Courtesy Photo Alpena County Sheriff Erik Smith announces his office’s participation in the Inmate Growth Naturally and Intentionally Through Education, or IGNITE, program during an event at the Alpena Community College on Thursday. The program helps inmates further their education while in jail and helps them settle back into society when they get out of jail.

ALPENA — The Alpena County Sheriff’s Office has kicked off a new program that it hopes will help inmates continue their education, help them resettle into the community, and increase the chance they stay crime-free.

The new National Sheriffs’ Association program is called Inmate Growth Naturally and Intentionally Through Education, or IGNITE.

The program aims to ignite positive change within the jail, setting inmates on a path toward a more productive and law-abiding future, which makes the community safer. This initiative is designed to provide inmates in the Alpena County Jail with the tools and support needed to foster personal growth, rehabilitation, and successful reintegration into society.

The program is free to inmates who have lengthy jail sentences.

The program allows inmates to enroll and spend a portion of their time behind bars earning a GED. The goal is the education an inmate receives while in jail will help them gain employment and other opportunities when they are released and place them on a road to success.

Alpena County Sheriff Erik Smith said the program’s purpose is to assist people who have had trouble with the law comfortably ease back into society and lower the odds of a return to jail. He said that leads to more prosperity in the community and safer streets.

“The IGNITE program highlights what a community can accomplish with a rehabilitation program to help inmates successfully reintegrate into society upon release and the goal of reducing recidivism,” Smith said.

During their time in jail, inmates will spend two hours a day, five days a week completing classes. Passing the courses earn credits toward a GED. There are also virtual reality sessions that simulate skilled-trade jobs and enrichment courses ranging from American Sign Language to financial literacy, which may help inmates hone their interests and work toward employment after graduation, Smith said.

National Sheriffs’ Association Executive Director Jonathan Thompson said in a press release that the Sheriff’s Office in Alpena took a large step forward in helping prepare inmates for their transition to life outside jail. He said there is a trend around the country that shows more police departments and jails are stepping up to help people who have committed a crime become productive members of society and keep the community safe.

“We are excited that Sheriff Smith is taking on this important initiative,” Thompson said. “IGNITE makes it clear that sheriffs’ offices across the country are sending individuals in their jails back to their communities more equipped to lead productive lives.”

The Sheriff’s Office has been working on implementing this program for some time and has been working in partnership with Nicole Hatch from the Institute of Research Education and Services of Addiction to bring the vision to life.

The Sheriff’s Office in Alpena is the 19th site nationwide to implement the program and the third site in Michigan.

Smith said he hopes to break the cycle of incarceration and empower the participants to become self-sufficient, responsible, and law-abiding citizens upon reentry into society.

“By focusing on education and skill building, we believe that participants will have a greater chance of securing employment and leading productive lives,” he said.