Stearns County Launches IGNITE Program to Empower Inmates for Successful Reentry into Society

(KNSI) – Stearns County is launching a new program to help inmates learn skills to improve their lives and keep them out of jail.

The county will be the second in the state to implement the Inmate Growth Naturally and Intentionally Through Education program. The first to use IGNITE was Hennepin County. Stearns County Sheriff Steve Soyka says it’s about making the community safer through self-improvement. “This is really designed for recreating lifestyles, recreating certifications, recreating job skills, so that when you’re released, you become a productive member of society and contribute.”

He says the jail has a GED program, but this goes a step further. “We’ll be expanding our education stuff with virtual reality and online type things. There’ll be virtual meetings, virtual classrooms. So, we’ll provide more to the inmates.”

The VR can be used to teach a trade without real tools.

Inmates would need to apply. Soyka says low-risk inmates with release dates will have the highest priority. Violent criminals facing lengthy prison terms are least likely to get approved for the training.

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