Governor Gianforte Celebrates Launch of Innovative Workforce Development Program at State Prison

DEER LODGE, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte today celebrated the launch of a new program at the Montana State Prison that provides workforce training and promises to reduce recidivism. The Last Mile (TLM) provides business technology training to incarcerated individuals in facilities across the United States.

“Today, I’m proud to welcome The Last Mile to Montana,” Gov. Gianforte said. “By providing incarcerated individuals with the tools they need to succeed and thrive in the workforce, we’ll help them successfully reenter with critical skills, reduce recidivism, and make our communities safer and stronger.”

Joined by leadership from TLM and the Montana Department of Corrections, Gov. Gianforte marked the program’s launch with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and classroom tour. During the tour the governor heard from TLM Web Development Program participants about their progress and development.

The Last Mile’s Web Development Program teaches participants to create websites and full-stack web applications using industry standard technologies, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, Node, Express, and MongoDB.

Operating programs in five other states, The Last Mile supports successful reentry of incarcerated individuals by providing them business and technology resources as well as connecting them with employment opportunities.