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Abstract

This article highlights the benefits of collaboration between academia and programs within an urban jail. Staff from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) Reentry program and Senior Seminar students from the University of Houston Downtown (UHD) Criminal Justice Department have come together to form a partnership where the core project is focused on community reentry. In addition to providing services for inmates, such a platform provides each student with ongoing career opportunities. One such program, Mentoring Moms focuses on the critical health and safety needs of pregnant offenders through an established curriculum under the supervision of licensed case managers.

Author Biography

Judith A. Harris, received her Ph.D., at Texas Southern University in the Administration of Justice. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Houston Downtown (UHD). Dr. Harris’s on-going commitment to service learning and community service are now embedded into a Senior Seminar course at UHD. The core project is focused on the Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) Reentry program. This platform provides each student with a variety of ongoing opportunities. Within this framework each student can create their own academic experience and construct their own best practice. Furthermore, this service learning opportunity has provided an opportunity to integrate campus and community into an established curriculum. Jennifer N. Herring, MSW is an expert in crisis intervention. She became an adjunct faculty member at Texas Southern University and served as field liaison and visiting instructor for 8 years. Currently she serves as Program Director for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Reentry Program where she creates and manages programs for Harris County’s inmates.

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