J.F. Ingram State Technical College’s (ISTC) enrollment increased 33.3 percent in 2024 from last year, marking the largest increase compared to all public Alabama colleges.
“The impressive enrollment figures we have achieved are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our faculty and staff, “said President Annette Funderburk. “We have strengthened our partnership with the Alabama Department of Corrections to keep students engaged and create a positive environment for learning with a focus on their futures in the workforce.”
Ingram State offers 19 career technical programs across 17 correctional facilities and 12 Alabama Bureau of Paroles locations, covering 20 Alabama counties. In addition to career and technical programming, students earn OSHA-10 general safety, forklift operator certifications, and other major industry credentials.
Ingram State serves nearly 3,000 students annually, offering short-term and long-term certificates in career technical education programs, adult education, GED preparation, and soft skills development which equips them to succeed in the workplace following their release.
“The increase of enrollment will lead to the decrease in recidivism,” said Funderburk. “Every person who participates in correctional education through Ingram will receive reentry services that help fill the gap from incarceration to reintegration into society.”
Ingrams operates under the “prison-to-workforce” pipeline where students receive a quality education, gain hands-on experience through on-the-job training, transition to full-time in-field employment through the ADOC work release program, and are released with the tools and skills needed to join the Alabama workforce.
J.F. Ingram State Technical College is an accredited member of the Alabama Community College System (ACCS), established for the sole purpose of providing education and rehabilitation services to justice-involved individuals in Alabama. ISTC remains the only accredited technical college in America where the classrooms are inside the prison compound or behind razor wire and the entire student population is incarcerated or under state supervision.