My City June 2021

September 2020, 19 citizens who were released from jail are now employed full-time in Genesee County, earning $10-$14 per hour. Also, Mt. Mor ris Consolidated Schools (a partner with Genesee County Jail) enrolled 463 students in the Michigan GED program this school year.The total number of participating students since I.G.N.I.T.E. began is well over 1,000. The curriculum includes 82 differ ent courses – from math, reading and writing to construction, marketing, forensics, hospitality and more. Gould

says that many inmates were interested in learning skilled trades.The NFL Alumni Association and the United Auto Workers (UAW) provided fund ing for a virtual reality station in the jail, which allows the inmates to pursue education in a variety of trades. The successful I.G.N.I.T.E. pro gram has now expanded outside of the Genesee County jail with I.G.N.I.T.E. North, located on N. Saginaw Street in Flint, providing wrap-around service (education and other services) to former inmates. It will officially open this month.

In less than a year, I.G.N.I.T.E. has come far toward its goal of creat ing a cultural change by providing education and breaking the cycle

of generational incar ceration. “We’re not interested in making better inmates –

we’re mak ing better

people,” says Capt. Gould. “It ’s the right thing to do.” x

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