Nail tech school opens at Mississippi women’s prison

RANKIN COUNTY, Miss. (WLBT) - A new nail technician training program has opened at the Mississippi Correctional Institute for Women, giving students the chance to earn a career credential before they return to their communities.

The Central Mississippi Beauty College held a ribbon cutting for the program, which is designed to help women preparing for release.

Nykyia Brown, who is enrolled in the program, said she has worried about finding work after serving time.

“I always wonder like, with a record, what I do when I get out, like who will hire me or who want a convicted felon working for them,” Brown said.

Program addresses reentry goals

The nail academy is a state board-certified program available to women while they are still serving time.

Mississippi Department of Corrections Commissioner Burl Cain said the program supports a broader goal the department and the state have been working toward.

“If you have a skill that someone can use to make money and that may have income, then you’re more apt to get a job and be employed,” Cain said.

Inmates from the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility built the facility and added the artwork inside it ahead of the start of classes.

Roughly 17 to 18 week program

Nail school instructor Terrica Knight-Hatten said the program will run approximately 17 to 18 weeks.

“If I can help even one woman leave here with a license, a career, confidence and a new direction in life, then I know this program has made a difference,” Knight-Hatten said.

Program Specialist Erica Smith said the significance of the program goes beyond the new facility.

“This is not just a grand opening of a nail school. This is an opportunity for power,” Smith said.

Brown said the program has given her motivation for her future.

“It really motivated me to know that I got a second chance to go back out there and start over and make new choices, new decisions and to reform myself,” Brown said.

The school’s first class includes 16 students and two student instructors.

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