Music filled the fifth floor of the Genesee County jail Friday. But expanding access to educational opportunities was the main message.
The concert was part of an announcement that the jail’s education program would soon take over the fifth floor of the building, increasing learning opportunities for more than a hundred inmates.
“This expansion shows that we not only are creating this opportunity throughout the jail … but a higher ability that’s solely focused on education,” said Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson.
“There’s not a floor that doesn’t have a chrome book, but IGNITE university is just a special unit for those who want to take it to the next level. They have a longer stay and their classes are much longer," Swanson said.
Swanson started the IGNITE program in Genesee County in 2020. It later expanded to other jurisdictions through the National Sheriff's Association. The name stands for Inmate Growth Naturally and Intentionally Through Education.
Several thousand jail inmates have used the IGNITE program to get their GED, learn financial literacy or get exposure to the arts. Swanson said studies have shown the program has led to a reduced recidivism rate in Genesee County.
County jails in 15 other states have adopted the IGNITE model.
In addition to helping inmates improve their education, the program also gives inmates access to an in-jail recording studio to produce their own music.
Grammy winner Jelly Roll performed at the Genesee County jail in 2023, returning in 2024 to open the studio that bears his name.
And on Friday, county music performer Randy Houser gave a short concert to dozens of inmates in the jail’s fifth floor.
