About Us
Mission:
The Center for Justice-Impacted Students at Middlesex College works to advance higher educational opportunities for justice-impacted students.* Across the state of New Jersey, we provide access to higher educational opportunities and high-quality college programming to currently incarcerated youth through our partnerships with the Camden and Middlesex County Juvenile Detention Centers (JDC) and with the New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission (JJC). On campus, we act as an education and advocacy body for supporting the implementation of inclusive policies and practices that advance educational opportunities for justice-impacted students, and we serve as a resource hub and support center for justice-impacted students. Designed specifically for formerly incarcerated and justice-impacted students on our College campus, our Justice Scholars Program offers holistic support, advising, and other relevant services to help our Scholars succeed and establish a sense of community as they transition home from carceral settings.
*We define justice-impacted students as “individuals who have been incarcerated or detained in a prison, immigration detention center, local jail, juvenile detention center, or any other carceral setting, those who have been convicted but not incarcerated, those who have been charged but not convicted, and those who have otherwise been justice-impacted” (LSAC, 2017, https://bit.ly/3hYcx5U)
Testimonials:
“My experience with having a shot at participating in a college class helped me to realize a better future and wanting to go to college; it brought back my interest in continuing my education.”
B.B. started his college journey as a student in the ENG-121 English Composition I class during the Spring 2021 semester. For his research project, he wrote a paper about the harmful impacts of the factory farming industry on the planet and people.
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Q.C. was a student in the ENG-121 English Composition I class in the Spring 2021 semester and continued on to ENG-122 English Composition II in the Summer 2021 semester. For his research project, he wrote a paper about the impact of rising sea levels as an outcome of climate change.
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I.R. participated in the ENG-121 English Composition I and ENG-122 English Composition II class during the Spring 2021 and Summer 2021 semester, respectively. For his research project, he wrote a paper about the negative environmental impacts of fish farming and the seafood industry.
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