New York, May 3, 2019 - One overcame homelessness, the other is on the verge of citizenship that will help him reach his dream. Both of them are John Jay College students, ready to graduate, and ready to become Department of Correction officers thanks to the NYC DOC CEEDS program.
CEEDS (Cadet Education, Empowerment & Development for Success) is a collaboration between John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the NYC Department of Correction, and is funded by the Department. Students spend either one or two years – their junior or senior year – in preparation for leadership opportunities at the NYC Department of Correction.
Fama Thiam ’19, a first-generation college student of Senegalese descent, is graduating from John Jay with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice. Although Thiam was born in New York City, she lived in Senegal until the age of 21. Upon returning to the city, her language barrier prevented her from enrolling in college immediately. But as an avid watcher of the Investigation Discovery channel, Thiam knew that criminal justice was her destiny. After graduating from the Borough of Manhattan Community College, Fama was excited to pursue her passion for criminal justice at John Jay.
But in the summer of 2018, following a two month vacation to Senegal, Thiam came home to find herself homeless. Her dire circumstances were made worse when she realized she would not just be homeless, but also separated from her family.
“Before I went to Senegal, my family had a problem and had to move into a shelter. When I came back, I wanted to join them, but I could not live with them because I was over 21 and “able to support myself.” I had nowhere else to live. They gave me two options, stay with my family and they would lose their benefits or find somewhere else to stay—but without them. I stayed with my friends and I was able to save some money. The CEEDS stipend helped me with the deposit for an apartment so we could get back together.”
“Without the CEEDS stipend, I would not have been able to be reunited with my family. This is the best thing I have ever done.” – Fama Thiam ‘19
The separation was especially hard on Thiam, as she was the main caretaker for her father, who is disabled. But with the support of the CEEDS program, Thiam’s circumstances changed dramatically for the better. She now lives in an apartment with her family in The Bronx.
“Without the CEEDS stipend, I would not have been able to be reunited with my family. This is the best thing I have ever done,” Thiam gushed.
A polyglot fluent in five languages, Boubacar Barry ‘19, an immigrant from Guinea, is currently awaiting his naturalization interview with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Barry, a Criminal Justice major with a minor in Political Science, plans to enroll in the NYC Correction Academy once his US Citizenship is approved.
During his undergraduate years at John Jay, Barry took six classes, and interned at the Manhattan Borough President’s office through CUNY Service Corps. He also worked part-time for a security firm. The CEEDS program stipend enabled him to take classes without worrying about tuition.
“Working in Rikers for almost two months now has taught me how to communicate, patience, criminal justice reform and how criminal justice works.” –Boubacar Barry ‘19
The CEEDS program also helped to change his perspective on incarcerated individuals.
“Before I used to view people in jail as people who did bad things and now have to face the consequences of their actions. But now I realize that even though they did something bad, you have to treat them like human beings,” said Barry, who lives in Harlem. Working in Rikers for almost two months now has taught me how to communicate, patience, criminal justice reform and how criminal justice works.”
“The CEEDS program is heading into its fourth year, and every year we see the cohort grow a little bit bigger. So far, 23 John Jay students have graduated and been hired as official correction officers, and the class this year has 28 graduating students.” – Tamar Montuma
The CEEDS Cadets were recently honored at a luncheon during National Correction Officer Week. During this appreciation ceremony, Tamar Montuna, the Student Support Specialist for the CEEDS Program, spoke about the evolution of the program.
“The CEEDS program is heading into its fourth year, and every year we see the cohort grow a little bit bigger. So far, 32 John Jay students have either transitioned to the NYC Correction Academy or are official correction officers.”
At the ceremony, Adjunct Assistant Professor Marc Bullaro, a 29 year veteran of the New York City Correction Department and former Commanding Officer of the Correction Intelligence Bureau on Rikers Island, congratulated the cadets.
“I know that there are people here that have the potential to be wardens and chiefs. And you are going to change the department. It means better leadership, and it means better policies that you can do. You have the brains, you have the acumen, you are gaining the experience… you have the knowledge to do that. And that’s what we need. Everybody benefits. The staff and the inmates.”
