Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office is highlighting a program that it says has now historically reduced recidivism rates and overcrowding in the jail.

Sheriff Chris Swanson and Jail Administrator Captain Dave Kennamer held a press conference Wednesday.

Swanson said when they launched I.G.N.I.T.E they knew it would take years to see the long-term impact. He said the program reduces crime and jail violence, litigation, and the overall social cost of crime.

The I.G.N.I.T.E program is going on five years now and aims to eliminate generational incarceration through education by restoring value, hope, and purpose to the inmate population.

Both Swanson and Kennamer stressed that there has been a huge culture change and it’s had a profound effect on not only inmates but staff.

The jail, like many others across the state, is plagued by overcrowding and has a 580-bed capacity.

Swanson said they did not have a single day of overcrowding last year and they have 100 less inmates incarcerated today than two years ago.

In 2021, the jail had 186 days of being overcrowded; and 278 days in 2022. Numbers dropped to 92 in 2023 and zero in 2024.

Swanson also highlighted a Harvard Law study on the impact of the program.

At a cost savings of $5,000 per inmate, Swanson said the reduction in recidivism saves Genesee County residents $560,000 by housing 100 less inmates per year.

The Sheriff’s website states “I.G.N.I.T.E's mission is to reverse the cycle of generational incarceration through education. Educating inmates has numerous benefits that help reduce recidivism and make the community safer. By providing inmates with valuable job training, they are equipped with skills they can use upon release to gain meaningful employment and reduce their likelihood of reoffending. Educational programs have also been found to reduce generational incarceration by offering inmates a way to break out of the cycle perpetuated by previous generations”.

Links to the study and more information are provided.