‘Let this be the beginning,’ Local jail program graduates over 100 inmates with GEDs over 3 years
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IDAHO FALLS — Ten inmates at the Bonneville County Jail graduated with GED diplomas on Thursday. The graduation marks a milestone, as it has now passed 100 inmates through its IGNITE program over the last three years.
The program, an acronym for Inmate Growth Naturally and Intentionally through Education, began at the jail in 2023, making it the first jail in Idaho and the ninth in the nation to implement the educational curriculum.
The program began in Genesee County, Michigan, in 2021, and allowed inmates to learn a skilled trade or take enrichment courses while working toward the ultimate goal of an educational certificate or degree.
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During a ceremony on Thursday, the graduates received their diplomas alongside their families.
“Congratulations on your GED, but don’t let this be the end of your education. Let this be the beginning,” Capt. Ed Vitacolonna told the graduates.
Bonneville County Sheriff Sam Hulse told EastIdahoNews.com that Thursday’s graduation shows what the program can do.
Hulse praised Ann Johnson, who oversees the program’s GED classes, and the expertise she brings.
“It’s a passion that comes from within her and her ability to connect with people in general,” Hulse said. “She’s also able to help anyone to have hope in themselves, which is really the power of IGNITE in general.”
Through this program, Hulse said the overall goal is to be agents of change and ensure that when these inmates leave the jail, they are doing so better than when they came in.
Johnson said that during the ceremony, she praised the 10 graduates for their success but also reminded them to think before doing anything that could bring them back to jail.
“If you’ll just take a nanosecond next time you think about making that mistake, I’ve already given you guys a speech… just say no,” Johnson said. “And don’t come back. I say that a lot, too. Don’t come back.”
Johnson told EastIdahoNews.com that she enjoys working with the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, and it’s thanks to their efforts in bringing IGNITE to the jail made a ceremony like this possible.
Speaking with one of the graduates, Brian Moore, 56, said that while he wasn’t a part of the IGNITE program, he decided that it was high time to get his GED.
He said that throughout his life, he has dealt with drug addiction his whole life and has been in and out of jail multiple times.
“This accomplishment will actually help me into a better career, even at this age,” Moore said. “I deal with a dual diagnosis with mental health and drug addiction, and these guys are addressing it in this jail, and I think it’s great.”
Here is a list of all the graduates from Thursday’s ceremony:
- Felicia Minjares
- Maria Carrillo
- Joshua Spence
- Jeremy Clark
- Christian Rourick
- Sergio Elizondo
- Jeffery Sanchez
- Kole Abegglen
- Brian Moore
- Nicholas Norby