Riderflex

Mark Hugentobler's unexpected journey led him to become the academy principal at the Central Utah Correctional Facility in Gunnison, Utah, following a successful career in education. Contrary to his initial perceptions, he discovered a prison system devoid of hope and functioning dysfunctionally. Recognizing the desire for change among inmates, he championed education as a means of providing hope and purpose. During his eight-year tenure, enrollment at the prison academy soared from 200 to nearly 1,200 students, showcasing the potential for transformation within a flawed system, all while highlighting the need for attentive ears to the stories of those incarcerated. Prison inmates need a structured path to rehabilitation that leads to responsibility, accountability, service, purpose, and hope. This process should last the full term of their sentence. If fully implemented, Governor Gary Herbert's ASCENT Program would sharply reduce inmates' re-offenses along with the prison's entire population