Boise Bicycle Project Seeks to Expand Apprenticeship Program for Incarcerated Women
The Boise Bicycle Project is working to grow its Shifting Gears apprenticeship program, a partnership with the Idaho Department of Corrections that trains incarcerated women to repair and assemble children’s bicycles — and in doing so, build job-ready skills before returning to their communities.
Program Builds Vocational Skills and Community Ties
Shifting Gears began in 2023 at the South Boise Women’s Correctional Center and has since expanded to the larger Southern Idaho Correctional Institution. Participants receive hands-on training in bicycle repair both inside correctional facilities and inside the Boise Bicycle Project’s shop space, where they also assist with the organization’s B.A.S.H. program — a bicycle safety hour for children.
Executive Director Devin McComas says the program serves a population the nonprofit already knows well. “We serve kids who are in foster care. We serve separated families. We serve women in re-entry,” McComas said. “We want to go upstream. We want to serve that family together.”
The nonprofit distributes more than 1,500 bicycles annually to children and families throughout the Treasure Valley, and Shifting Gears participants play a direct role in making that possible by helping refurbish and prepare those bikes for donation.
Idaho Leads Nation in Incarcerated Women Per Capita
Nonprofit leaders point to a significant gap in services as one of the driving reasons for expansion. Idaho ranks first in the nation for the rate of incarcerated women, according to McComas, who notes that women in the corrections system often have access to fewer educational and vocational programs than their male counterparts.
“They anecdotally have less services and classes than men who are incarcerated,” McComas said, “and we serve these families every day.”
The long-term aim of the initiative, according to organization leaders, is to interrupt generational cycles of poverty and incarceration by equipping women with marketable skills and community connections before they complete their sentences. Participants make monthly visits to the Boise Bicycle Project shop, where they fix bicycles and interact with community members — steps the organization frames as early reintegration into civic life.
The program’s reach aligns with broader conversations happening across Ada County about how to support families in need. The city’s ongoing efforts around affordable housing and support services for vulnerable populations reflect similar goals of reducing long-term dependence and building stable households in Boise and the surrounding region.
What Comes Next
The Boise Bicycle Project is hosting a free bicycle safety hour for youth on Thursday, May 7, at 3:30 p.m. at the Traffic Garden in Ann Morrison Park in Boise. Children who complete the safety training will receive a voucher for a free children’s bicycle from the organization.
As part of the Idaho Gives Campaign, the nonprofit is working toward a fundraising goal of $120,000 from at least 525 donors to sustain and expand programs including Shifting Gears. Residents interested in supporting the organization or learning more about the apprenticeship program can visit the Boise Bicycle Project directly for details on how to contribute.