Kalamazoo County inmates graduate from IGNITE program

Some inmates didn't expect to graduate behind bars, but a new program launched at the Kalamazoo County Jail made it possible. The IGNITE program was launched to help inmates look forward to a life beyond bars.

"I'm a college graduate, I am an electrician by trade, and yet here I am in jail," Earnest Spencer told FOX 17. "I can't change what happened in the past. I just gotta move forward and strive for the better."

On Tuesday, inmates who participated in the Inmate Growth Naturally and Internationally Through Education program (IGNITE) graduated.

It was more than just an opportunity to wear caps and gowns; it was a second chance. The program is a partnership between the jail and Urban Alliance's Change of Status program.

"The ones you see are those of us that have kind of stuck it out and stuck in there and just graduated. So it feels awesome," Spencer said.

As the oldest of the graduates, he says he feels blessed to be part of something positive.

"Before I started this program, I had no confidence in the criminal justice system. I just looked at it as, you know, a system that wants to take your freedom," he said.

The 12-week program offers inmates positive reinforcement and educational resources while helping them develop life skills.

The hope is that once they're released from jail, they're successful.

"People make decisions, but the decision and what they went through shouldn't define them," said James Harris, outreach manager for Urban Alliance. "Encouraging them and giving them hope, it's priceless."

According to Sheriff Fuller, only 17 jails across the country have an IGNITE program, and he's proud the Kalamazoo County Jail is one of them.

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