A new program designed to change the culture inside 色多多鈥檚 jail will help to change the violent culture that exists in the city, Sheriff Antonio Hash vows.
鈥淲e have to change the culture,鈥 Hash said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e committed to the process. And those who commit, see results.鈥
The 色多多 City Sheriff鈥檚 Office鈥檚 new program is called , which stands for Residents Individually Growing Naturally and Intentionally Through Education. It officially launched Sept. 6, when the department hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony downtown outside of the jail.
The first (R) I.G.N.I.T.E. program was developed by a in 2020.
鈥淭hey realized, even during the pandemic that, we still have to change the culture of how we see incarceration, because we see the same individuals come in and go out. And they don鈥檛 get the resources,鈥 Hash said. 鈥淸The sheriff] realized that he had to change the culture, or this is like a revolving door.鈥
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The program鈥檚 goal is to reduce recidivism by educating inmates and giving them the certifications and support they need to be successful once discharged.
鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to give them a platform. If you鈥檙e bored, take this class. If you don鈥檛 got nothing to do, educate yourself,鈥 Hash said. 鈥淲hat does it look like to get a GED, or a painting certificate, or a CDL certificate or a forklift certificate? These are symbolic opportunities or memories for them that are going to change their whole lives.鈥
The saw the program鈥檚 success in Michigan and adopted it, making it easier to transplant into other sheriff鈥檚 offices nationwide.
鈥淭hey grabbed hold of it. I think somebody in Minnesota grabbed it. North Carolina grabbed it. We鈥檙e the first in Virginia to grab it,鈥 Hash said. 鈥淎s opportunities become available, as grants, as funding and things come open, we want to be in a position to where we can receive it.鈥
After last week鈥檚 launch, Hash meeting and asked members to consider changing the jail鈥檚 name, to focus on the facility鈥檚 role as a justice center, not an incarceration hub.
Hash said he met with judges last Wednesday in the Oliver W. Hill Justice Center, the city鈥檚 courthouse, to discuss a new name for the jail: the 色多多 City Detention and Justice Center.
If the change takes place, the portion of the Campbell Ave. block that houses the courthouse, jail and police department could be referred to as the 鈥淛ustice Complex.鈥
Through (R)I.G.N.I.T.E. the correction facility is also changing the way it talks about inmates.
鈥淎nother part of changing the culture is changing the classification of those incarcerated, which will now be called residents of our facility,鈥 Hash told city council. 鈥淭hey won鈥檛 be called inmates anymore. They reside in our house. We know it鈥檚 a jail. We know it鈥檚 a justice center. We know they鈥檙e inmates. But we鈥檙e changing how we respond to them.鈥
鈥淭hose who want to be locked up, put your stripes on. We鈥檒l keep you,鈥 Hash said. 鈥淏ut those who want change, we鈥檙e changing uniforms. The program floor will have on all burgundy uniforms at this point, with no stripes. Because if you鈥檙e getting the help, and if you鈥檙e actively seeking some assistance from our staff and program directors and things like that, then we鈥檙e going to make it look like something in this building.鈥
The jail already has success stories to share. A former jail resident attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony to express his support for (R) I.G.N.I.T.E.
鈥淗e got out about two weeks ago,鈥 Hash said. 鈥淗e came back yesterday to be a part of the ceremony. Who do you know gets out of a facility and yet returns back for a program? And I鈥檓 not saying that we have all the pieces together, but we鈥檙e making strides to make it look like something. Because if you don鈥檛 ever start, you can鈥檛 finish.鈥
The sheriff said some facility residents are discharged but return in a matter of days.
鈥淧eople are still in a position where they鈥檙e crying out for help. I had a young guy come in the other day. He鈥檚 an excellent worker while he鈥檚 in the building. Amazing. He gets out and got in a position where he almost didn鈥檛 make it. You know why?鈥 Hash said. 鈥淏ecause he didn鈥檛 have somebody outside the door waiting on him.鈥
(R)I.G.N.I.T.E. will allow the jail to better connect its residents with community resources upon release.
鈥淚鈥檓 going to put people to the test. You can鈥檛 come to my table talking about what you got, what services you have, and then we call and you don鈥檛 answer,鈥 Hash said. 鈥淚 want you to be there at nine o鈥檆lock. Pick him up, take him to get help, so that way he become a good father to his kids. He can be productive citizen.鈥
The sheriff said the program needs community partners to thrive, and
鈥淚t鈥檚 a huge list,鈥 Hash said. 鈥淲e reached out to Red Robin, and they鈥檙e in the position to give jobs. We talked to a concrete company who was doing interviews inside the detention center with those individuals who were getting out that wanted a job. We got Wendy鈥檚 that was giving an opportunity.鈥
But the sheriff鈥檚 office still needs the community鈥檚 help.
鈥淲e need some more money. We鈥檙e taking all donations,鈥 Hash said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not yet paid for.鈥
The money that will pay for (R)I.G.N.I.T.E. comes through the program鈥檚 community partners, especially nonprofit organizations who can more easily acquire grants that can be used to address recidivism.
The detention center also needs toiletries, clothes and other items to give residents when they return to society.
鈥淎s a transition, we give them toiletries, a bus pass. We started a clothes closet upstairs, so if they鈥檙e getting out, and they got an interview, guess what? We give you clothes to go to your interview. We鈥檒l give you a shirt and tie,鈥 Hash said. 鈥淲e need donations, because we realize we can鈥檛 do this on our own.鈥
Hash said changing the culture in the detention center and in the city means breaking a 鈥済enerational curse.鈥 The sheriff said he 鈥渃ould have been a statistic,鈥 but he chose to break his family鈥檚 cycle.
鈥淲e have a major responsibility to change lives,鈥 Hash said. 鈥淚 was in a single-parent home. No father raised me, mother doing the best she can, trying to get a college degree. I鈥檓 the oldest kid taking care of two other siblings while she鈥檚 at work and at school all day long, learning how to cook, had to learn how to sew, had to do everything because none of our fathers were there. So statistically, I shouldn鈥檛 even be in this position.鈥
But he is. And his department is doing what it can to return jail residents to society better than it found them.
鈥淚 want my nieces and nephews to be able to walk the street and be safe, without somebody running them over or kidnapping and raping them. Nobody wants that,鈥 Hash said. 鈥淏ut some people honestly make mistakes. And so they deserve a chance. If they鈥檙e willing to let me put them in position to get this chance, I鈥檓 willing to help make it happen.鈥
