With the success of the courses, there was an expressed need to develop a network of alumni who were interested in continuing community-engaged work for prison reform. In October 2018, the team applied and received two small grants from The Mellon Foundation
($5,000.00) and The Pollination Project ($1,000.00). These grants supported the formation of a
think tank. This think tank meets monthly to discuss pressing community needs around mass incarceration and develops comprehensive trainings and public education workshops. Our group collaborates with other community leaders, including POWER Lehigh Valley and Color of Justice, in order to bolster local initiatives and utilize the College’s facilities for meetings. Thus far, we have hosted three successful forum/panel
discussions, with our attention primarily focused on bail reform and its relationship to health,
work, and families.
