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Missouri Vocational Enterprises operates on a working capital revolving fund and does not receive any tax dollars from the general revenue.

Missouri state statute 217.575 requires that all Missouri state agencies purchase from Missouri Vocational Enterprises (MVE). In addition to state agencies, government agencies, Missouri cities and counties, not-for-profit entities, and current and retired state team members may all purchase from MVE.

The residents will complete an application for the position in which they are interested in within the MVE factory(s) located onsite. To be considered for employment, the resident must be of good behavior, show a strong desire to learn a skill, and must possess a GED. If the minimum requirements are met, then the applicants are interviewed to simulate a real-world environment. Our program is voluntary to the residents and is helpful for gaining experience and education prior to reentry.

We offer a wide variety of products, from custom created furnishings down to toilet paper! Please view our Products page to see all of the many items that we produce.

MVE offers a generous warranty on a variety of our products! Most of our products come standard with a three- or five-year warranty. Each product will have the warranty information included in the product description. We stand behind our quality products and the value that they bring!

Missouri Vocational Enterprises is proud of the quality products and services provided by the vocational enterprises program.

 4.  The vocational enterprises program shall fix and determine the prices at which goods and produce so manufactured and produced and services so provided shall be furnished, and the prices shall be uniform to all.  The cost shall not be fixed at more than the market price for like goods and services.

 5.  Any differences between the vocational enterprises program and the state, its departments, divisions, agencies, institutions, or the political subdivisions of the state as to style, design, price or quality of goods shall be submitted to arbitrators whose decision shall be final.  One of the arbitrators shall be named by the program, one by the office, department, political subdivision or institution concerned, and one by agreement of the other two.  The arbitrators shall receive no compensation; however, their necessary expenses shall be paid by the office, department, political subdivision or institution against which the award is given, or, in the event of a compromise decision, by both parties, the amount to be paid by each party in portions to be determined by the arbitrators.

 6.  The vocational enterprises program may sell office systems and furniture to any department, agency, or institution of the state or any political subdivision of the state either through outright purchase or through payment plan agreement, including handling charges, over a specified number of months contingent on the solvency of the working capital revolving fund.  Prior approval shall be required by the division of facilities management, design and construction for state agencies in situations where the office of administration controlled state-owned office space is involved and space in which a lease contract executed by the office of administration is in effect.

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(L. 1982 H.B. 1196 § 101, A.L. 1989 H.B. 408, A.L. 1994 S.B. 763, A.L. 2014 H.B. 1299 Revision)

217.590.  Violations of sections 217.575 and 217.580, penalty. — Any person who knowingly refuses or neglects to comply with the provisions of sections  217.575 and  217.580 shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a class A misdemeanor.

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(L. 1982 H.B. 1196 § 104)

 217.580.  Catalog of products furnished public officers — institutions to report estimates of needs. — 1.  The department shall develop a program to promote the products and services available from the vocational enterprises program.

 2.  Once every year, the vocational enterprises program shall issue a descriptive list of the styles, designs, qualities and types of goods, materials or services available for the ensuing year.

 3.  On July first of each year the proper officers of the state and of the divisions, agencies and institutions and political subdivisions of the state shall report to the vocational enterprises program estimates for the ensuing year of the amount of supplies of different kinds or the types of services required to be purchased by them that can or may be furnished by the vocational enterprises program.

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(L. 1982 H.B. 1196 § 102, A.L. 1989 H.B. 408, A.L. 1994 S.B. 763)

 217.550.  Prison industries and services program created — director to administer — approval required — report submitted to director, contents. — 1.  The department shall establish and operate at its correctional centers a vocational enterprise program which includes industries, services, vocational training, and agribusiness operations.  The director shall have general supervision over planning, establishment and management of all vocational enterprise operations provided by and within the department and shall decide at which correctional center each vocational enterprise shall be located, taking into consideration the offender custody levels, the number of offenders in each correctional center so the best service or distribution of labor may be secured, location and convenience of the correctional centers in relation to the other correctional centers to be supplied or served and the machinery presently contained in each correctional center.

 2.  No service shall be established or renewed without prior approval by the advisory board of vocational enterprises program established by section  217.555.  The board shall make a finding that the establishment of the service shall be beneficial to those offenders involved and shall not adversely affect any statewide economic group or industry.

 3.  The annual report of Missouri vocational enterprises submitted to the director shall include:

 (1)  A list of the correctional industries, services, vocational training programs, and agribusinesses in operation;

 (2)  A list of correctional industries, services, vocational training programs, and agribusinesses started, terminated, moved, expanded, or reduced during the period;

 (3)  The average number of offenders employed in each correctional industry, service, vocational training program, or agribusiness operation;

 (4)  The volume of sales of articles, services, and materials manufactured, grown, processed or provided;

 (5)  An operating statement showing the profit or loss of each industry, service, vocational training program, and agribusiness operation;

 (6)  The amount of sales to state agencies or institutions, to political subdivisions of the state, or any other entity with which the vocational enterprise program does business, and the amount of open market sales, if any; and< Such other information concerning the correctional industries, services, vocational training programs, and agribusiness operations as requested by the director.

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(L. 1982 H.B. 1196 § 96, A.L. 1989 H.B. 408, A.L. 1990 H.B. 974, A.L. 1994 S.B. 763, A.L. 2015 S.B. 58)

217.575.   Sales of goods or services to state or political subdivisions — promotion — price — certification of nonavailability required for state purchases, when. — 1.  All goods manufactured, services provided or produce of the vocational enterprises program of the state shall, upon the requisition of the proper official, be furnished to the state, to any public institution owned, managed or controlled by the state, or to any private entity that is leasing space to any agency of the state government for use in space leased to the state agency, at such prices as shall be determined as provided in subsection 4 of this section.

 2.  No goods or services so manufactured, provided or produced shall be purchased from any other source for the state or public institutions of the state unless the department shall certify the goods or services included in the requisition cannot be furnished or supplied by the vocational enterprises program within ninety days, or, in the event the same goods or services cannot be procured on the open market within ninety days, that the vocational enterprises program cannot supply them within a reasonable time.  No claims for the payment of such goods or services shall be audited or paid without this certificate.  One copy each of the requisition or certificate shall be retained by the department.

 3.  The division of purchasing and the division of facilities management, design and construction shall cooperate with the department in seeking to promote for use by state agencies and in state-owned or -occupied facilities the products manufactured and services provided by the vocational enterprises program.

 4.  The vocational enterprises program shall fix and determine the prices at which goods and produce so manufactured and produced and services so provided shall be furnished, and the prices shall be uniform to all.  The cost shall not be fixed at more than the market price for like goods and services.

 5.  Any differences between the vocational enterprises program and the state, its departments, divisions, agencies, institutions, or the political subdivisions of the state as to style, design, price or quality of goods shall be submitted to arbitrators whose decision shall be final.  One of the arbitrators shall be named by the program, one by the office, department, political subdivision or institution concerned, and one by agreement of the other two.  The arbitrators shall receive no compensation; however, their necessary expenses shall be paid by the office, department, political subdivision or institution against which the award is given, or, in the event of a compromise decision, by both parties, the amount to be paid by each party in portions to be determined by the arbitrators.

 6.  The vocational enterprises program may sell office systems and furniture to any department, agency, or institution of the state or any political subdivision of the state either through outright purchase or through payment plan agreement, including handling charges, over a specified number of months contingent on the solvency of the working capital revolving fund.  Prior approval shall be required by the division of facilities management, design and construction for state agencies in situations where the office of administration controlled state-owned office space is involved and space in which a lease contract executed by the office of administration is in effect.

­­——–

(L. 1982 H.B. 1196 § 101, A.L. 1989 H.B. 408, A.L. 1994 S.B. 763, A.L. 2014 H.B. 1299 Revision)

217.590.  Violations of sections 217.575 and 217.580, penalty. — Any person who knowingly refuses or neglects to comply with the provisions of sections  217.575 and  217.580 shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a class A misdemeanor.

­­——–

(L. 1982 H.B. 1196 § 104)

 217.580.  Catalog of products furnished public officers — institutions to report estimates of needs. — 1.  The department shall develop a program to promote the products and services available from the vocational enterprises program.

 2.  Once every year, the vocational enterprises program shall issue a descriptive list of the styles, designs, qualities and types of goods, materials or services available for the ensuing year.

 3.  On July first of each year the proper officers of the state and of the divisions, agencies and institutions and political subdivisions of the state shall report to the vocational enterprises program estimates for the ensuing year of the amount of supplies of different kinds or the types of services required to be purchased by them that can or may be furnished by the vocational enterprises program.

­­——–

(L. 1982 H.B. 1196 § 102, A.L. 1989 H.B. 408, A.L. 1994 S.B. 763)

 217.550.  Prison industries and services program created — director to administer — approval required — report submitted to director, contents. — 1.  The department shall establish and operate at its correctional centers a vocational enterprise program which includes industries, services, vocational training, and agribusiness operations.  The director shall have general supervision over planning, establishment and management of all vocational enterprise operations provided by and within the department and shall decide at which correctional center each vocational enterprise shall be located, taking into consideration the offender custody levels, the number of offenders in each correctional center so the best service or distribution of labor may be secured, location and convenience of the correctional centers in relation to the other correctional centers to be supplied or served and the machinery presently contained in each correctional center.

 2.  No service shall be established or renewed without prior approval by the advisory board of vocational enterprises program established by section  217.555.  The board shall make a finding that the establishment of the service shall be beneficial to those offenders involved and shall not adversely affect any statewide economic group or industry.

 3.  The annual report of Missouri vocational enterprises submitted to the director shall include:

 (1)  A list of the correctional industries, services, vocational training programs, and agribusinesses in operation;

 (2)  A list of correctional industries, services, vocational training programs, and agribusinesses started, terminated, moved, expanded, or reduced during the period;

 (3)  The average number of offenders employed in each correctional industry, service, vocational training program, or agribusiness operation;

 (4)  The volume of sales of articles, services, and materials manufactured, grown, processed or provided;

 (5)  An operating statement showing the profit or loss of each industry, service, vocational training program, and agribusiness operation;

 (6)  The amount of sales to state agencies or institutions, to political subdivisions of the state, or any other entity with which the vocational enterprise program does business, and the amount of open market sales, if any; and

 (7)  Such other information concerning the correctional industries, services, vocational training programs, and agribusiness operations as requested by the director.

­­——–

(L. 1982 H.B. 1196 § 96, A.L. 1989 H.B. 408, A.L. 1990 H.B. 974, A.L. 1994 S.B. 763, A.L. 2015 S.B. 58)

The objective of Missouri Vocational Enterprises is to develop personal responsibility in offenders through the development of diverse training programs. This enhances their employability and opportunity for success while incarcerated and upon release.

MVE is responsible for 21 different industries and services located in 12 correctional institutions throughout the state of Missouri. Since its beginning over 50 years ago, the program has been revised, expanded, and re-evaluated to continue implementing improvements. MVE takes great pride in producing a wide variety of quality products and services. However, MVE’s most important goal is a successful resident that returns to society and can gain meaningful employment due to the training that was received while incarcerated.