Wayne State University
COM 5500: Journalism & New Media
By Brittany Thomas

With financial support from the Michigan Justice Fund, two Wayne State University academic leaders developed a pilot prison-to-college program that aids in reentry success for those released from confinement. Owing to a recent surge of policies and provisions for formerly incarcerated individuals, this program aims to demonstrate that education is one of if not the most important aspects of reentry support for reduced recidivism and prosperity of the justice impacted and their families.

November 29, 2024, 10:00 p.m. EST

The road to economic and social mobility for formerly incarcerated individuals became clearer in April 2008 when then-president George Bush passed the Second Chance Act. Under this law, barriers to reentry for returning citizens were removed, improving their viability in society and ending a vast cycle of criminal recidivism.

Since this act was adopted, there have been numerous developments in returning citizen support in the U.S., including Obama’s removal of criminal record checkboxes on job applications in 2015, the inauguration of Second Chance Month in April 2017, the rollout of several prison reentry programs across the country, and the initiative’s explosion in financial support by 2022.

View an abbreviated timeline here!

One allocation of this financial support came to Wayne State University in 2021, and with it, the university launched its first-ever prison-to-school support program. Many programs that centralize education in prisons already existed in 2021 and many more have continued to materialize through the years. But with a $200,000 grant from the Michigan Justice Fund, leadership and advocates of criminal justice and reform at Wayne State have masterminded a program that provides sustainable assistance to the justice impacted upon their return to society.

Dean Hartwell discusses how the Education Transition Coordination program began at Wayne State, November 18, 2024. Audio credit: Brittany Thomas.

“I was lucky enough to talk to some folks from corrections and then from the Michigan Justice Fund about the kind of initiatives they were interested in funding,” said Stephanie Hartwell, Ph.D., Education Transition Coordination (ETC) program co-creator and dean of the Wayne State University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “I had done a lot of proof-of-concept work in Massachusetts around transitioning individuals from incarceration back to the community. But that formative work was done with individuals who had mental illness or major mental illness.”

This unique program focuses on stabilizing formerly incarcerated individuals upon their release from correctional facilities, prioritizing a pathway to education after providing support for housing, transportation, health care, jobs and more. A justice-impacted student himself, ETC Program Coordinator Terrell Topps was eager to assume his role in the Dean’s Office and champion the needs of these returning citizens.

While most college-to-prison pipelines provide education access to those presently in confinement, this program prepares returning citizens for lifelong success and longevity by highlighting the needs that are key to their survival.

“The first thing we know, what research has indicated, is if I don’t have someplace to stay, I’m not thinking about school,” said Topps. “If I’m not working, I’m not thinking about school. If I’m suffering with substance abuse issues or mental health issues, school is not a priority.”

A complete intervention, this program assigns a transition coordinator to each reentry program participant, setting them up with dedicated, step-by-step transition resources.

“In short, we guide them through their transition process at all phases,” said Topps. “If they need somewhere to stay, we locate organizations that assist with shelter. If they need work, we connect them with recruiting agencies that are ‘felony friendly.’ If they require expungement services, we call upon agencies that assist in removing potential blemishes from their records and eliminate that concern during the hiring process.”

Three years after its launch, the program has made a palpable impact on returning citizens and has played a significant role in lowering recidivism in Michigan. The program has also grown and is now home to a director, coordinator, two student navigators and one research assistant.

For Olivia Furlow, a student navigator for the program and dual social work and public health graduate student who earned a criminal justice degree from Madonna University in 2021, reform isn’t an option; it’s part of the corrections and behavioral rehabilitation she committed to throughout her studies and for her career.

Olivia Furlow reflects on the impact the ETC program has had on her career trajectory and personal goals, November 18, 2024. Audio credit: Brittany Thomas.

“I was very fortunate to get a full-time reentry position with Health Management Systems of America, so I cover Wayne County and I assist men and women coming home from prison,” said Furlow as she reflected on her growth throughout her time with the program. “Watching the way these programs come together to support one individual to the benefit of everyone else is fascinating to me, and I will forever be grateful to occupy the space that I have been given to uplift the men and women I work with.”

With its pilot period closing soon, the program’s leaders are reflecting on the impact the program has had and vying not to let their findings go to waste.

“It’s painfully clear that incarceration leads to negative life outcomes impacting socio-economic status and contributing to morbidity and mortality,” said Hartwell. “Education is unmatched in enabling returning citizens to stabilize effectively within society, and this program has not only helped several individuals but their circles as well, which gives me much hope for the impact this program will have for future participants.”

For more information on the ETC program at Wayne State University, which looks to renew its grant soon and scale the support offered to formerly incarcerated individuals, visit https://s.wayne.edu/etc/. If interested in browsing additional reentry program resources, check out the links below.

• Browse Second Chance Act programs
• Learn more about reentry services in Michigan
• Download the Reentry Guidebook

An interactive map showing reentry support organizations and resources in the Detroit area,
November 18, 2024. Map credit: Brittany Thomas.

NOTE: Please click each provided organization location on the map for addresses, contact information,
and a description of the organization’s services.