The Mississippi Highway Patrol is set again to partner with the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services to kick off the 2022 PROM Campaign.
PROM (Please Return On Monday) is a safety campaign in its 5th year aimed at educating teens on the importance of making safe driving decisions throughout the upcoming High School Prom Season. MHP Public Affairs Officers and MDRS client speakers are currently being scheduled to attend statewide school assembly programs to talk about seatbelt usage, impaired, and distracted driving while also discussing the impact of making risky decisions behind the wheel.
In 2019, PROM was presented to 36 schools across Mississippi in person, reaching 9,963 students. In 2020 only one program was able to be conducted due to the pandemic, but in 2021, through the use of electronic media, PROM was able to reach 3,651 students and received another 7,500 views through Facebook Live. The 2022 season looks to be a huge year with 27 programs scheduled already and an additional expectation of up to 45 programs.
“Through the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services’ continued partnership with MHP, we can provide prom-bound students with a ‘full-circle’ of consequences if they choose to drink and drive, text and drive or not buckle up,” said Chris Howard, Executive Director, Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services. “This program emphasizes the safe practices we hope students will utilize during one of the most fun nights of their high school lives and also shows a real-life look at consequences that could happen should they choose not to make safe decisions. The goal of PROM (Please Return on Monday) is to help ensure that every student makes it back home and returns to school safely.”
“As a father, the potential impact of this program on my children and others is crucial,” said Commissioner Sean Tindell. “The Mississippi Highway Patrol and the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services have built an incredible presentation of the harsh reality of consequences that come from making certain decisions. I’m proud of how many students have been impacted and how many will be impacted after they’ve experienced PROM.”
“Educating our youth about the dangers of making bad decisions behind the wheel is a mission the Mississippi Highway Patrol takes very seriously,” said Colonel Randy Ginn. “We look forward to our annual partnership with the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services for the opportunity of impacting our teens at this very crucial juncture in their lives.”
Go to here see the promotional clip for PROM.
Schools wishing to participate but unable to schedule in-person programs can request PROM posters by emailing oc@mdrs.ms.gov or showing the Please Return on Monday school resource video which can be found at this link: PROM: Mississippi School Resource Video – YouTube.
