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Hennepin Sheriff's HOPE program seeks state funding to sustain jail education and training
Summary
Hennepin County Sheriff and supporters urged the committee to fund the HOPE jail education program, requesting roughly $92,000 per year for 2026-27 to retain licensed teachers, buy equipment and provide licensing for vocational training; the bill was laid over for possible inclusion.
Sheriff Duann (Deann) Witt of Hennepin County and Representative Westlund presented Senate File 2,328 on March 26, seeking state support to sustain and expand the HOPE (Helping Others by Providing Education) program in the Hennepin County Jail.
Sheriff Witt said the program, launched in 2021, provides vocational, life-skills and academic instruction to people in custody, and requires a licensed teacher for many of the educational components. "When our inmates have the opportunity to learn and grow, it improves safety inside our facility for everyone," Witt said, adding that the program has issued more than 1,500 individual certificates and helped dozens earn life-skills completions.
The bill requests funding to retain a full-time licensed teacher, secure licensing for training materials and purchase workforce-training technology for trades such as construction, electrical and plumbing through 2027. The sponsor described the request as about $92,000 in 2026 and again in 2027, covering most of the program's costs and the licensed-teacher position.
Committee members asked about existing funding sources and whether other counties operate similar programs. Witt and co-sponsors said the program was mostly supported in the county budget and had been supplemented by one-time grants for equipment; other counties, including Wright, Stearns and Ramsey, had recently launched or planned similar programs.
Committee members said they were sympathetic but asked the sheriff to provide detailed budget numbers and any county budget impacts before the bill is considered for inclusion in an omnibus package. Senate File 2,328 was laid over for possible inclusion.
