Hadley Bodell
POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – Clad in traditional caps and gowns, many for the very first time, 12 inmates at the Bannock County Jail celebrated a major milestone Thursday, June 18th. The emotional ceremony celebrated their completion of the Hustle 2.0 education program, an intensive rehabilitation and education program aimed at giving incarcerated individuals the tools and the self-belief needed to successfully reenter society.
What is Hustle 2.0?
The program was created by former inmate John Jackson through Southern Utah University. Jackson said it’s a unique curriculum with lessons in victim awareness, recovery strategies, coping mechanisms, social skills and more. Hustle 2.0 has spread into 900 correctional facilities across the country since its founding in 2017.
“I had taken plenty of programs while I was incarcerated, but none of them were written by people who were formerly incarcerated or currently incarcerated,” Jackson said. “They were all written by people who had degrees, so we decided to use our lived experience to start developing a program that would reach this population in a different way.”
Jackson said the creators are understanding that inmates cannot make up for what they’ve done, but they can take positive steps forward and make progress.
Graduate Kylee with Sheriff Manu receiving her certificate, June 18
“These are from actual people who have been there, reading about a real person in our work book can help them see the progress that can be made,” Jackson said.
Several of the graduating inmates mentioned the impact the stories in the book had on their educational experience in the program. One story features former inmate Shelley Winner, who rebuilt her life after incarceration for drug sales and became a top salesperson at Microsoft. Seeing success stories of real people gives Bannock County Jail students inspiration for their futures.
The name of the program originated with the intention to change the negative connotation of the word “hustle.” Jackson said they focus on “transforming your hustle,” and taking to the new and improved, or “2.0” version of itself.
“We’ve had about 200 people go through this program at Bannock County Jail,” Jackson said. “For a jail with an average daily population of around 200, that’s a large amount that’s completing the program and engaging with it. Bannock County Jail is hands down one of our most active facilities. They’re committed to the program and the population is engaging, so shoutout to Bannock County.”
Graduate Testimonies
Many of the inmates decided to start the program because their peers enjoyed it first.
“Initially I joined because a bunch of the girls were recommending it, so I started doing it and it just turned out really great,” said Emily Speakman, a graduate of Hustle 2.0. “Learning the different skills I was learning for anxiety and gratitude, especially in here gratitude has been a huge one for me.” Speakman said she didn’t always have an attitude of gratitude, but lessons in Hustle 2.0 taught her to change her mindset and begin living more positively.
Another inmate said she had dealt with lots of trauma prior to her incarceration and felt extreme anxieties. The lessons and homework assignments taught her coping skills to help her move forward from those memories.
Graduate Emily Speakman receiving her certificate with Sheriff Manu, June 18
“I learned about counting to 300 and then counting backwards, breathing techniques and it really helps to calm my mind,” said Janeal Miera.
Others went into the program to help pass their time in jail, not knowing it would become a source of growth and positivity.
“I didn’t know where this journey was going to take me,” said Kylee, a graduate. “I read the stories and I really focued and interpreted it into my own life and it really hit home. Being able to step back and analyze it and put it into my own perspective made it like, ‘oh, I can actually do this.'”
Kylee also said the program made her realized she’s stronger than she believed, and is worth more than the labels people put on incarcerated people. The program offers hope for a fresh start and a brighter future ahead.
Inmates reported having more positive interactions with law enforcement in the jail environment, fostering relationships with the sheriffs rather than seeing them as just the people with badges.
“I actually engage with the officers, I have good conversations and I know they’re here to help me,” Kylee said. “It’s changed my whole perspective on just little things and it’s helped tremendously. Now, I’m just really excited to see where my journey is going to go no matter where it is.”
Austin Carmona never graduated high school, so today’s ceremony meant everything.
“I never thought I’d be able to do this kind of thing in the Bannock County Jail,” Carmona said. “Here I am, ya know? I got four certificates and a whole graduation, so it’s really cool.”
The first row of graduates sat waiting to receive their certificates, June 18
Carmona spoke to the coping skills he learned to deal with stress, as well as the strategies to prepare him for reentry into the community.
“Employment opportunities, how to prepare for interviews, what kind of jobs and what kind of things will hold me back from applying for jobs, how to apply, how to create resumes, all of that I really enjoyed learning about,” he said.
Hustle 2.0 also includes lessons about anger management, substance abuse disorders, and repairing relationships. The students complete over 2,000 pages of work across four books.
“Getting those certificates put a real big smile on my face, I was excited to tell my family about it,” Carmona said. “They had a lot of cool things in the books too like puzzles and games and recipes for cooking jail food.”
Carmona said he was surprised by the curriculum feeling personal and attainable, rather than a daunting college course. He said he would recommend the program to all inmates so they can put their mind to focusing on something good and help get out of the mindset of being “stuck.”
“The main thing I’m taking from it is the motivation to continue my education,” he said. “It motivated me to look at my options, especially when I get out I’m highly motivated to continue.”
Comments from the Sheriff
Sheriffs in the Bannock County Jail testified to the difference Hustle 2.0 has made in the jail culture.
“What we see inside the facility is them interacting better with each other and with the staff as well,” said Captain Lyle Thurgood with the Bannock County Jail. “We’re trying to create that better environment and try and improve it inside the jail, reducing violence and all that, it’s been really beneficial for us to have the program.”
Thurgood has witnessed as inmates work for 3-4 months on the program curriculum and said the graduation is important to recognize those achievements.
“The whole premise behind Hustle 2.0 is that you can move on from criminality, move on to that next hustle,” Thurgood said. “It’s a really big thing for them that you can move on and do something else. It gives them the skills to see that they can do more and do something better. Their life can be different.”
Thurgood also said the program obviously gives inmates a chance to reflect on themselves while incarcerated and to learn how to interact with others. Some inmates collaborated on the workbook lessons and homework, fostering positive relationships in the jail environment.
“It gives them something to come together on, that’s a huge benefit of the program is they’re coming together for something positive and learning the skills and talking to each other, getting those communication skills better,” Thurgood said.
The group of inmates participating in the program grows each time as they inspire each other to dedicate time towards learning and self-improvement.
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