In a first-of-its-kind pilot project, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office has partnered with Minnesota State Community and Technical College (M State) to offer workforce training to inmates at the Cass County Jail in Fargo.
This initiative aims to equip incarcerated individuals with valuable skills, increasing their chances of finding meaningful employment upon release and reducing recidivism rates.
The pilot project offers college-level, curriculum-based coursework for the first time in Cass County Jail’s history.
This initiative is part of a broader effort by the county to expand program offerings for its incarcerated population.
According to Capt. Andrew Frobig, jail administrator for the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, the goal is to provide more experiences that enable positive achievements and motivate inmates to pursue constructive activities upon their release.
The pilot program consists of two 8-hour trainings, scheduled over two days in mid-April, for around 25 participants—split between male and female inmates.
The training covers math, blueprint reading, and leadership skills relevant to manufacturing jobs.
Topics include conversational behavior, trust-building, basic measurement tools used in manufacturing, and symbols commonly found in engineered print drawings.
M State’s Workforce Development Solutions (WDS) division is providing the curriculum and instructors for the trainings.
With over 20 years of experience, WDS has worked with more than 500 companies, delivering over 100,000 hours of training to thousands of participants annually.
G.L. Tucker, executive director of WDS, highlighted the importance of this partnership in addressing workforce shortages in the region while helping to improve the lives of individuals within the justice system.
This program aligns with M State’s mission to provide exceptional education, service, and workforce training to all students.
The pilot program is open to minimum-custody inmates at the Cass County Jail in Fargo who have no court obligations on the days of the trainings.
If successful, the program may be expanded in the future. According to Sgt. Ben Schwandt, programs administrator at Cass County Jail, participants are committed and excited about the opportunity.
M State, a member of the Minnesota State system, serves more than 6,500 students in credit courses each year across 70 career and liberal arts programs.
In addition to its campuses in Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls, Moorhead, and Wadena, the college partners with communities to provide workforce development services and other responsive training programs to businesses and participants.
The college also partners with communities to provide workforce development services and other responsive training programs to 500 businesses and 9,000 participants.