Kalamazoo County adds ‘Ignite’ to interrupt cycle of incarceration
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — Johnell Allen-Bey was just 23 when he was sentenced to decades in prison for murder. By the time he got out of prison at 52, he said, he was a different person thanks to education.
“I learned that by investing in myself and having the credentials, doors could be opened,” he told News 8.
Today, he’s in a leadership role for the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, directing community engagement. That county launched the IGNITE program, which is now being used across several states. Kalamazoo County announced Tuesday it was the second county in Michigan to launch it.
Allen-Bey said IGNITE helps people who have gone through experiences like him.
“I’m a living example that the program works,” he said.
IGNITE ensures inmates get education and can secure their diploma. It also helps them develop life skills and get connected with job opportunities. Allen-Bey said it gives inmates a sense of value and empowers them to build or rebuild their career.
“These people are eager to establish themselves,” he said. “They’re eager to be there (at work) on time, they’re eager to prove that I belong in society. Giving that opportunity will make your company better.”
Kent County jail offers resources to help veterans ‘move past problems’
The program is aimed at ending the cycle of incarceration to improve inmates’ lives and make the community safer.
“I think people look at these facilities as warehouses for people we don’t want in our community,” Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller said. “I think that is a bad way of looking at things. Ultimately, 90% of the population that goes to jail comes back home.”
“We want to make sure when they come back home, they’ve been given some opportunities to start thinking a little differently or start thinking about their options in life,” Fuller continued. “And start thinking about how they can do things to improve themselves their families and their community.”
The sheriff’s office has already had general equivalency diploma, Alcoholics Anonymous and life skills training programs for years. Thanks to IGNITE, the sheriff’s office is launching a 12-week course taught by people who have been through the system for inmates with a history of incarceration, violence or substance abuse.
“This program aims to remove barriers to living free lives and empower marginalized populations involved in gun violence,” Fuller said.
Another five-week course through the community agency Prevention Works helps inmates struggling with substance abuse head toward rehabilitation.
“(It) helps individuals accept the need for change in their attitudes, beliefs and behaviors related to substance use,” Fuller said. “By promoting change and reducing tendency for poor decision making, we aim to support individuals in their journey towards rehabilitation.”
Kent Co. jail program that treats addiction reaches ‘milestone’
Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson helped launch the program in September of 2020. He said IGNITE now has a presence in 20% of the nation’s jails.
“If they don’t reoffend, we have less victims,” Swanson said. “We have less stress on the system and everybody wins.”
The IGNITE program in Kalamazoo County also expands e-learning opportunities so inmates can learn from their cells. It covers topics like substance abuse recovery and parenting while incarcerated.
“While they’re here, we have an obligation to prepare them so they never come back,” Swanson said. “If we have a population who never reoffends, never readdicts, that goes beyond political lines.”
Harvard University, Brown University and the University of Michigan studied Genesee County’s IGNITE program. They found that one month in the program reduced recidivism by 18% over three months and by 23% over a year.
“Surveys of staff and community members, along with administrative test score records and within-jail text messages, suggest that cultural change and improved literacy and numeracy scores are key contributing mechanisms,” the researchers wrote.
Researchers also estimate it saves counties $5,600 for each year an offender doesn’t go back to jail.
“Just imagine if you didn’t have 100 people come back to jail, it’s $560,000 that sheriff has saved that community,” Swanson said.
Sign up for the News 8 daily newsletter
Fuller’s goal is to get every inmate enrolled in the program. He called IGNITE a “force multiplier” because he believes preventing recidivism can reduce the number of calls for service and the number of dangerous crimes.
“Ultimately, I believe it saves lives,” Fuller said. “I believe the savings we are talking about is not just dollars, it’s lives and the livelihood of the community.”
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
