Washington County Sheriff Mark Warden, center, cut the ribbon at the Washington County Jail in honor of the start of the I.G.N.I.T.E. program on Thursday. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

MARIETTA — Washington County was the 27th county nationwide and third site in the state of Ohio to adopt the I.G.N.I.T.E. program for incarcerated individuals.

To commemorate the program’s initiation into the facility, the Washington County Jail hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Thursday.

I.G.N.I.T.E. was started in 2021 by Genesee County Sheriff Christopher R. Swanson in Michigan. Endorsed by the National Sheriffs’ Association, I.G.N.I.T.E. seeks to end the cycle of generational incarceration by educating individuals using a real-world focused curriculum.

The programs are more than educational; each class focuses on preparing inmates to enter back into the real world through improving cognitive behavior and job readiness skills.

“This isn’t like any other educational program,” said Sandusky Sheriff Chris Hilton. “When I first heard about it in 2022 at the National Sheriffs’ Association conference in Kansas City, I knew we had to do it.”

The Washington County Jail hosted the ribbon cutting for the I.G.N.I.T.E. program and a few of the cars were lined up for show. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

I.G.N.I.T.E. has been backed by researchers from Harvard University, the University of Michigan, and Brown University to prove the effectiveness of promoting positive environments in the jail and focusing on personal growth.

Washington County Sheriff Mark Warden said when he first heard about I.G.N.I.T.E. through Hilton, he wanted it to be done as soon as possible.

“Insanity is when you do the same thing over and over again, and expect a different response,” said Warden. “The way we’ve done business in the county jails has been the definition of insanity.”

Warden said the I.G.N.I.T.E. program will build upon the current programs they have in the jails. Warden shared a story on generational recidivism about a boy he talked to at the jail who approached him to say that his dad was incarcerated at the jail 38 years ago.

“So how do we change that?” said Warden. “I had the vision, but I needed the guidance.”

Attendees at the I.G.N.I.T.E. program could pick up information that explained the details of the event and history of the program on Thursday. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

I.G.N.I.T.E. has been successful nationwide and according to the study conducted by the universities, “one month of I.G.N.I.T.E. reduces weekly jail misconduct by 49%.”

“The I.G.N.I.T.E. program is absolutely going to change this community and I can’t tell you how excited I am about it,” said Warden. “That success will be measured by one person and through that one person it’ll change generations.”

Thursday’s event included a social hour from 10:30-11 a.m. which was followed by an hour of remarks. One of the speakers, Cody Bowen who is an outreach specialist at Full Circle Recovery, shared his personal experiences with the program.

“I.G.N.I.T.E. is a chance to break that cycle, to light a fire inside of people who may have forgotten what it feels like to dream, to grow, to believe,” said Bowen.

Bowen said the program will give inmates an opportunity to face what they’ve been dealing with and come to terms with the reality. The program allows them to make that decision to choose rehabilitation and recovery.

Ohio State Representative Kevin Ritter, R-94, was one of the speakers at the I.G.N.I.T.E. program ribbon cutting on Thursday. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

“And if we can impact one person’s life throughout this program or through what’s happening in Washington County, then I call that success,” said Bowen.

The event concluded with the ribbon cutting by Warden to commemorate the program’s start. Attendees could stay and socialize and enjoy lunch on the lawn by the jail.

Amber Phipps can be reached at aphipps@newsandsentinel.com

Washington County Sheriff Mark Warden spoke about I.G.N.I.T.E. and what the start of the program means for the county on Thursday. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

The Washington County Jail was bustling with activity from the I.G.N.I.T.E. program ceremony and ribbon cutting on Thursday. Attendees had the chance to socialize before listening to the speakers for the afternoon. Food and refreshments were provided afterwards. (Photo by Amber Phipps)