Back on Sept. 8, 2020, Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh visited the Genesee County Jail to support Sheriff Christopher Swanson as he unveiled the "IGNITE" program.
Harbaugh returned to the jail Thursday with 15 players to teach them about the program and serve lunch to prisoners — one of several service projects that kicked off a team trip around Michigan. For Swanson, the visit was validation of his work with the 642 inmates under his supervision.
Swanson was motivated by the death of George Floyd in May 2020; he created "IGNITE," which stands for “Inmate Growth Naturally and Intentionally through Education,” and connected with Harbaugh through a mutual friend.