McKenzie Hampton M’25, a recent graduate of University of Southern Indiana’s master’s program in criminal justice, is already taking the next step in her academic journey by pursuing a doctorate degree in Walden University’s online PhD program. She reflects on the experiences that inspired her to pursue criminal justice and how USI guided the next chapter in her academic career.
what drove you to pursue the Criminal Justice program at USI?
My father has been directly impacted by the Criminal Justice system, as he was incarcerated for 13 years. Upon his release, I saw how hard it was for him to get acclimated into society with housing, jobs, even with restoring past relationships. This prompted me to start working in the Re-Entry field for an organization called Trusted Mentors. This non-profit works to recruit, train, and connect volunteer mentors with adult individuals that are coming out of Incarceration/have been impacted by the Justice System, as well as adults at-risk of homelessness, and young adults that are aging out of foster care. The goal is for each individual in those situations to integrate or reintegrate into society as smoothly as possible with the help of a mentor. This resonates with me because of my father's past, and also because society tends to overlook people who have criminal backgrounds, so I wanted to be involved in something that focuses on marginalized groups and brings awareness to something that I am passionate about and hold compassion for. Working in the Re-Entry field and slowly learning about the Criminal Justice system is what made me gravitate towards the Criminal Justice Program at USI. I wanted to gain more knowledge on the topic so that I could better assist the individuals that I work with. 2 things that I have learned since working in my career is that individuals that are/have been incarcerated are more comfortable with talking to other individuals with the same lived experience; and that they are also accepting of people who take the time to learn about their experience. So, while I do not have lived experience, it's important for me to have continuous education on their lived experience through the lens of the Criminal Justice System.
What opportunities did the program offer to your careers?
There are many opportunities that this program offers for my career. I eventually would like to work in correctional facilities and while I'm not sure exactly what I want to do, the MACJ programs helped me gain specialized expertise on what working in corrections would look like. This meaning; I am more knowledgeable on rehabilitation programs inside of the jails and prisons, recidivism rates, and criminological theories that cater to the prevention of crime and why people even commit crimes. This is important for me to know because I will be able to respond better to certain situations in corrections regarding improvements of programs, evaluations of programs and the individuals in programs, trauma, models such as risk-needs- responsivity, and more.
What professional goals do you hope to accomplish with your degree?
Since graduating with my MACJ degree, the next professional goal I hope to accomplish is getting my doctorate. I have been accepted into Walden University online for their PhD program in Forensic Psychology. With both those degrees, I am moving forward towards my end goal of doing work in corrections. I believe that the work to rehabilitate individuals should start before release, so that these individuals can be prepared with the appropriate resources that they'll need upon release. With working in corrections, I will be able to put my knowledge gained from my MACJ degree and future doctorate degree to use.