Each year the program awards the Susette M. Talarico Public Service Leadership Award to the student- or students- who have shown exemplary service during their time in the program. This year, we have two winners: Delaney Burke and Allison Victoria Reid. Congratulations to both of you!

SUSETTE M. TALARICO LECTURE WITH DR. JORDAN HYATT
“Beyond Punishment: What We Can Learn from Scandinavian Prisons”

Jordan M. Hyatt, JD PhD, is a Professor of Criminology in the Department of Criminology and Justice Studies, and Law in the Thomas R. Kline School of Law at Drexel University. There, he is the Director of the Center for Public Policy and of the Justice Collaborative. As the co-lead of the Scandinavian Prison Project (SPP), his work has focused on understanding prison conditions in the US and abroad. SPP adapts and implements Nordic-style carceral policies and examines the impact of living and working in the Scandinavian-inspired housing units.

Convocation will be held on Friday, May 8th at the UGA Chapel for students graduating in spring and summer of 2026. Ticket information for the event will be announced soon.

The ceremony will begin at 10:00, but we are asking students to arrive by 9:40 for a group photo in front of the Chapel. 

If you have any questions, please reach out to Caroline Bryson at caelch@uga.edu 

Parking available at North Deck and downtown Athens. Handicap parking located behind the chapel off Herty Drive.

We gathered with our graduates and their family and friends to celebrate their hard work and accomplishments on the afternoon of December 12, 2025. We wish them the very best as they move into the next chapter of their lives!

Our annual Alumni Networking Event, held on October 3, 2025, brought together alumni and current Criminal Justice Studies students for an afternoon of meaningful connection. In a relaxed setting, students gained valuable career insights from alumni working across various fields of criminal justice. 

Students, please RSVP at this link with your UGA email: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf7xzxz2FhbGjka2VZDNl-teg3WMeLh_6Ai6jB-LFyDpvNiIQ/viewform?usp=header

Questions about the event? Email Mrs. Bryson at caelch@uga.edu 

We look forward to celebrating all of our amazing CJ students!

Alumna Sherrie Hines (2006 Franklin College , 2009 UGA Law School) has come full circle, joining The University of Georgia Law School in the spring of 2025 teaching courses in legal writing. 

To read more about her story, click here : https://www.franklin.uga.edu/news/stories/2025/courtroom-campus-sherrie-hiness-franklin-journey-mock-trial-uga-law-school

We are SO proud to share that our incredible director, Dr. Sarah Shannon, has been honored with the Felton Jenkins, Jr. Hall of Fame Faculty Award at the University System of Georgia (USG) 21th annual Regents’ Scholarship Gala "The Sky's the Limit."

The Felton Jenkins Jr. Hall of Fame Award is named after the late USG Board of Regents member, Dr. Felton Jenkins “in honor of his dedication to the mission of the University System of Georgia and his life of exemplary service to others.”

Congratulations, Dr. Shannon!