Inside the Kane County Jail, Second Chances Start with a Business Plan

The sight of concrete walls and cell doors might not seem like the ideal setting for entrepreneurial inspiration—but inside the Kane County Jail, that’s exactly what’s happening.

This is the first Kane County Sheriff’s Honorable William H. Hall IV Small Business Development Center (SBDC) “Start Your Business” 9-week cohort. Two classes were offered to male and female detainees. The final exam is a Business Plan Pitch Competition.

The SBDC—the first of its kind in a U.S. correctional facility—opened inside the jail in September of 2024. It provides a groundbreaking approach to reducing recidivism. It equips inmates and formerly incarcerated individuals with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to start their own businesses and achieve economic independence. The center operates as a satellite of the Small Business Development Center at Waubonsee Community College, in partnership with the Sheriff’s Office.

In February 2025, the first full cohort officially began with the SBDC, with qualifying inmates participating in weekly group sessions. Each participant worked directly with Rudy Gonzalez, the Sheriff’s Office SBDC Coordinator. Gonzalez led the group through a nine-week course called Start Your Business, covering finance, marketing, operations, and competitive analysis.

“For many, this isn’t just a program—it’s a second chance,” Gonzalez said. “They’re creating real plans for real businesses they want to launch when they’re released.” 

The program concluded with a formal pitch session, where a panel of judges listened to the inmates present their business plans. The judges, comprised of business owners and local officials, asked questions, offered feedback, and evaluated each plan based on originality, business insight, and pitch delivery. (see picture gallery below) 

This year, the inmates’ ideas included a food truck serving unique family recipes. Another pitched a landscaping company with seasonal services like holiday lighting. Other entries included an eco-friendly pet waste removal service, a mobile barbershop serving truck stops, and a power washing business. The women’s cohort also brought forward creative proposals, including an art therapy business, a residential cleaning service, and another food truck concept. First-, second-, and third-place winners were selected from both the men’s and women’s groups. A landscaping business and a professional cleaning service took top honors. Each winner received a donated cash prize, deposited into their commissary accounts.

“The pitch competition is just one piece,” said Judith Dawson, Director of Diversion and Reentry Programs at the Kane County Sheriff’s Office. “The goal is to empower people to become employers—not just employees—and to break the cycle that brings them back here.”

At least two former detainees from previous competitions have gone on to launch real businesses based on their pitch plans—one in catering, the other in transportation.

While the pitch competition remains a key feature of the program, the SBDC also provides detainees and justice-involved individuals in the community with one-on-one business counseling and continued group training to build the full range of skills required to launch and manage a business. The next Start Your Business cohort will be offered to formerly incarcerated individuals in the community.

Beyond entrepreneurship, the Kane County Sheriff’s Office offers detainees a variety of reentry support programs, including GED completion, forklift certification, parenting classes, culinary training, food safety certification, English as a Second Language (ESL), barbering certification, and employment readiness training.