa that will be thanking us for this,” Ray said. 'This is not something I see just as a Mt. Pleasant issue, we are doing something good for the entire state.”

Mt. Pleasant Mayor Steve Brimhall said that the city has never had a problem in the past with incarcerated individuals working around town. 'As long as the prison was willing to let us use inmates, we've been using them. They're in Central Park and all over town all the time,” he said.

Mt. Pleasant Correctional Facility warden Jay Nelson said that employing individuals while they are incarcerated will make communities safer.

'Employment reduces the chance of people going out and creating additional crimes,” Nelson said. 'We have a responsibility to make sure these guys leave better than how we brought them in. One of those is job partnering. To have this opportunity is huge for us. This is an opportunity for them to learn some skill and become contributing members of the community.”

Ernst said that allowing incarcerated individuals into the workforce is one way to help employers supplement their employees and expand their industries.

'We need to think more broadly,” Ernst said. 'We're not growing our population, and we need to discuss how we can fill those jobs.”

Ernst said that immigration reform is another option in filling positions across the state.

'We need to modernize the immigration system we have now,” Ernst said. 'There's a number of us interested in moving legislation forward. We have to come to a consensus on what that legislation will include. The easiest way to do this is by looking at the visa program we have, allowing for greater flexibility, and making sure we're meeting the needs in our state as far as those who need employment.”