Local/Regional News

Study finds Genesee County jail education program reduces recidivism

Michigan Public | By Steve Carmody

Published April 8, 2024 at 8:00 PM EDT

“This is how you restore faith and hope. This is how keep people from being incarcerated. How you keep victims from being revictimized," said Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson.

A new study led by Harvard University researchers finds a jail education program in Michigan is lowering recidivism rates.

Started in 2020 in the Genesee County Jail, the IGNITE (Inmate Growth Naturally and Intentionally through Education) program provides daily, individually tailored educational programming to nearly everyone in the jail.

The course work goes beyond offering inmates help earning their GED.

“There are courses teaching practical skills in finance, nutrition, and even courses that teach trades,” said Marcella Alsan of Harvard Kennedy School,

Aslan says the curriculum has been expanded to include classes in art, creative writing, mental health and mindfulness.”

Researchers from Harvard, Brown, and the University of Michigan found a significant drop in the number of inmates reoffending and ending up back behind bars.

“Some incarcerated individuals seem able to break through the cycle of recidivism, which affords them more opportunity to further the education they started in IGNITE and secure employment,” said Peter Hull, a erofessor of economics at Brown University.

The study found that one month of program participation decreases recidivism after release by 18% over three months and 23% over a year.

Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson started the IGNITE program in 2020. He says the program is having a significant financial impact.

“$67 a day it costs to house an inmate here in Genesee County. That’s what everybody’s paying,” said Swanson, “But if we can bring less people into the jail, everybody wins.”

The study also found a sharp decline in violence in the Genesee County jail since the IGNITE program started. The researchers found that one additional month in jail reduced major misconduct incidents each week by 49%, including reductions in violence or threats of bodily harm.

Swanson said similar programs have been established in jails and prisons in 20 states. He hopes to further expand the program throughout the rest of Michigan and the U.S.