The University of San Diego will move forward Thursday with an initiative to help students who have been in the carceral system find employment in the criminal justice sector, thanks to $927,000 in federal funding.
The Community Project Funding was secured by Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-San Diego, as part of $14 million slated for San Diego-area projects in California’s 51st Congressional District.
USD’s program, JusticeForward: Safer Students Workforce Initiative, is intended to use students’ experiences to “strengthen workforce pathways, contribute to safer communities and lower recidivism rates,” according to a university statement.
It builds upon USD’s Torero Urban Scholars program, which “supports undergraduate, graduate and transfer students on their journeys from prison to higher education.” Now in its fifth year, the program serves more than 20 students and is expected to see steady growth due to the large number of students interested in transfer opportunities, the statement read.
“JusticeForward recognizes that justice-impacted students with lived experience bring invaluable insight to the justice system,” said Austin Galy, co-founder of the Torero Urban Scholars program. “It empowers them to turn those experiences into professional expertise that can drive positive change within their community.”
Around 60% of Torero Urban Scholars have chosen educational and career pathways aligned with justice-system work.
According to USD, JusticeForward is intended to prepare students for roles within the justice system through a mix of on-campus academics and off- campus practice opportunities. Each student in the program will complete at least one paid, semester-long practical course with a justice system agency or organization aligned with their career interests, while “also receiving student support services that will allow them to translate both their on-campus and off-campus experience into career opportunities within the justice system.”
USD’s Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice will head up research to identify barriers that limit the integration of individuals with carceral experience into the justice workforce, the university statement read.