Milwaukee County launches first-in-Wisconsin jail education program aimed at reducing repeat offenses
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) - Milwaukee County is the first jail in Wisconsin to launch the I.G.N.I.T.E. program, an initiative designed to connect incarcerated people with education, job training and life skills before they are released.
The Milwaukee County Jail officially became the 38th jail in the country to implement the program Tuesday, July 14. I.G.N.I.T.E. provides participants with access to online classes, workshops and job certification opportunities to help prepare them for life after incarceration.
Milwaukee County Sheriff Denita Ball said the goal is to ensure people leave jail better prepared than when they arrived.
"We want to make sure that the people in our care and in our custody come out better than they did when they were here. We want them to be productive citizens to have job skills and knowledge when they enter the community," Ball said.
The program has been three years in the making, and everyone housed in the Milwaukee County Jail is eligible to participate. Officials said similar programs have already produced positive results in jails across the country.
Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Sheriff Gary McFadden shared the story of one participant whose outlook changed after joining I.G.N.I.T.E.
"Until IGNITE came, he was still struggling and when he spoke, he had tears in his eyes. He said for the first time someone cared about me and my talents and abilities," McFadden said.
Roanoke City, Virginia, Sheriff Antonio Hash said correctional facilities have a responsibility to help people rebuild their lives.
"You're going to have inmates or as we call them residents in our building that are broken, under pressure, going through things in life, misunderstood or career criminals; but we have a responsibility, even in a broken place, to give people a second chance," Hash said.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office is partnering with colleges, local businesses and community volunteers to bring more education and workforce training opportunities into the jail.
Claire McNally with the National Sheriffs' Association said those investments benefit more than the people participating in the program.
"When individuals leave jail with education, life skills, and hope for the future, we get safer neighborhoods, fewer victims, and stronger communities," McNally said.