Justice Fellows Policy Program – Now Accepting Applications!
From January 6 – February 4, 2025, EdTrust will be accepting applications for our fourth cohort of Justice Fellows. This yearlong, paid fellowship goes through in March 2025 – March 2026.
In 2021, EdTrust launched the Justice Fellows Policy Program to amplify the voices of justice-impacted students. Each year, we select a cohort of 6 to 8 outstanding individuals from across the country—leaders who have overcome significant challenges and are making meaningful contributions in their communities. Their insights inform EdTrust’s advocacy for justice-impacted individuals to expand educational access and opportunity.
Eligibility Requirements
- Directly impacted—having a background with the legal system—or formerly incarcerated individuals with a desire to develop higher education policy skills and a passion for expanding access to higher education for directly impacted individuals.
- Early-career professionals—defined as having eight or fewer years of professional experience—advocating issues at the intersection of higher education policy and the criminal legal system).
- Availability to attend all EdTrust structured engagements, convenings, and monthly professional development meetings—in person/virtually.
- Capacity to commit 20 hours per month to required activities, including meetings, tasks (e.g., blogs, interviews, and speaking engagements), and contributing significantly to the group project.
Deadline for applications is February 4, 2025 at 11:59 ET.
About the Fellowship
Choosing to pursue higher education should not be fraught with barriers. For justice-impacted individuals, the barriers are even higher. That’s why, in 2021, we started the Justice Policy Fellowship — to elevate the voices of individuals who are directly impacted by the legal system.
We select outstanding individuals from across the country who have overcome the odds and done amazing work in their communities. Throughout this yearlong fellowship, the Justice Fellows use their lived experiences to inform, review, and amplify EdTrust’s policy recommendations for justice-impacted students. Because we know that these voices have real potential to make a difference in the lives of many other justice-impacted people who want to pursue their education.
About the Advisory Board
Ed Trust has convened an advisory board of individuals with expertise in advocating for issues at the nexus of higher education policy and the criminal legal system. Ed Trust will rely on these board members for high-level guidance and advice on Ed Trust’s strategy for the Fellows program.
Justice Fellows Advisory Board
Terrell Blount
Terrell Blount is the director of the Formerly Incarcerated College Graduates Network (FICGN), a nonprofit organization that promotes equity, fairness, and inclusion in postsecondary…
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Hernan Carvante Martinez
Hernan Carvente-Martinez is the Founder and CEO of Healing Ninjas, Inc. a social enterprise seeking to expand access to health and wellness resources for…
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Dr. Shawnice Johnson
Dr. Shawnice Johnson is a senior data analyst at a leading national non-profit and an experienced research consultant.
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Michelle Daniel Jones
Michelle Daniel (Jones) is a fourth-year doctoral student in the American Studies program at New York University. While incarcerated, she presented legislative testimony on…
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Dr. Zaria Davis
Dr. Zaria Davis is a senior associate with the Pretrial Justice Institute, where she advocates for safe, fair, and effective pretrial justice practices and policies through racial justice.
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Dr. Laura Ferguson-Mimms
I am a native Nashvillian who loves my family and my hometown. My professional career includes working as a certified Montessori teacher, serving as…
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Dr. Terrence S. McTier Jr.
Research and equity consultant
Dr. Terrence S. McTier Jr. is a research and equity consultant for current and formerly incarcerated individuals.
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Ved Price
Ved Price joined the Alliance as Executive Director in 2022 and brings deep experience in the nonprofit sector as well as significant board and committee experience.
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Romarilyn Ralston
Romarilyn Ralston identifies as a Black feminist abolitionist with incarceration experience. She earned a Bachelor degree in Gender and Feminist Studies from Pitzer College…
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Noel Vest, Ph.D.
Noel Vest, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Stanford University School of Medicine. His research interests include mental health, substance use disorders,…
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Jarrod Wall
During his 26 years of incarceration, Jarrod earned several degrees (AA, BA, BS, MA) and had the privilege to administrate the onsite college program…
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