By 1994, Darrel "DJ" Jones had completed two years at Kent State University, but his education was abruptly interrupted by a 25-year prison sentence for a crime he committed at the age of 20.
When Jones, of East Liverpool, was released from prison in 2019, he had a few courses under his belt, but no certifications or degree programs had been available in prison. After his release, a reentry program at Kent State at Trumbull gave him the opportunity to complete a bachelor’s degree in integrative studies in 2022.
Now, Kent State has been awarded a new $900,000 Department of Justice reentry grant to make college enrollment and other support available for people like Jones who are starting over after incarceration.
The Kent State University Prison Reentry Program will develop “comprehensive education and employment-based reentry services for all, targeting moderate to high-level risk justice impacted individuals in the Trumbull Correctional Institution [TCI] for successful reentry into Northeastern Ohio communities,” according to the grant description.
Sonya Williams, executive director of Kent State’s Office of University Outreach and Engagement, and Kristenne Robison, Ph.D., assistant professor of sociology, criminology and justice studies at Kent State at Salem, are co-principal investigators on the grant.
“Research is clear: earning a degree, a micro-credential, reduces the likelihood of future infractions,” Williams said. “Our program will help reduce the rate of recidivism. As a society, we must invest in efforts to educate all people, even those who have made mistakes. We believe wholeheartedly that education is an equalizer.”
The grant will provide funding to make Kent State’s existing TRIO Educational Opportunity Centers into reentry hubs to help support citizens who are returning to the community. The centers will hire coordinators with histories of incarceration and successful reintegration to meet with individuals and then connect them with community partners and Kent State resources.
This will benefit Kent State's existing prison program and help the university attract potential new students to its campuses. It also allows the university to support citizens reentering in counties where Kent State campuses are located.
The existing program, Kent State Educational Justice Initiative, began in the fall of 2021 through a partnership with Sinclair Community College. Qualified students can complete their bachelor’s degrees in technical and applied studies through Kent State, while Sinclair Community College offers an associate degree.
Jones told Kent State Today that earning his degree from Kent State was the key to getting his life back on track after more than two decades of incarceration.
Robison and Jones met before she joined Kent State through an Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, when she was an instructor at Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. The Inside-Out program allows college students to take courses with incarcerated students for a semester.
Robison began teaching at Kent State in 2019, the same year Jones was released from prison, and she encouraged him to complete his degree.
Robison said as a student, Jones stood out from all the others and was always at the top of the class.
"One of my superpowers is my ability to see talent in others and nurture it," Robison said. "DJ stood out from the start. He helped me recruit students when I was offering Inside-Out at TCI. After his first year, I asked him to be my co-facilitator for the course. He served in that role for two classes, then I left my previous position and made my way to Kent State. In the role as facilitator, he helped guys in the role as tutor and ESL instructor. He was truly a leader within the program."
Jones said Robison helped him keep it moving when times got tough.
“She encouraged me to continue my education and that [the work] would be worth it,” he said. “Dr. Robison has had a huge hand in guiding me through the ups and downs of earning my degree. She motivated me.”
Robison said she is unsure whether Jones will be hired as a coordinator in the program, "but we are looking for someone like him, who has successfully reintegrated back into society, who wants to assist others successfully reintegrate and who will be a team player."
In the spring of 2022, Jones crossed the stage at Kent State University Columbiana County Campuses commencement ceremonies and received his diploma from Robison and former Dean David Dees, Ph.D.
He is working full-time and is excited about his next educational journey – earning his master's degree in psychology or sociology so he can help others who are starting over after incarceration.
