Justice Involved Solutions (JIS)

Vision 

To create a welcoming, supportive, and respectful learning environment for all currently and formerly incarcerated students. 

What We Do

• Advocate for racial equity, to address institutional racism within higher education and state and federal facilities 
• Educates the campus community regarding the unique challenges faced by currently and formerly incarcerated students 
• Connect on a peer to peer level 
• Provides students with academic enrollment assistance (i.e. enrollment, registration, financial-aid and other necessary activities to begin or continue their educational journey) 
• Re-Entry conversations with students who experience barriers associated with having been in prison or jail 
• Refer re-entry students to campus and community-based resources and partners specific to the variety of needs including housing, employment, clothing, personal finances and scholarship information

South Seattle College and our partners are dedicated to assist you with your current and future needs while you are transitioning from the criminal justice system. Our hope is that we have a service that can assist you during your time of need.  Our goal is to expand and open educational opportunities for everyone. 

• South Seattle Colleges’ motto: “Start Here, Go Anywhere” is all about providing opportunities to our students. We believe in second chances! We believe in our students! 

Services & Offerings

JIS vision is to foster a welcoming, supportive, and respectful learning environment for all currently and formerly incarcerated students. JIS offers support through courses and an Re-Entry Education Navigator.

The Re-Entry Education Navigator supports and assists currently and formerly incarcerated students in their transition to pre-college and college education and training programs. This role advocates for student access to higher education within higher education and state and federal facilities and serves to support South's community collaborations for student success. We are able to connect one-on-one to provide students with academic enrollment assistance (i.e. enrollment, registration, financial-aid and other necessary activities to begin or continue their educational journey). We also refer re-entry students to campus and community-based resources and partners specific to the variety of needs including public benefits, housing, employment, clothing, personal finances and scholarship information. 

Justice Involved Solutions (JIS) offers several courses geared towards preparing individuals that experience the criminal justice system and face significant trauma and systemic barriers to enter a higher education environment. These courses include several credit bearing cognitive based therapy (CBT) curriculums that enhance adversity, resiliency, and soft skill building; courses include Stop the Turnstile Lifestyle (STS), Life Skills to Work (LSW), and Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT). In addition, JIS provides academic prep courses such as college prep and high school equivalency completion offered in an open enrollment, flexible fashion. 

We invite you to get acquainted with our class offerings: