Former Talbot Hall Residents Graduate From Rutgers University

West Caldwell, NJ May 11 -

Five former residents of Talbot Hall in Kearny, New Jersey have graduated from the Rutgers University Mountainview Program (RU-MVP) with four year degrees. The Mountainview Program provides NJ-STEP students an opportunity to pursue a four year degree in a campus setting post-release. RU-MVP assists these students through the university admission process and equips admitted students with the academic, social, and professional resources necessary for success. The Mountainview Program began under the volunteer leadership of Dr. Donald Roden in 2005 and is now a recognized university program under the leadership of Christopher J. Agans.

The New Jersey Scholarship and Transformative Education in Prisons Consortium (NJ-STEP) is an association of higher education institutions in New Jersey that works in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Corrections (NJ DOC) and New Jersey State Parole Board (NJSPB), to provide higher education courses for students under the custody of the State of New Jersey while they are incarcerated. NJ-STEP also assists in the transition to college life upon their release into the community.

“I am blessed to work with students and their counselors who have been an inspiration to me,” said Dr. Donald Roden, Associate Professor of History at Rutgers University and Faculty Advisor to the Mountainview Program. “Admission to college is a way to mitigate a felony conviction. Many students now have good jobs and are contributing to society in a positive manner.”

The former Talbot Hall residents that have graduated this spring are Reggie Gaines (Human Resources Management), Chris Etienne (Journalism & Africana Studies), Shakir Griffith (Social Work), Christos Bardis (Human Resources Management) and Erik Rose (Public Health). All said that they felt rewarded and hopeful about beginning their careers after graduation. A graduation ceremony was held for the Mountainview program in April and each will also participate in the larger Rutgers University graduation ceremony in May.

“This is great news for Talbot Hall,” said Steve Tomlin, Senior Vice President of Reentry Operations. “We are so pleased to partner with the Mountainview Program to help our residents further their education. This great event supports our commitment to our mission of rehabilitation and education.”

Dr. Roden created the Mountainview Program in 2004 and the first student, another former Talbot resident, entered Rutgers in the fall of 2005. Four more students, all former Talbot residents, entered the university the following fall of 2006. The Mountainview Program and its associated student organization also promote campus awareness regarding incarceration, recidivism, criminal justice, and the benefits of higher education. Since beginning, 40 students from the Mountainview/Rutgers track were former residents of Talbot Hall.

“Talbot Hall has been a great partner in the Mountainview program,” said Dr. Roden. “Staff are very proactive, encourage educational pursuits and are great motivators for residents to seek change.”

In 2012, another resident from Talbot Hall in the NJ-STEP program, Walter Forston, was awarded two prestigious scholarships: the highly distinguished Truman scholarship and the Nets Foundation Appreciation Scholarship. Mr. Forston was also awarded the prestigious Rutgers 2010 Academic Excellence Award. He attributed his success to the inspiration of Talbot Hall staff and Dr. Roden. Mr. Forston claims his experience at Talbot Hall was a turning point for him, citing the services provided to him there as advantageous instruments for change.

“Congratulations to our former residents who worked so hard to achieve their college degree,” said Ginamarie Dimaiuta, Assessment Manager at Talbot Hall. “We have seen so many people turn their lives around after receiving the tools we provide to change lives from addiction to productive members of society.”

Talbot Hall provides reentry and assessment services to residents referred from the New Jersey Department of Corrections and the facility’s services include substance abuse treatment, education, family services, medical services and alumni services to the residents in a therapeutic environment.

Community Education Centers, Inc. (CEC) is the leading provider of offender reentry and in-prison treatment services in America, operating in 17 states and the Commonwealth of Bermuda. CEC provides a full range of therapeutic residential and non-residential reentry services with a documented record of reducing recidivism.