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J.F. Ingram State Technical College is the sole correctional education provider in the State of Alabama. Since the mid-1960’s ISTC has offered adult education, career technical programming, and soft skills exclusively to incarcerated individuals in the Alabama prison system.

Majority of Alabama’s prison population will be released back into society. Ingram State prioritizes education and job training to give individuals the best opportunity for success and lower the recidivism rate in Alabama.

Today, ISTC is working to close the employment gap in Alabama by offering technical training in 19 career fields, adult education and GED preparation, and soft skills training essential for success in today’s workplace.

In 2017, Ingram established the Job Placement Division to better assist post-incarcerated graduates upon their release from prison. Job Placement Coordinators work directly with Ingram graduates to utilize community resources and their industry certification to gain meaningful employment and stability.

Ingram recently developed a five-phase process, the Alabama Prison-to-Workforce Pipeline, that focuses on the essential steps to better prepare students for a successful reentry into society: enroll, educate, engage, employ, and exit.

Enroll – Incarcerated individuals enroll in high-wage high-demand career technical courses within 10 years from their end of sentence or parole date.
Educate – Students learn from industry experts covering 19 training programs, including apprenticeships.
Engage – Students gain work-based learning with Alabama Correctional Industries (ACI) at in-field related positions.
Employ – ISTC Re-Entry team will place individual to work in-field through the ADOC Work-Release centers.
Exit – Individuals are released from prison and ISTC Job Placement places individuals with in-field careers and provide necessary resources and tools to be successful.

Our graduates are at work across Alabama, in businesses large and small, using skills they gained at ISTC. If you are interested in learning more about the College, if you would like information on hiring an ISTC graduate, or if you would like to join our foundation, we would be delighted to hear from you.

ISTC is part of the Alabama Community College System, fully accredited by the Council on Occupational Education for over 40 years. The College was established by the Alabama legislature for the sole purpose of providing job training to incarcerated students.

Mrs. Annette Funderburk, President

J.F. Ingram State Technical College

Mrs. Annette Funderburk, MPA, currently serves as President of J.F. Ingram State Technical College. The College serves the citizens of Alabama by offering accessible, responsive, and quality postsecondary career and technical education to incarcerated adults and eligible parolees. Ingram State also assists graduates with job placement and community resources to better assist post-incarcerated individuals reenter society. Ingram is the only 100 percent institutionalized educational provider in the State of Alabama.

Ms. Funderburk was appointed as the college President in 2018 after serving a year as the interim. Prior to her current position, Ms. Funderburk worked with the Alabama Community College System (ACCS) for nine (9) years serving in various capacities to include the Director of External Affairs.

In addition to her experience at ACCS, Funderburk served ten (10) years in county administration for Tallapoosa and Talladega counties where she was responsible for the oversight of the county commission office administration including budgets, accounting, economic development, policy, criminal justice departments, and public information. She earned a Master of Public Administration from Troy University, has a certificate in governmental accounting and was a 2017 Community College Fellow, which was comprised of community college system leaders from Alabama and Mississippi. Ms. Funderburk also holds an Intensive Economic Development certificate from the Government and Economic Development Institute.

President Funderburk is an active member of her community. She is recent graduate of Leadership Alabama Class of XXXII. She served as the Chairwoman of the Prattville Area Chamber of Commerce in 2022 and is a member of various professional associations to include, Correctional Education Association, Economic Development Association of Alabama, and the West Elmore County Lion’s Club. She formally served as the President of the Alabama Community College Presidents’ Association. In 2023, President Funderburk accepted the role to serve as the President for the Alabama Community College Association. She is a Paul Harris Fellow recipient.