Fall 2026 Winner of the Criminal Justice Scholarship

Isabel Garzon

Isabel, the Fall 2026 winner of the Criminal Justice Scholarship, is an incoming law student at Duke Law School. While completing her undergraduate degree, Isabel had the opportunity to work with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students, growing her appreciation for education, but also helping her to develop a deeper understanding of the barriers these students faced.

Read Their Essay Here:

I found an unexpected home in a maximum-security prison. When I tell people about this most formative experience I had during my undergraduate years at Tufts, I am typically met with a look of horror. But the story is actually simple: When I was 19, I walked into Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center with 10 Tufts students to take a course titled, The Literatures of Confinement. Through the Tufts University Prison Initiative (TUPIT) we were joining 10 incarcerated men for an inside/out course. I did not feel nervous; however, I was completely unaware of how my life would shift after walking through those prison doors.

On the 90-minute drive to Souza-Baranowski, I replayed the mandatory security screenings, which included briefings on prison riots and what to do if an incarcerated individual attacked us. These measures were intended to demonize the men that would become our classroom peers. I remained calm as I walked into the facility. I was excited to experience a unique educational opportunity. Our class was held in the prisons chapel. I walked in, facing a room of men covered in tattoos, each of them looking more nervous than the last.

Throughout the course I cultivated a greater appreciation for education. I learned from the inside students about the reality of the school-to-prison pipeline, which I had previously considered a theoretical framework. These same students reflected on their trauma and advocated for education; they were my biggest cheerleaders, pushing me to my intellectual limits. Working on my weekly literature assignments could temperbut never fully satiatemy excitement between each Tuesday, when I could return to the prison and discuss them with my classmates.

I participated in TUPIT courses every subsequent semester and was hired as their student coordinator. As an employee, I also worked with formerly incarcerated students when they came home. This afforded me an opportunity to engage with the legal system in several ways: attending court hearings, submitting letters of support to the courts, and working with attorneys. This provided insight into the legal hurdles inside students faced, such as preparing documents for the parole board, and once homeconstant surveillance from probation officers. I developed a deep respect for, and curiosity about, the law. I dedicated myself to learning the legal system, and began through meeting with attorneys, personal research, and speaking with TUPIT students. This knowledge enabled me to provide the most effective support for our students.

This role demonstrated that a desire to help only gives you a limited set of resources to do so. Through TUPIT, it is evident that a thorough understanding of the legal system and a Juris Doctorate is what will enable me to have the impact I desire: advancing equity through legal representation. I am excited by the opportunity to further my education in an area of study that will enable me to address systemic challenges and drive positive change.