Windham provides educational programming for eligible individuals
currently incarcerated in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s correctional
facilities.
“We were able to use our college experience and share
information with people who likely did not know where to start on their path to
higher education,” said criminal justice student Solei Villalon. “One man even
told us that he was going to pass the information to his family so that his
kids could look into some of the organizations we provided.”
In addition to the presentations, COCJ students prepared and
distributed a brochure containing key points and instructions on how to access
an online repository of resources, including scholarship opportunities for
individuals with incarceration histories and their families.
“Incarceration is typically a generational cycle and is hard
to break away from,” Villalon said. “This is why there are also foundations,
like Pitzer Family Education Foundation, that offer scholarships and other
financial aid to children whose parents are incarcerated.”
Following the presentations, students were tasked to capture
the personal and professional impact of the project in a reflection paper.
“Student feedback on the project was overwhelmingly
positive,” Craig said. “Their reflections were quite profound, and they
described their experiences as meaningful, rewarding, and
transformative.”
For many students, this was their first time in a
correctional facility, which offered a unique opportunity to see the inner
workings of reentry-focused programming.
The project was designed to help students understand the
application of criminal justice policy while recognizing the importance of
restorative justice and second chances.
“I hope that my students saw this project as both personally
and professionally fulfilling, as they could see their hard work in action and
also understand firsthand how criminal justice legislation and policy are
carried out in the community,” Craig said. “I truly hope they will continue to
pursue educational opportunities that connect them to the community.”
While the presentations were crafted for Windham, Villalon
noted that the information they shared could benefit anyone interested in
continuing their education.
“I am a first-generation student, and our presentation could
have helped me when I began my college career because I did not know where to
start,” Villalon said.
Ultimately, the project gave COCJ students a platform to
apply their knowledge in a way that could positively impact the lives of people
in their communities.
“I was drawn to criminal justice because I want to make a
difference for people,” Villalon said. “This project was a great way for us to
use our experience and potentially help someone, either the [individual in
incarceration] or their family members.”
-END-
This article was originally published by Today@Sam on Sam Houston State University's website.