National Sheriffs’ Association announces Verizon Frontline as founding sponsor of I.G.N.I.T.E.

Kansas City, MO – The National Sheriffs’ Association announced today that Verizon Frontline would be the founding sponsor of its I.G.N.I.T.E. (Inmate Growth Naturally and Intentionally Through Education) program, a nation-wide jail initiative that prepares inmates for release and helps make jails safer.

The program started in Genesee County, Mich., under the leadership of Sheriff Chris Swanson. Inmates enrolled in I.G.N.I.T.E. spend two hours a day, five days a week in class.  They can access courses to earn credits toward a GED, take part in virtual reality to learn a skilled trade job, or take enrichment courses in everything from American Sign Language to financial literacy, which will help them hone their interests and work toward employment after graduation.

Since its public launch, the program has enrolled more than a thousand students who have completed more than 200,000 classroom hours, logged 19,000 hours of coursework and participated in more than 700 standardized tests.

“It is no surprise that Verizon Frontline is our Founding Sponsor considering their years long commitment to NSA, law enforcement and public safety,” said NSA Executive Director Jonathan Thompson. He continued, “We are so proud and grateful to have them as a partner.”