John Jay College Magazine (spring 2009)

John Jay Magazine EDU CAT IN G FO R JU S TIC E

SPRING 2009

John Jay College T h e

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of Criminal Justice

Cover: A survivor holds a photograph of his father, massacred in 1982. Nebaj, Quiché, Guatemala, 2000 Photo: Jonathan Moller This Page: Top: Three women, themselves survivors of the violence, watch as the remains of relatives and friends who were killed in the early 1980’s are exhumed. Nebaj, Quiché 2000 Photo: Jonathan Moller Middle: Illegal migrants are placed in holding facilities before they are returned to Mexico. Photo: Gerald L. Nino

John Jay Magazine CONTENTS

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President’s Letter

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Enforcing Immigration Laws John Jay Alumni Assess Local Law Enforcement’s Dilemma

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Preserving the Memory of Violence

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“Justice in New York” In Their Own Words

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PRISM Shines Light on Students’ Scientific Curiosity

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The Write Stuff Changing the Paradigm of Criminal Justice Journalism

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MS in Forensic Computing Prepares Future Cybercrime Sleuths

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Alumni Worth Noting

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Alumni Class Notes

Senior Writer Jennifer Nislow Contributing Writers Peter Dodenhoff Stephen Handelman Marie Rosen Photography Coordinator Doreen Viñas Alumni Contributor Sharice Conway Production Coordinator Kathy Willis Designer JRenacia

C I T Y

U N I V E R S I T Y

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N E W

PRESIDENT

Y O R K

of Criminal Justice

Jeremy travis

Dear friends of John Jay College,

Vice President for Marketing and Development Vivien Hoexter Executive Director of Communications & Editor Christine Godek

T H E

E D UC A T I NG F O R JUST IC E

Bottom: Forensic Computing Laboratory

President Jeremy Travis

John Jay College

John Jay Magazine is a publication of Marketing and Development, published twice a year and distributed free to alumni and friends of John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

With the 2008–2009 academic year drawing to a close, we can be proud as we reflect on the growing international stature of John Jay College of Criminal Justice. We are recognized more and more as an institution distinguished by the scholarship of our faculty, the rigor of our core educational experience, the innovative nature of our interdisciplinary programs, and our contributions to justice. Such recognition is due in large part to the remarkable strides that we as a College have made over the past five years. As a community, we have developed, and implemented, an ambitious vision for academic excellence. We have focused our energies on three interlocking initiatives: • Changing the Student Profile We have aggressively raised academic standards for admission to John Jay College. We are mid-way through a four-year plan to phase out admissions to our associate degree programs. We have created educational partnerships with the six community colleges of the City University of New York to offer joint degree programs in criminal justice and forensic science. These efforts are showing results. Over the past two years, the incoming baccalaureate class at John Jay has increased from 1,027 to 1,414, a 38 percent increase. Next, we will focus on improving student success, starting with increasing our retention and graduation rates. • Historic Faculty Hiring Initiative We have launched an unprecedented faculty hiring program. We now have 419 full-time faculty, 25 percent more than four years ago. Fully 35 percent of our faculty have been hired in the last four years. The revitalization of the faculty is about more than just numerical growth. New faculty members joining the College’s ranks are committed to scholarship that crosses disciplinary boundaries. Our senior faculty members edit prestigious scholarly journals, hold leadership positions in leading academic associations, and produce critically acclaimed books, including last year’s winner of the Pulitzer Prize for biography. Our faculty have tripled the research funding from five years ago, generating million of research dollars for the College. • Revitalizing John Jay’s Academic Programs Thirty years ago, in the midst of New York City’s fiscal crisis, the College’s liberal arts majors were eliminated. Today, we have reversed that decision and have challenged our faculty to develop new majors in the humanities and sciences. We have already secured approval for two exciting new majors — in Economics and English — and many more are in the approval pipeline. This issue of the John Jay Magazine reflects the intellectual capital of the John Jay community — our faculty, students and alumni. In the first article, law enforcement leaders, who are John Jay alumni, weigh in on the challenges that local law enforcement faces in immigration matters. Another story looks at the “Silent Genocide” that took place in Guatemala. The forensic science acumen of our students who have received grants for their scholarship is highlighted in another article. The issue also details the “Justice in New York” Oral History Project, a one-of-a-kind research resource on the New York criminal justice system in the late 20th century as seen through the eyes of leaders who have been intimately involved in its evolution. Throughout this issue, you will see the scholarship and commitment of the John Jay community. Your continuing support of our College is vital to our future as we continue to prepare future generations to meet the challenges of justice. Sincerely,

Jeremy Travis

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8 9 9 T E N T H AV E N U E

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J T R A V I S @ J J A Y. C U N Y. E D U

Enforcing Immigration Laws

A CBP Border Patrol Agent investigates a potential landing area for illegal immigrants along the Rio Grande River in Texas. Photo: James Tourtellotte

John Jay Alumni Assess Local Law Enforcement’s Dilemma By Marie Rosen

Policies range from local police and sheriffs being trained and “deputized” to strictly enforce federal law to localities that serve as sanctuaries for illegal immigrants.

For police to do their job effectively, they must have cooperation from the residents of their communities. “It’s the foundation, the bedrock, for policing. When a police badge is transformed into an immigration badge in the mindset of the immigrant community, there will be little cooperation with police,” says Williams. “I think it falls to the federal government to enforce immigration law,” says Mulvey. “For us to enforce immigration laws, which we really don’t have the authority to do, would break down all that hard work that we have engaged in during the years developing trust.” This trust, Mulvey believes, is in part responsible for the declining crime rates that his jurisdiction has been experiencing. “We want people to report crime, to bear witness to crime. And to have that, you have to have a certain level of trust.” In Nassau County, all the years of earning the community’s trust were tested in 2007 when the department assisted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in a series of early morning raids to purportedly apprehend 131 gang members who were eligible for deportation. “Only nine of the targets were located, meaning that at 122 locations there was a consent search where agents encountered only ordinary citizens and immigrants, legal and illegal, who were not criminals, not involved in crime,” Mulvey noted. He withdrew the department’s support before the operation was completed.

sympathy toward immigrants, “There is a reticence of people coming forward because there is fear of deportation,” Timoney notes. “And it’s interesting what crimes go underreported. You see it in the serial sex crimes.” He recalled that on a number of occasions there was a serial rapist victimizing the Miami community. “People going into bedrooms at night… and quite a bit of it went unreported until I made pleas on television. Strict enforcement of immigration law would drive immigrants under the radar and there would be the underreporting of crime.” Williams, who observed a focus group with the immigrant community, says, “We found that there is a deep fear of deportation within the immigrant community that has a chilling effect on their relationship with law enforcement.” He recalled that one participant was afraid to get groceries for her children when law enforcement was around. Straub also points out that, “If police are required to question the suspect, they may have to ask the status of the victim as well. It’s not a conversation a victim wants to have.” Straub’s jurisdiction operates similarly to that of a sanctuary. “I don’t think that local law enforcement should enforce federal immigration law. That being said, I don’t think there is necessarily a problem with local law enforcement participating in task forces that may look at serious offenders who are illegal.” In such areas as human trafficking, bank robbery investigations, drug trafficking

When a police badge is transformed into an immigration badge in the mindset of the immigrant community, there will be little cooperation with police.

Nearly 38 million immigrants (legal and illegal) reside in the United States, according to the Center for Immigration Studies. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) estimates that about 12 million of them are illegal — that’s nearly one in three.

serve as sanctuaries for illegal immigrants. Many departments check status only when a suspect is arrested for a serious crime. Some jurisdictions will check status during a traffic stop. Others leave the status check to the holding facility following an arrest.

The dilemma for local law enforcement across the country is whether or to what extent they should enforce federal immigration laws.

To look at this issue more closely, the topic was discussed with five John Jay alumni who are in police leadership positions around the country:

For the most part, enforcement of the country’s immigration laws falls under the jurisdiction of the federal government. But, in the absence of clear national policy and limited federal resources, local law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve have been left on their own to form policies and practices.

• Lawrence Mulvey (BA ’75), Police Commissioner of Nassau County, NY

to bear witness

• Frank Straub (MA ’90), Commissioner of Public Safety for White Plains, NY

to crime.

• John Timoney (BA ’74), Police Chief of Miami, FL

And to

It’s a complicated issue. Just being here illegally is a civil, not a criminal, violation and across the country there is wide variation in how local law enforcement addresses this problem. Policies range from local police and sheriffs being trained and “deputized” to strictly enforce federal law to localities that

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In Miami, where 70 percent of the city is foreign-born and possesses real empathy and

to report crime,

have that,

• Dennis Weiner (BS ’92), Police Chief of Juno Beach, FL

You have to

• Hubert Williams (BS ’70), Police Foundation President, Washington, DC For them, these issues are not hypothetical, but critical challenges that affect thousands of lives on a daily basis.

We want people

have a certain level of trust. Photo courtesy of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

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jurisdictional issues, the federal government established a program called “Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act” that permits designated officers, who have been trained, to perform federal immigration law enforcement functions. So far, a relatively small number of law enforcement agencies are participating in the program.

Photo courtesy of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

We found that there is a deep fear of deportation within the immigrant community that has a chilling effect on their relationship with law enforcement.

and gang investigations, both federal agents and police have routinely worked together over the years. “There is a criminal element within the immigrant community,” noted Williams, “but it’s not a question of whether or not they immigrated into the country illegally, which is a federal responsibility, but whether these people are committing heinous crimes. So, I think such cooperation in this area can be very important for both federal and local authorities. But it must be done carefully.” The difficulty that police have with illegal immigrants who engage in criminal activity has a history, according to Timoney. While serving with the NYPD from the 1960s through the 1980s “we would lock up people who were here illegally for serious felonies but we could never get immigration officials to respond. That someone is here illegally and is engaged in illegal activity is the critical test when it comes to enforcement.” For Weiner, the central issue is why pass laws that cannot be effectively enforced. “Any law that is not uniformly and regularly enforced loses its deterrent effect. I maintain that one reason so many people attempt to enter the country illegally is that if one is successful, there is little risk that that individual will ever be held accountable for violating our immigration laws.” “As president of Police Executive Research Forum (a professional organization of city, county and state law enforcement agencies),” Timoney says, “I’ve witnessed more pressure from the federal government to get local police more involved and there has been resistance on the part of local police, especially among the big city chiefs.” At present, local policies range from requiring that police check the status of those with whom they come in contact to expressly forbidding it. To deal with the legal

COMMUNITY SENTIMENT Just how much local enforcement does in the way of checking status often reflects community sentiment. In Juno Beach, for example, the community wants vigorous enforcement of immigration laws and the police department assists ICE and the Border Patrol whenever requested. In White Plains, it’s a different story. Straub noted that his community aggressively looks for people to assimilate. “We run a 10-week program for new members of our community without asking for immigration status. We let them know what services are available — schools, youth bureau, police, fire and health. We have a police officer who is assigned to day laborers. The officer goes to their informal shape-ups and lets them know about their rights when it comes to their employers such as their right to be paid at the end of the day.” But even within the same geographical area, there can be differences in how local law enforcement deals with the issue. For example, in Maricopa County, which includes the city of Phoenix, the sheriff and the police chief have sometimes been at odds in their policies and practices. CRIMINAL ACTIVITY — MYTH vs. REALITY The extent to which illegal immigrants are involved in criminal activity depends on the specific locality and numerous jurisdictions report that a significant portion of the crime in their communities is being committed by illegal immigrants. But such is not the case in Nassau County. In the last 15 years, the Hispanic population has risen by more than 100 percent yet serious offenses have decreased by 48 percent, which, for Mulvey, is an indication that immigrants (both legal and illegal) are not committing disproportionate amounts of crime.

In times of economic stress, crimes like burglary, robbery and theft traditionally go up. “In White Plains,” Straub notes, “we had an influx of people coming as landscapers, doing masonry work and construction-like jobs. If these jobs disappear, you’ll have more unemployment that could result in increased

Preserving the Memory of Violence By Jennifer Nislow

The “scorched earth” policy of the Guatemalan government during the late 1970s and early 1980s resulted in the massacre of thousands upon thousands of Guatemala’s indigenous Mayan groups. A “Silent Genocide” is what human rights scholars would term this atrocity since the world community gave little recognition, much less condemnation, to this wholesale decimation of a people by their own government. The origins of this violence go back to 1954 when Guatemala became entrenched in an armed civil conflict that pitted military dictatorships against left-wing insurgents and prompted the overthrow of democratically elected President Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán. With his removal, land given to the country’s rural poor under his administration was returned to its previous owners. The repression of indigenous leaders and the reversal of social reforms led to the emergence of a left-wing guerrilla campaign. Aiming to deprive leftist forces of a rural base of support, the military governments in power waged all-out war on the Mayan

people. In 1999, the United Nations Historical Clarification Commission, or Truth Commission, found that “country agents of the Guatemalan state committed acts of genocide against groups of the Mayan people....” When a precarious peace was forged in 1996, the military was found by the U.N. to have committed 93 percent of the atrocities and the leftists 3 percent. Overall, an estimated 200,000 people were killed, 50,000 disappeared, 150,000 escaped over the border to Mexico and 1.5 million were displaced during the course of nearly four decades of war.

continued on page 20

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Photo montage depicting the “Silent Genocide” of indigenous Mayans in Guatemala. Photo: Jonathan Moller

(L-R) Arie Braizblot, Professor Marcia Esparza and Lina Rojas.

Walking through the mountains towards an exhumation site. Nebaj, Quiché, 2000 Photo: Jonathan Moller

Yet, the victims of state-sponsored violence in Guatemala are still waiting for the day when those responsible for the torture, murder and disappearances of their friends and families will pay for their crimes.

Overall, an estimated 200,000 people were killed, 50,000 disappeared, 150,000 escaped over the border

“There is a lack of recognition of violence in the (Latin American) region,” said John Jay Professor Marcia Esparza, a recognized Guatemalan scholar. “Within the field of genocide studies, there is no recognition of what Guatemala suffered. There was no International Criminal Court. There were International Criminal Courts for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, but there was no International Criminal Court to try to bring the perpetrators in Guatemala to justice.” Esparza’s Interest Esparza became involved with Guatemala and its indigenous community through a human rights internship in 1992 that dealt with the Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala. Coincidentally, Rigoberta Menchu Tum, the Guatemalan human-rights

On her own, Esparza visited the Guatemalan refugee camps, visiting different communities that had been displaced by the war. In 1997, she was hired as an international consultant and field researcher to the U.N. Guatemalan Truth Commission. During the three years she spent in Guatemala, Esparza conducted hundreds of interviews with survivors.

“That’s when I realized the magnitude of the violence,” she said. Esparza spent 1997 to 2000 “vicariously bearing witness” to the Guatemalan genocide by collecting testimonies from survivors living in refugee camps. After joining John Jay in 2000 as an assistant professor in the Department of Latin American and Latina/o Studies, she began creating the Historical Memory Project (HMP) as a way of “preserving the memory of violence in the region as it affects vulnerable populations.” The Historical Memory Project, that has since grown to include other Latin American countries, is unique. While there are similar projects in the United States, none, she believes, pertain specifically to Latin America and the history of state-sponsored violence in the region.

to Mexico and 1.5 million were displaced during the course of nearly four decades of war.

activist and Nobel Prize Laureate, was affiliated with that organization as well.

The parents and wife of a man who had buried them during the night after soldiers gunned them down as they were fleeing the mountains. Nebaj, Quiché, 2000 Photo: Jonathan Moller

Memory Politics The project is also a significant part of a larger global movement called “memory politics” that emerged from human rights activism in South Africa and the Latin American countries of the Southern Cone —

Chile, Argentina and Uruguay. It refers to how societies that have suffered under repressive regimes handle these legacies of brutality once they have made the transition from authoritarian rule to democracy. It is often accomplished through truth commissions or the passing of amnesty laws that give perpetrators of human rights violations immunity from prosecution.

“My aim and the aim of people working with me are to try to preserve this history as truthful,” said Esparza. “There are many truths. Who is to say who has the truth? But, we have a body of evidence, pictures, oral testimonies that account for a specific truth. That’s the memory I’m trying to keep alive.” Assisting Esparza in this work are several John Jay students who come from other Latin American countries, including Colombia and Argentina. The HMP was expanded to include these and other nations, Esparza explained, because it was evident that there was a pattern to the violence that stretched from Mexico down to the Caribbean. While the extinction of indigenous peoples is crucial to an understanding of how terror is institutionalized in Latin America, the HMP now also examines violence directed at urban populations, as well. “When I compare what happened in Chile and Guatemala, of course there are differences

but there are also many similarities,” said Esparza, who is Chilean. “I think the common denominator, one common denominator, is the role played by the United States intervening militarily in all these countries to protect transnational economic interests.” Students’ Research — A Personal Connection Jenny Escobar, 28, moved to the United States from Colombia when she was nine. She graduated from John Jay in 2005 with a degree in forensic psychology and is now pursuing a doctorate in social psychology with a focus on social justice from the University of California, Santa Cruz. As one of Esparza’s mentees under the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, Escobar spent two years researching the Guatemalan Truth and Reconciliation Commission from a psychological perspective. However, her dissertation is on collective memory in Colombia. Escobar’s family experienced little direct violence. Her mother and extended family came to the United States for economic opportunities that were unavailable in their country.

Still, “my focus on Colombia definitely comes from my personal history. The more I learn about Colombia and the history of the time my mom emigrated,” said Escobar, “I think it has to a lot to do with the result of the conflict.”

of statesponsored violence in Guatemala are still waiting for the day when those responsible for the torture, murder and disappearances of their friends and families will pay for their crimes.

continued on page 21

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Yet, the victims

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“Justice in New York”

career of state Senator John J. Marchi. “I thought, ‘Okay, I’m done with oral history, I can get on with just being a librarian,’” Kroessler said. It wasn’t to be. Jules Kroll, Chairman of the John Jay Foundation Board, and President Jeremy Travis came up with the idea of compiling an oral history of criminal justice in New York, and Kroessler, based on his background, was quickly tapped for the job.

In Their Own Words

“When I came to John Jay, I did not have a background in criminal justice or law enforcement history, and it wasn’t even a focus of my research,” said Kroessler, who holds a PhD in urban history from the City University Graduate Center and is the author of New York, Year by Year: A Chronology of the Great Metropolis. “This is turning me into a historian of criminal justice in New York City, because I have to know the subject when I’m talking to people.” A native New Yorker, Kroessler remembered Bernie Goetz, the Guardian Angels, the Central Park jogger case. “I lived through that, and I’m now talking to people about that. Still, even though something might be in the papers today, as a historian I have to think ‘What’s going to be significant about this 10, 20, 30 years from now?’ That’s the tricky part.”

By Peter Dodenhoff

Imagine having a handful of former New York City mayors, current district attorneys and assorted other public officials in the same room, sitting around a table, all discussing their firsthand experiences with criminal justice and other weighty issues.

(L-R) Robert Morgenthau, Manhattan District Attorney; Judge Harold Baer, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York; (Ret.) Judge Milton Mollen, New York State Court of Appeals; Jules Kroll, Chair of the John Jay College Foundation, Richard Brown, Queens District Attorney

This is a form of historic preservation.

-It hasn’t happened yet, but John Jay’s Lloyd George Sealy Library has come up with what may be the next best thing — “Justice in New York,” an Oral History Project that has captured the musings of former Mayor Edward I. Koch, Brooklyn District Attorney Charles J. Hynes, former Police Commissioner Patrick V. Murphy and many others on tape, preserving their insights and recollections for posterity. The Oral History Project aspires to nothing less than providing a one-of-a-kind research resource on the New York criminal justice system in the late 20th century, as seen through the eyes of leaders who have been intimately involved in its evolution. In the long run, the project will take the form of volumes

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of transcripts housed in the Sealy Library’s Special Collections, available to students, researchers, journalists and others interested in seeing and hearing history come alive. “This is a form of historic preservation,” said the project’s guiding hand, Professor Jeffrey Kroessler. “We’re generating historical documents, and we think they’re of value, although the historians, political scientists, criminal justice investigators and other researchers who make use of them will ultimately determine their significance.” Kroessler came to John Jay in 2005 from the College of Staten Island, where he completed an 11-volume Oral History Project focusing on the politics of Staten Island and the

The oral history is slowly and steadily coming together, a fact that delights Chief Librarian Larry Sullivan. “Firsthand accounts of those who were and are involved in groundbreaking cases and in the formulation of criminal justice policy and issues are essential to scholarly work in the field,” Sullivan observed. “We are fortunate to have in New York some of the most prominent leaders in criminal justice, and the goal of our project is to get on tape as many of their stories as possible. These materials will benefit researchers for generations to come.” To date, more than 15 prominent figures have been interviewed by Kroessler — in some cases more than once — with a list of roughly two dozen more awaiting their turn. The collection already includes Mayor Edward I. Koch, district attorneys Richard A. Brown of Queens, Charles J. Hynes of Brooklyn, Robert T. Johnson of the Bronx and Daniel M. Donovan of Staten Island, former Police Commissioners William Bratton and Patrick Murphy, and retired Judge Milton Mollen, who chaired an anti-corruption commission that bears his name.

The list of subjects to be interviewed is “a living thing,” Kroessler noted. “To start with, we’re focusing on criminal justice leaders, but as this goes along, I would be interested in talking to some people further down in the system, someone who came in as an officer, retired as a sergeant and served 28 years.” One of the people on Kroessler’s “wish list,” as he calls it, is Kroll, a prominent local criminal justice figure in his own right and the man who provided the seed capital for the project. The founder of a worldwide security and risk-management firm, Kroll recalled how he and his wife, Lynn, had attended a gathering of New York City criminal justice leaders hosted by President Travis. Surveying a room that included Brown, Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly and Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scopetta, among many others, Lynn Kroll told her husband, “Boy, there’s a lot of history in this room. It’s like a criminal justice hall of fame.” From that observation, according to Jules Kroll, the idea for the Oral History Project was born, as a kind of starting point for something that could become bigger over time.

President Travis and retired Judge Milton Mollen

Firsthand accounts of those who

“The idea here is to capture the thinking and the wisdom of people before they’re no longer around to do so. After all, so many of the issues we face today are ones we’ve faced before,” said Kroll. “John Jay is a wonderfully neutral place, the perfect place for a project like this that focuses on the nexus of the public sector, private sector and academia.” While the end-products of the interviews may turn out to be as different as fingerprints, the actual process of creating the oral history is relatively constant. Kroessler starts by compiling a chronology of the subject’s life and career, using the Library’s prodigious resources, including the New York Times online archive. “The chronology becomes a framework to start them talking about their lives,” said Kroessler, “because naturally with most oral histories you want it to be a narrative that starts at the beginning and keeps going until it reaches the end. Even though there are incidents you want to talk

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were and are involved in groundbreaking cases and in the formulation of criminal justice policy and issues are essential to scholarly work in the field.

The collection already includes Mayor Edward I. Koch, district attorneys Richard A. Brown of Queens, Charles J. Hynes of Brooklyn, Robert T. Johnson of the Bronx and Daniel M. Donovan of Staten Island, retired Police Commissioners William Bratton and Patrick Murphy, and retired

about, you want to do it in the context of their entire career.” Careers may be long, but Kroessler explains to his subjects that he has a 90-minute cassette ready to roll, with a second one as backup. If an interviewee wants to keep talking, Kroessler will sometimes arrange for a follow-up visit. The degree to which interviewees tend to be cooperative came as a pleasant surprise to Kroessler. “It’s surprising because we’re talking about subject matter where people don’t bare their entire souls and tell everything, because they just can’t,” he said. “A public figure has to control his or her persona, so you’re not necessarily going to get all of the revelations or confessionals that you think you’re going to get. If they don’t want to talk about something, they won’t. There are difficult things to bring up, and you don’t necessarily get the complete chapter-and-verse story from them.” Still, Kroessler hastens to add, the project is not about producing “gotcha!” moments. “It’s not a deposition. It’s intended to be ‘what’s your story that you want people to come away with?’” To that end, Kroessler takes some extra steps to insure a quality end-product. The tapes are transcribed by a specialized transcription service at the University of Connecticut, whereupon Kroessler edits the document, cleaning up sentence fragments, taking out “ums” and similar interjections, and amending inadvertent misstatements of fact, such as incorrect dates. The transcript is then forwarded to the interviewee. “The agreement I have with them is that they can make whatever changes they want,” Kroessler said. By and large the subjects are satisfied with the record of what they said.

“Very rarely have I gotten someone who’s X’d out entire sections.” Kroessler’s exacting method isn’t one to which oral history specialists universally subscribe. “Some people do the verbatim approach, while I prefer the edited approach. It’s an approach that I think makes for a more accessible endproduct, meaning the transcript.” Kroessler also prepares an index of each transcript, so that a researcher looking for, say, information on the Rockefeller drug laws will be able to see whether the district attorneys in the collection made any comments on the subject.

anti-corruption

Yet with all the attention to detail that is going into the project, Kroessler admits that the toughest thing about this or any oral history is knowing how incomplete it is. “No matter how much preparation you do, no matter how many times you talk to a person, you realize that it is a discussion about a life or an event, but it is not the complete story. There are gaps, there are mistakes, there are things I forget to ask that I know I should have asked, there are things that the person refuses to say. That’s the most frustrating thing, I think, the natural limit of oral history. It is an individual telling his or her story, with all the pluses and minuses that are entailed in that.” Peter Dodenhoff is editor of @ John Jay. See excerpt on page 22

Donations to support the Oral History Project are greatly appreciated and are tax deductible. Please make your check payable to:

John Jay College Foundation, Oral History Project commission that bears his name. See excerpt on page 22

Please send your check to: John Jay College Foundation, Inc. 899 Tenth Avenue New York, NY 10019

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Shines Light on Students’ Scientific Curiosity By Jennifer Nislow

It can take months to complete the work on a single person — “with some people you send them the transcript and it doesn’t come back for a while,” Kroessler said — and there’s no telling when the project as a whole might conclude. “We look at it as a long-term project of the Library and John Jay College,” he noted, “because we have a growing archive here, that’s going to become part of our collection.”

Judge Milton Mollen, who chaired an

PRISM

(L-R) Professor Anthony Carpi, Daniel Cocris, Anthony Ho, Stacey-Ann Mano.

Imagine taking a device no bigger than a matchbook to a crime scene and using it to instantly identify illicit substances in a drop of blood. This tool, like all of the projects Marcel Roberts has worked on since graduating from John Jay in 2002, he hopes will one day have a profound impact on forensic science. Roberts, a chemical biologist, is a postdoctoral fellow at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He was part of John Jay’s CSTEP (Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program), a New York State Department of Education initiative that has provided mentoring, research training and funding to promising forensic science students at John Jay for more than a decade. In 2006, the grant became one of four funding streams making up a new, expansive program at the College called PRISM (Program for Research Initiatives for Science Majors).

According to Professor Anthony Carpi of the Department of Sciences, “PRISM tries to present a seamless front to students. When students are looking to do undergraduate research, they talk to Professor Ron Pilette, who is the PRISM coordinator. He figures out whether they’re eligible for any type of funding. So rather than having students deal with that headache, Ron has the headache.”

PRISM students,

At present, stipends are awarded only to upper-class students based on the research proposals they submit. The awards range from $500 to $1,500 per semester, and up to $2,500 for an academic year, with the possibility of additional funds during the summer.

interest in doing

who are selected based on their grades and

research, are exposed to professional

PRISM students, who are selected based on their grades and interest in doing research, are exposed to professional conferences held at colleges and universities around the country. They gain experience working with other researchers in a lab, learn how to meet with professors and potential research advisors, and present their work. “They (Pilette and Carpi) are just unbelievable mentors,” said former PRISM student and future dentist Daniel Cocris, who graduated

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conferences held at colleges and universities around the country.

Mano admits to being one of those whose fascination with the program “CSI” led her to enroll in John Jay’s forensic science program. But forensic science in practice was not what it seemed like on TV. from John Jay in 2006. Cocris, 35, came to the U.S. from Romania in 1995. In January, he interviewed at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine and at New York University College of Dentistry. Anthony Ho and Stacey-Ann Mano are both seniors and forensic science majors who began as CSTEP students but are continuing their studies under PRISM. While the stipends they received helped, money is not what drew them to the program. Both joined for the opportunity to do research.

science is more than just the memorization of facts and is, in fact, a way of thinking.

Since 2005, the Department of Sciences has offered an undergraduate research course as an alternative to the traditional capstone project all science majors are required to complete. In their senior year, students may take either a traditional externship at an outside lab, or complete the same 400 hours doing research in-house. While PRISM students may select either option, most, like Ho and Mano, choose the undergraduate research class where they — in effect — receive stipends for fulfilling their internship. Carpi’s own research is on the ability of elemental mercury to vaporize into the atmosphere repeatedly after being deposited in soil or water through coal combustion, metal smelting and trash incineration. All of his PRISM students are investigating different aspects of this ecological problem. Joining CSTEP as a sophomore, Ho, 21, began working with Carpi in his junior year. Ho became interested in science as a sixthgrader when he was accepted into a magnet

Professor Carpi and PRISM students conduct an experiment.

program for students who showed talent in that subject. As a sophomore at Brooklyn Technical High School — where students are required to declare a major — Ho enrolled in the school’s bio-medical program. But, he did not “fit the mold” of a medical student, he said. Looking around for a program that would provide him with the classes he needed to be pre-med, but not a traditional pre-med program, he became a forensic science major. “I had never done anything with environmental science,” said Ho. “With Dr. Carpi, I’m working on a new theory he has for the emission of mercury. I am also doing a project with Dr. [Nathan] Lents that is wildly different,” he said. “We mutate fibroblasts and investigate how a certain gene, the different members of the CCN family, affects the growth. Two crazily different projects, but I like both.” Ho is still considering medical school. After he graduates, he will take a year off to study for the MCATs and GREs. “We’ll see which one I do better at,” said Ho. “From there, we’ll see what happens.” Mano admits to being one of those whose fascination with the program “CSI” led her to enroll in John Jay’s forensic science program. But forensic science in practice was not what it seemed like on TV. So, Mano has decided to go to medical school; she is planning to become a forensic pathologist. In addition to PRISM, the 23-year-old participates in a medical mentoring program at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. According to Mano, her work in Carpi’s lab has helped her to overcome “stage fright” when presenting before faculty and peers. It has also taught her to work on her own in the lab without a partner or instructor. “Dr. Carpi is there as a mentor,” she said, “but he is not on your back. I am there

“Dr. Carpi is there as a mentor,” she said, “but he is not on your back. I am there sometimes by myself and can think logically to get through a problem if I have one, or just be able to work on an experiment from beginning to end, all by myself.”

The undergraduate research he did as a CSTEP student, according to McGill University’s Roberts, made him aware of “how big science really is.”

While PRISM teaches students how to do research, from note-taking, to presentations, to handling instruments and all of the other nuts-and-bolts components that comprise the endeavor, Carpi also tries to instill in them the broader concept: that science is more than just the memorization of facts and is, in fact, a way of thinking, an “epistemology” — something that he considers hard to convey in a conventional classroom. “As a forensic scientist, you’re actually trying to understand all the different possible ways that something could have happened, investigating each one, and then eliminating them to find the one true possibility,” said Ho. “In research science… the approach really shouldn’t be so concrete. I hate to use the word abstract, but in a way it is.”

Roberts, 29, was born in New York City, but grew up in France where his father worked for the United Nations. He discovered John Jay while researching colleges and universities at an American library. Forensic science, Roberts explained, combined two favorite subjects: science and law.

Said Cocris: “I learned that you cannot be rigid in your thinking. You always need to adapt. You start out with one thing and you end up with another thing altogether.”

The project won a McNair Fellow, CSTEP NY Research Award in 2002.

In his freshman year, Roberts attracted the attention of Carpi, Pilette and (retired) Professor Morris Zedek, who all became invaluable mentors. They gave Roberts and a lab partner the opportunity to do research on a project involving photoremediation, that is using plants — in this case, barley — to leach cadmium and other heavy metals from the soil. “It was an extremely cool idea,” said Roberts.

“When I was in John Jay, my initial idea was to just get my forensic science degree and then start working in a forensic lab…I thought the best-case scenario would be working for the continued on page 23

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sometimes by myself and can think logically to get through a problem if I have one, or just be able to work on an experiment from beginning to end, all by myself.”

The Write Stuff Changing the Paradigm of Criminal Justice Journalism By Stephen Handelman

Not long ago, a Chicago inner-city elementary school teacher noticed that one of her students had been missing for a couple of days in her daily attendance count. She asked her class if anyone knew where he was. The answer came back from a small voice at the back of the room: “he’s dead.” The missing child, in fact, was one of 34 Chicago school kids who had fallen victim to gun violence — either accidental or targeted — during the 2006–2007 school year. Similar stories could have been found in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Los Angeles or any of a dozen U.S. cities where guns and youth crime have made a combustible mix.

the pattern of murder of young black and brown Americans simply hasn’t been a “story.”

Most ordinary Americans, however, are unaware that this is going on in their backyards. The reason is not hard to find: the media have not focused on the problem. At a time when national homicide figures are steadily declining, the pattern of murder of young black and brown Americans simply hasn’t been a “story.”

What does it take to change this state of affairs? Bob Herbert, the New York Times columnist who told the story of the Chicago schoolteacher at a recent luncheon for program officers and journalists sponsored by John Jay’s Center on Media, Crime and Justice (CMCJ), believes it requires a profound transformation of the media’s approach to what is “news” in traditional criminal justice reporting. The media, he said, need to get beyond stereotypical views of crime that relegate every-day violence against poor people or victims of color to the back pages. Reporters need to report on the multi-dimensional roots

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the annual John Jay Prize

of crime and injustice in U.S. society. “This,” he argued, “is one of those times when the press should be sounding the alarm.” The Center on Media, Crime and Justice was established to help the press do exactly that. Since 2007, led by working journalists, it has been connecting reporters with the tools, skills and background knowledge crucial to generating the kind of public debate that drives change in a democracy. With funding support from sponsors that include the Open Society Institute, the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation, Pew Charitable Trusts and the New York Times Company Foundation, the Center has brought together hundreds of working journalists from around the country with criminal justice professionals, students, scholars (including from John Jay) and policymakers for conferences, fellowship programs and workshops. It organizes the annual John Jay Prize for Excellence in Criminal Justice Journalism, which recognizes the best journalists in the country whose stories advance a deeper understanding of key criminal justice issues and lead to change — a prize now regarded as the “Pulitzer” of crime reporting. It is developing new curricula, workshops and course materials aimed at helping both journalists and criminal justice students understand the crucial intersection between communications, practice and research.

for Excellence in Criminal Justice Panel Discussion on Sentencing and Corrections -- (L-R) Beryl Howell, Commissioner of U.S. Sentencing Commission; Judge Nancy Gertner, U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts; Todd Clear, Distinguished Professor of Criminal Justice, John Jay College.

Journalism And in February, it launched the country’s first comprehensive website on criminal justice, in collaboration with one of its partners, Criminal Justice Journalists. The Crime Report (www.thecrimereport.org ) features daily news, reports of new research and a unique Criminal Justice Resource Directory for journalists and criminal justice professionals. Journalists across the country already know John Jay as a premier source of information and knowledge on criminal justice. Now, thanks to the Center, John Jay has become one of the nation’s key sounding boards for the challenges facing criminal justice journalism.

But the question you might ask is: why bother? The media industry is going through a crisis — perhaps the worst in living memory. Newspaper and broadcast jobs are dwindling away. Even major newspapers themselves are on the chopping block.

The turmoil in the industry predates the current economic crisis, but it certainly hasn’t been helped by it. The most recent annual American Society of Newspaper Editors (ASNE) job survey, published in April, 2008, found that newsrooms around the country lost an estimated 2,400 journalists in 2007 alone. That may not sound like much, compared to job losses, say, in auto manufacturing. But that represents a 4.4 percent decline — the largest decrease in 30 years. And things have gotten even worse this year. So why spend time and resources improving a “failing” industry?

You could ask Melissa Grima. Melissa, 33, works for the Coos County Democrat, a small weekly in northern New Hampshire. Far from her counterparts in the New York Times and the Washington Post, Melissa covers the daily stories that are important to her neighbors, from school board meetings to fires. But America’s small towns aren’t immune from the criminal justice problems of the big city, and in her regular

Reporters need to report on the multi-dimensional roots of crime and injustice in U.S. society. 15

recognizes the best journalists in the country whose stories advance a deeper understanding of key criminal justice issues and lead to change —

a prize now regarded as the “Pulitzer” of crime reporting.

Judge Judith S. Kaye, retired Chief Judge of the State of New York, gives keynote address at the Symposium luncheon.

At least one of the Fellows lost his job in the interval between his acceptance of the Fellowship and his arrival at John Jay.

But try to tell them — or their readers and viewers — that what they do doesn’t

Winners’ Circle (L-R) President Jeremy Travis; John Jay Journalism Awards winners — Christine Johnson, Times Herald-Record, Middletown, NY and Eric Nalder, Seattle Post-Intelligencer; Steve Brill, guest speaker, founder and former CEO of Court TV; and Stephen Handelman, Director of the Center on Media, Crime and Justice at John Jay College.

rounds with local police, Melissa gradually became aware of a dramatic rise in prescription drug abuse in her area.

She decided to investigate further. “One of the big questions is…why now?” she wondered. “What has made the factors right for this rise in prescription drug abuse?” Her editor, Eileen Alexander, gave Melissa carte blanche to investigate the story. But what this enterprising journalist needed first was the kind of background knowledge and national perspective that could help inform her reporting — resources that weren’t easily available or affordable nearby. This year, Melissa was selected by the Center on Media, Crime and Justice as one of 15 Journalism Fellows to attend the fourth annual Harry Frank Guggenheim Symposium on Crime in America at John Jay on February 2 and February 3. The symposium is the CMCJ’s signature event, now a landmark on the calendar of criminal justice conferences around the country — and the only national gathering that brings together journalists with criminal justice professionals and scholars for candid discussions on criminal justice topics. Along with the other 2009 Fellows, Melissa participated in two days of intense seminars

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and workshops on subjects ranging from the impact of the economic crisis on crime issues to the future of forensics. The conference theme — “A New Beginning: Exploring the Criminal Justice Challenges Over the Next Four Years” — fit well with her need for practical research. As a result, she has returned home with a notebook full of ideas and resources — and contacts — that will help her complete her reporting. At the final closing session for Fellows, her colleagues peppered her with so many suggestions and leads for more reporting that she couldn’t resist a smile. “There are ideas here I never thought of before,” she said.

What these new media outlets and smaller publications often lack, however, is the access to information and knowledge, along with the mentoring experience and background, enjoyed by their counterparts in larger newspapers. Of course, even those larger outlets are now suffering, as buyouts take away the veterans who could steer younger reporters through the court system or local police; and the strain on resources reduces training opportunities.

Melissa and her colleagues were well aware that their industry is in danger. At least one of the Fellows lost his job in the interval between his acceptance of the Fellowship and his arrival at John Jay. But try to tell them — or their readers and viewers —- that what they do doesn’t count.

The Center on Media Crime and Justice emerged to fill that “knowledge gap.” Even in the short time since the Center was established, there have been results.

As it happens, some of the most successful and thriving news outlets today are small weeklies like the Coos County Democrat, along with community and independent newspapers (and ethnic press) in urban neighborhoods and rural territories, whose readers are often neglected by their big-city counterparts. Add to that the growing number of online news outlets and bloggers, and the picture of American journalism looks a little more encouraging than the headlines portray.

Last June, the CMCJ brought 24 Fellows from U.S. ethnic and community media together for two days of intense briefings and field reporting with experts and policymakers on the “criminalization of immigration.” Some of the stories that emerged from the conference have shed new light on dark corners: a groundbreaking examination of immigration marriage fraud by City Limits weekly magazine; an exposé of backroom immigration lawyers who prey on undocumented immigrants by Nowy Dziennik, a Polish community weekly in New York; and a chilling look by The Indian Express at how Sikh youth, many of them first-generation

immigrants, are victimized in New York schools. The CMCJ, in partnership with the New York Community Media Alliance (with over 200 members in the New York region) is sponsoring a new Community and Justice Reporting Award to encourage journalists to do more of this kind of work. The 2009 John Jay journalism awards, announced at the Harry Frank Guggenheim Conference, were further proof of the potential of criminal justice journalism to change lives. This year’s two winners were Eric Nalder and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer team for a multi-part series that exposed racial bias by Seattle police in obstruction arrests and the handling of complaints against police. And, Christine Young, a reporter for the Times Herald-Record of Middletown, New York, for her investigation into what she considered the wrongful 1989 conviction of Lebrew Jones, who spent 20 years in prison on charges of murdering a Manhattan prostitute. As a result of Christine’s article, the Manhattan District Attorney opened a new investigation into the case. Losing the opportunity to do such stories would be a tragedy for our communities and the nation as a whole. In this time of turmoil, the CMCJ and John Jay are now at the forefront of helping journalists find the resources and the tools they need to fulfill journalism’s highest mission — in Bob Herbert’s words, of “sounding the alarm.” Stephen Handelman is director of the Center on Media, Crime and Justice at John Jay. He has been a prize-winning journalist, author and journalism educator over the past 25 years.

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The 2009 John Jay journalism awards, announced at the Harry Frank Guggenheim Conference, were further proof of the potential of criminal justice journalism to change lives.

Professors Richard Lovely and Samuel Graff giving a presentation.

MS in Forensic Computing Prepares

Future Cybercrime Sleuths By Peter Dodenhoff

You have to have the mindset of a digital detective.

The program prepares its students to fill an unequivocal, unmet need.

You don’t want your employer to know what you’ve been doing with your work computer on company time, so you delete potentially incriminating e-mails and dump the trash, erase your browser history and empty the computer’s recycling bin. Problem solved, right? Don’t bet on it. The meteoric rise of computer usage, computing power and digital technology in general, has transformed society, and with that transformation an arguably predictable increase in computer misuse and criminality. Ready to tackle this challenge are the faculty and students in John Jay’s Master of Science program in Forensic Computing.

The problem of computer crime is vast, and getting bigger and more complex all the time. It involves far more than just misappropriation of work computers for personal use, whether legal or not. Elaborate criminal schemes can be embedded in hard drives. Cell phones, Blackberries and other similar electronic devices can reveal a trail of digital breadcrumbs that leads to an elusive criminal. Even the ubiquitous E-Z Pass found in millions of cars has played a role in crimes and criminal investigations.

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Staying on top of such a rapidly changing field is no easy feat, but John Jay can lay claim, without fear of challenge, to having created the nation’s first graduate program in forensic computing. The program, now in its fifth year, is unique in the way it deftly melds both the technological and criminal justice aspects of forensic computing. Professor Richard Lovely traces the hybrid nature of the curriculum to the very inception of the program and the man who initially suggested it. “Bob Weaver was the head of the Secret Service’s Electronic Crimes Task Force [ECTF] at the time,” said Lovely, one of the graduate program’s founding directors. The ECTF was operating out of an office suite provided by John Jay, and Weaver “pointedly asked to have a meeting with the Provost, and he made the pitch that this was something we should be doing. And from the outset, the intent was for it to be a hybrid program.” Lovely, a member of the Department of Sociology was asked to work with Professor Samuel Graff of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, which already had an undergraduate computer science program, to begin designing the master’s program. The idea from the beginning, Lovely said, was that the curriculum would be “evenly distributed between technical classes and criminal justice classes.”

The program prepares its students to fill an “unequivocal, unmet need” in the field, both in the diverse nature of its curriculum and the demanding prerequisites for admission. “Given the availability of off-the-shelf commercial software and commercial training programs, you can do digital forensics without any computer science background at all, but we are unique in requiring a solid base in computer science,” said Lovely. At a minimum, applicants to the graduate program in forensic computing are expected to have undergraduate coursework or equivalent experience in object-oriented programming, data structures, algorithms, operating-system fundamentals, calculus and calculus-based statistics and probability. “You have to have the mindset of a digital detective,” Lovely said, noting that “CSI”-type television shows have helped boost the appeal of the forensic computing master’s program. At the same time, however, Lovely is quick to point out that graduates of the master’s program emerge as leaders in the field not “your garden variety forensic analysts.” They are prepared to become laboratory administrators, directors of training, agency heads and more. Students

come from around the world — hailing from such places as Canada and Turkey — and in turn go far upon graduation.

District attorneys in New York have sought out John Jay graduates to run their digital forensic labs, while others have gone on to work for federal agencies or in top privatesector firms. Lovely believes that the forensic computing program is more than equal to the task of keeping up with constant changes in both high technology and relevant law. He is also unshakable in his view that the program’s focus is the correct one. “Let’s face it,” he said, “forensics is a field where you get your hands dirty. The one-semester internship we require for most students helps them do just that. “There are other models we could have followed in crafting this program,” he said, “but we believe that the ability to train people in network forensics is going to be our bread and butter.” Peter Dodenhoff is editor of @ John Jay.

Graduates of the master’s program emerge as leaders in the field not “your garden variety forensic analysts.” 19

forensics is a field where you get your hands dirty. The one-semester internship we require for most students helps them do just that.

continued from page 4

continued from page 7 Two sisters watch the exhumation of their mother and four small siblings. The sisters were present that day in August 1982 when soldiers shot their relatives, but they managed to escape. They spent 14 years in hiding in the mountains, before resettling in a new community and later requesting the exhumation. Nebaj, Quiché, 2000

Enforcing Immigration Laws

Photo: Jonathan Moller Lawrence Mulvey (BA ’75), Police Commissioner of Nassau County, NY

Photo courtesy of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Frank Straub ((MA ‘90), Commissioner of Public Safety for White Plains, NY

John Timoney (BA ’74), Police Chief of Miami, FL

Dennis Weaver (BS ’92), Police Chief of Juno Beach, FL

Hubert Williams (BS ’70), Police Foundation President, Washington, DC

domestic violence, larceny, etc. Or you could see a movement from one area to another where there are jobs.” “The economic downturn will magnify the problem as more and more citizens and resident aliens seek jobs that have been held by illegal immigrants,” says Weiner. Timoney is afraid that the economic downturn will result in a backlash against immigrants. “Historically, during bad economic times people like scapegoats,” a sentiment echoed by Williams. Economic troubles don’t just affect residents, however. They also affect police department budgets as well. “I think the question is where can local law enforcement resources best be utilized,” says Straub. Mulvey and Timoney both feel that police already have enough on their plate and checking for status, particularly when no criminal infraction has occurred, would put an undue burden on police departments that are already strapped for resources. ENFORCEMENT & REFORM According to Department of Homeland Security (DHS), an average of 470,000 illegal immigrants primarily from Mexico, Central and South America enter the country each year. Weiner thinks an argument can be made that local law enforcement is in a good position to handle immigration law enforcement since they routinely meet illegal immigrants. “It doesn’t seem economically viable to fund enough federal officers to adequately enforce our immigration laws.” He believes there are two basic choices. “Empower local law

enforcement to enforce immigration laws, or lower the barriers to legal immigration… which would provide for better identification and documentation of those that are entering this country.” Timoney notes the irony of the situation. “I think we have an untenable position right now. We have 12 million people that are in nether land. It’s unrealistic to deport them all. If we were to do what they are asking us to do, there isn’t enough federal immigration detention capacity to handle it. They’ve got about 30,000 beds and they’re all filled. There needs to be concrete immigration reform.” Some reform seems to be in the works with the appointment of Janet Napolitano as Secretary of Homeland Security. She is viewed by many police chiefs as well experienced in the issues surrounding illegal immigrants. As Timoney points out, “She was the governor of a border state and a state that is divided on the issue.” In January, she told reporters that she wants “criminal aliens” off American streets. ICE deported about 113,000 criminals who were in the country illegally last year and the agency estimates that there are currently some 450,000 such criminals in federal, state and local detention centers. Napolitano’s goal is for federal immigration officials to be notified immediately when an inmate is processed into a detention facility and deported after the criminal serves his or her sentence. Marie Rosen is a senior editor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Preserving the Memory of Violence Were it not for “neo-liberal policies,” like freetrade agreements, “we wouldn’t be poor,” said Escobar. “There is a lot of exploitation from transnational companies; not only in the U.S., but around the world. I see my mother’s moving [to the U.S.] in a larger political context.”

As part of a human rights delegation to Colombia last year, Jenny Escobar found that while the families of those who disappeared may ultimately want perpetrators punished, for now, they are seeking a more personal sort of justice. “It’s a first step,” she said. “Trying to find out what happened, and trying to find the bodies of those who disappeared has given them a lot of strength to get together and get this done, as opposed to waiting for the criminal justice system to bring them justice from the top down.” Another of Esparza’s HMP students, Lina Rojas, is specifically researching Colombia. She is a junior in her first year as a McNair Scholar. Unlike Escobar, Rojas, who is 20, was born in the United States. Her extended family remains in Colombia. “I basically grew up hearing about all the violence that went on there because it is a

war that has been going on for about 40 years,” she said. “That’s all I’ve known of the place.” As recently as October 2008, the BBC reported that 7,763 people disappeared in Colombia between January 1, 2007 and October 21, 2008. The figures come from a study by the country’s National Commission for the Search for Missing Persons. Of those missing, the Commission has established that 1,686 were forced disappearances. Arie Braizblot, 23, another student, focused his research on Chile and Argentina. However, unlike Escobar and Rojas, who emigrated from Colombia out of economic necessity, his family escaped from Argentina. Braizblot’s father left Poland one step ahead of the Nazis during the 1930s, then was forced to leave Argentina in the 1970s when a military junta took over the country. Now, enrolled in an international affairs graduate program at Brooklyn College, Braizblot is planning to join the State Department as a Foreign Service Officer or another government agency as a political scientist and expert on Latin America. It is not surprising these students want to participate in the HMP, observes Esparza. Coming from countries that have been devastated by war, they are seeking answers. “They want to understand.” continued on page 22

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As recently as October 2008, the BBC reported that 7,763 people disappeared in Colombia between January 1, 2007 and October 21, 2008.

Within the field of

continued from page 11

PRESERVING THE MEMORY continued from page 21

genocide studies, there is no recognition of what Guatemala suffered. There was no International Criminal Court. There were International Criminal Courts for

“I attribute the invisibility to A) it’s Central America and B) it relates to indigenous people,” says Esparza. “To my eyes, it’s a big dose of racism, of rendering indigenous peoples’ genocide invisible.” Concluding Thoughts According to Esparza, “Violence in Latin America is often ‘ghetto-ized’ by scholars and policymakers who believe it only pertains to the study of the region. And, there may be even darker reasons for that.” An entire chapter of her upcoming book State Violence and Genocide in Latin America: The Cold War Years is devoted to why there has never been an international tribunal to investigate the Guatemalan genocide, as there has been for Cambodia and other countries.

PRISM

Professor Carpi (far right) discusses use of lab instruments with PRISM students.

Shines Light on Students’ Scientific Curiosity

“I attribute the invisibility to A) it’s Central America and B) it relates to indigenous people,” says Esparza. “To my eyes, it’s a big dose of racism, of rendering indigenous peoples’ genocide invisible.” Esparza speculates that discrimination was also behind the lack of extensive media coverage as thousands upon thousands of Mayan people in Central America were tortured, murdered and conscripted into paramilitary squads against their will. Jennifer Nislow is senior writer at John Jay College.

Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia,

“Justice in New York”

In their own words

Excerpt from one of the completed oral histories, continued from page 10

but there was no International Criminal Court to try to bring the perpetrators in Guatemala to justice.

On Attica The toughest part, aside from going into the prison, was telephoning Rockefeller on that Sunday afternoon, urging him to come to Albany. Curiously, my chief of staff came to Attica with me. And he was in the warden’s office and there was Kunstler calling to Rockefeller in Pocantico Hills. My guy was really very smart. They had dial phones at that time and so he made note of Rockefeller’s number, and he gave it to me. I’m sure if Rocky ever knew how we got his number, he really would have been ticked. … I’m a great admirer. I’m a Rockefeller Republican. But, let’s see, it was Wicker, Badillo, the editor of the Amsterdam News and I were the four people who spoke to him that afternoon. I was the last one to speak with him. And he just wouldn’t do it. He wouldn’t come. See, my thought was this, “Come and be there. I don’t want you going in D Yard. Come, be there. Meet with, so you’re symbolically involved.” Because we had agreed on, I think, 29 of the 32 or 33 demands. And what those guys inside were worried about was, “once we lay down our arms, they’re not going to honor any of these conditions.” So we wanted to get

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him to put his stamp on it. Now, people say to me, “Gosh, do you think it would have made a difference?” I don’t know if it would have made a difference. But when you consider the stakes that we were facing, and I had a very good idea of what was going to happen, should have tried it. Jeff Kroessler — Did you really think there was a chance he would come? JD — Oh, sure. This was no charade. It was his responsibility. I mean, it was very clear that they were going to use lethal force to retake the facility. You had guards who were there who were targets. The likelihood, as it turned out, was correct, were going to meet their death. He was the man; he was in charge. You know, the Sunday after the Attica riot I was on one of those Sunday morning programs. You know, they asked me straight out, “Do you think he should have come?” And I said, “Yes.” To this day, I think it could have made a difference. Could have. John R. Dunne Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, U. S. Department of Justice, 1990-1993 NYS Senate, 1966-89 Negotiator at Attica State Prison, 1971

DEA or the FBI,” said Roberts. “The idea of grad school had never really crossed my mind until they ([Carpi, Pilette and Zedek) said it was actually possible.”

the resources to offer science students the kind of research opportunities provided by well-funded science programs at upper-tier schools.

After graduating from John Jay, he earned a doctorate in chemistry from Boston College. His work there was in electrochemical and spectroscopic studies of biomolecular complexes. As a fellow at McGill, he is working on the development of a digital microfluidic device that can detect biomolecules in a small sample of liquid. The idea is to be able to detect multiple components in a single droplet. The chip would be approximately 2-inches by 3-inches big.

PRISM not only offers that chance to John Jay students, but also gives them a means of forging those personal relationships with faculty that prove helpful later on, when good letters of recommendation are needed for post-baccalaureate programs and jobs.

Theoretically, Roberts explained, the device could be taken to a crime scene where it could detect specific proteins and enzymes in an amount as small as six microliters of blood. “All of my projects have always had potential for use in forensic science, since John Jay,” he said. A number of National Science Foundation reports, noted Carpi, have found that publiclyfunded institutions with a predominantly minority student body generally do not have

“It’s really beneficial, especially with students who may not have that type of environment at home, or may have that environment, but just not in science,” said Carpi. “That’s why we’ve been pushing it so hard,” he said. “When we look at success as measured by postgraduate education, it is the students who are doing undergraduate research that are pursuing graduate school.” Through PRISM, Mano recently went on a tour of Yale University. “It kind of opened my eyes to a bigger school, to the kind of things they were doing,” she said. “I don’t think as many people take advantage of PRISM as they should. It’s been very, very useful.” Jennifer Nislow is senior writer at John Jay College.

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PRISM (Program for Research Initiatives for Science Majors) is an “umbrella” that allows the College to pool funding received through: • CSTEP (Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program) • LSAMP (Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation), a CUNY-wide initiative funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) • Title V, U.S. Department of Education grant • CCRAA (College Cost Reduction and Access Act), a collaborative grant between John Jay and the Borough of Manhattan Community College

Alumni Worth Noting My John Jay education required me to see beyond what was immediately in front of me.

he manages five enforcement groups who conduct domestic and international drug investigations, money laundering and narco-terrorist cases.

Alumni Worth Noting

John H. Austin, Jr. (MA ’01)

Joseph Billy, Jr.

In the late 1980s, at the zenith of the violent crack epidemic, John H. Austin, Jr. was a member of the Philadelphia Police Department’s Narcotics Unit. His concern about the level of violence across the country led him to join the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in 1988 where he achieved the rank of assistant special agent in charge (ASAC) in the New York Division.

Joseph Billy, Jr. started his career in the mailroom of the FBI’s Newark Office in 1978. Really! Thirty years later, he retired from the Bureau as assistant director in charge of the Counterterrorism Division in Washington, DC. He is now vice president of Global Security for Prudential Financial.

As a new agent, he was assigned to the New York Field Division where he orchestrated numerous high-volume arrests and seized millions of dollars in proceeds. With success comes added responsibility and in 1995 he became the executive assistant to the associate special agent in charge of the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, a collaboration among the DEA, the New York City Police Department and the New York State Police, where his duties included managing intelligence initiatives. After a stint as supervisory special agent, in 1998, Austin became the group supervisor for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area that dismantled a notorious drug trafficking organization that was plaguing public housing developments. Further promotions led to his current position where he manages five enforcement groups who conduct domestic and international drug investigations, money laundering and narco-terrorist cases. His subdivision has been responsible for the seizure of over $50 million in cash and financial instruments as well as over 3,500 kilograms of cocaine. Austin says that much of the work done by DEA agents requires the ability to anticipate. “We don’t’ react to a crime, we have to anticipate and prepare for it. We have to stay two steps ahead of the traffickers.” That’s where his master’s degree from John Jay comes in. “My John Jay education required me to see beyond what was immediately in front of me. It required me to think through problems and it allows me to address issues with a much more critical thought process. Being in a management position, when you have so many things coming across your desk, you have to be able to quickly assess what is important and what is not. I think that

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my experience at John Jay not only developed those skills, but honed them.” Last November, Austin came back to the College for a brown-bag lunch where he met with more than 30 graduate and undergraduate students, providing them with a rare, first-hand glimpse of professional opportunities in the DEA. During his time with the DEA, he has witnessed the evolution of numerous drugs trends. “When I first came on the job, the groups we were investigating were involved in crack-cocaine. Now I don’t think crackcocaine is the problem that it used to be almost a generation ago. I also believe that there were offenders who matured out. But the crack-cocaine laws also had an impact.” Austin looks at the drug problem from a “macro level.” “Heroin and cocaine from Columbia and South America continue to be a major focus in this office,” he said. “We have less of an issue with meth than they have in the west, but we’re always on the lookout. Money laundering over the last five years has received greater attention than in my entire career.” Still another troubling problem is the misuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs. “DEA has diversion investigators whose primary responsibility is investigating the abuse of prescription drugs. We realize that the Internet has redefined the accessibility of prescription drugs and we have done a number of major cases in the New York Office.” Since September 11, narco-terrorism is a high priority. Austin noted, “Because we operate internationally, DEA was global before the word ‘global’ was fashionable. We have agents in 87 offices in 63 foreign countries. We even have agents permanently assigned to Afghanistan.”

Starting out as a support employee, especially when working nights, became the “grounding” of his career as a special agent. “I was able to handle all the duties after hours including taking complaints and handling some investigative matters on behalf of the agents.” Not only did the night shift give him the foundation for his career, it also gave him the opportunity to attend John Jay during the day. “It was a full life for me commuting back and forth from Jersey, taking classes during the day, going to work at night.” He majored in criminal justice and graduated in 1982. Reflecting back on his college years, Billy says, “It was a great experience, absolutely tops. I particularly remember the courses I took with Professors of History Eli Faber and Blanche Cook, and [retired] Professor of English Arthur Pfeffer. I was very fortunate to be taught by them.” The Bureau requires a college education for its special agents and after Billy graduated, he became eligible as a candidate. His first assignment was in a small three-person office in New London, CT at a time when the savings and loan scandal was underway. “It was a tremendous learning experience. You were really out there by yourself and you had to work relationships with other law enforcement agencies.” His next stop was the New York Office where he developed his national security expertise. He then joined the supervisory ranks in Washington. After September 11, he was called back to New York to lead the Counterterrorism Division. After a few years, he became the special agent in charge (SAC) of the Newark Office, a position he describes as “the greatest experience of my 30- year career. There I was back in same office where I delivered mail to some of the agents that I was now in charge of.”

Not only did the night shift give him the foundation for his career, After only one year in his “dream” job, FBI Director Robert Mueller called him back to Washington where he was first the deputy assistant director for counterterrorism and then assistant director — what some describe as the toughest job in the Bureau. “It was the most difficult, yet satisfying three years. Throughout my 30 years with the FBI, I had the most constant feeling of accountability that I’ve ever experienced. Every minute I was accountable for the thousands of investigations that were going on around the U.S. and overseas.” His workday almost daily began at 3:00 AM and ended at 10:00 PM. “The President and the National Security Council were very much engaged with what we were doing. It was both challenging and enjoyable.” Billy believes that disrupting and dismantling terrorism begins with the beat officer and the curious citizen. He points to the Joint Terrorism Task Force as “one of the real crown jewels in the United States. It’s a marvelous platform that furnishes both connectivity and partnership. Countries around the world wish they had the kind of systems we have here.” New York City, he notes, “is a great example of collaboration with local police. That’s why I think we are so advanced when it comes to prevention.” At Prudential, a financial services leader with operations in the United States and overseas, Billy’s responsibilities are similar to what he did in the FBI. The transition to the private sector presented “no difficulty whatsoever. When you step from one organization that is mission-focused to another that has high ethical values and standards, it makes the transition easy.”

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it also gave him the opportunity to attend John Jay during the day.

He is now vice president of Global Security for Prudential Financial.

Alumni Class Notes

Alumni Worth Noting Jeanique Green’s passion for public service began when she took a Government 101 course at John Jay.

She is on track to becoming commissioner with the New York State Liquor Authority.

Jeanique Green (BS ’93) Jeanique Green’s passion for public service began when she took a Government 101 course at John Jay. “It was the most interesting class I had taken.” More courses in government followed. But the decisive factor was her internship with the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus of the New York State Legislature in Albany. That experience put her on the track to becoming commissioner with the New York State Liquor Authority. “The internship enabled me to put into practice what I had learned in my government courses.” Through the internship, she met then Senator, now Governor David Patterson who nominated her to the New York State Liquor Authority last June. “I would not have met him otherwise.” She worked for him as an intern and he subsequently hired her after she graduated in 1993. She went on to receive a law degree from Albany Law School of Union University, but realized that being a trial attorney was not for her. “After the internship, I knew that I wanted to be in government, particularly with the state legislature. I preferred to make an impact on the largest number of people I could and I felt that government work would give me that opportunity.” Working with David Patterson gave her that opportunity. Greene served as his legislative director for seven years, working on a whole range of legislation including health care, crime, transportation and housing. “You start with nothing but an idea. It could begin with a community group who met with the senator concerning a problem they were encountering with a state agency. I would do a lot of research, including legal research. Once the “legaleeze” was correct, I was responsible for introducing it on behalf of the senator so other members could sign on to it. Unfortunately, we were in the minority at the time, but luckily, some members of the majority picked it up. Not all the time was the

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Babatunde I. Akowe, MPA ’07, is currently enrolled at Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University. He expects to graduate in 2011.

Angel M. Espinal, BA ’08, completed the John Jay CO-OP program and graduated from the U.S. Marshals Service Basic Training Academy in May 2008. He is currently working in the District of Kansas.

Omar U. Alaji, BA ’95, received his master of science degree in systems and network management from Golden Gate University in San Franciso, CA.

Alan Feinstein, BS ’79, has spent 34 years in the law enforcement profession. For the last 29 years, he has been with the Suffolk County Police Department where he is currently a detective sergeant. He has served in robbery, narcotics, fugitive-missing persons and precinct detective squads as a supervisor. He is a graduate of the 203rd Session of the FBI National Academy.

Alicia Aldrich, BA ’91, is currently living in Charleston, SC and working as a registered nurse on the Inpatient Psychiatric Unit at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center. Laura Alegre, BA/MPA ’08, obtained a position with the Social Security Administration as a legal administrative specialist (benefit authorizer).

Leslie Gee, BS ’82, retired as a senior special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. He assisted in the investigation of both attacks on the World Trade Center and served as an instuctor at the ATF Academy.

Elaine (Cantaves) Barry, BA/MA ’82, recently completed her clinical pastoral education training, with a specialization in hospice. She anticipates certification as a clinical pastoral counselor and clinical chaplain this spring.

senator’s name attached to the legislation. The important thing was that it was passed for the greater good. Since I’ve known him, he has always had an overall policy of being inclusive and it’s something I’ve tried to emulate throughout my career” — a career that included working in the New York State Attorney General’s Office and the New York Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services (CASES). The New York State Liquor Authority is responsible for overseeing the licensing of all establishments that sell or serve alcohol in New York State. “Right now we have about 170 different types of licenses. New York law is very specific and we do this licensing across the state for bars, taverns, restaurants, clubs, grocery stores, breweries, liquor stores, etc. We have offices in New York City, Buffalo, Albany and Syracuse. Not only do we determine who gets licenses, we also determine civil penalties for those establishments that are in violation of their license such as an establishment that is serving or selling alcohol to someone who is underage.” With thousands of establishments and only 200 enforcement officers statewide, it’s a big task. But, the Authority does get help from local police throughout the state. “It’s a great relationship, especially in New York City where officers from the precincts are out there all the time. They often refer complaints to us and serve as witnesses.”

Kristin E. (Reskow) Girardo, BA ’94, subsequently obtained a BS in nursing and is now working for a large litigation firm as a legal nurse consultant. She is currently based in Atlanta, GA.

Bridget Bayliss, MA ’98, is now living in Northern Virginia and working for the American Correctional Association in Alexandria, VA.

Aviva Twersky Glasner, MA ’01, went on to earn a PhD in criminal justice at the Graduate Center of CUNY in April of 2006. She is currently an assistant professor of criminal justice at Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts.

Antoinette E. Blackman, AS ’07, is working as an inclusion paraprofessional with the New York City Department of Education at the Bronx High School for the Visual Arts. Julie Ann (Jimenez) Boyle, MA ’99, recently became a vocational rehabilitation counselor for the New Jersey Department of Labor, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services.

Luz E. Gonzalez, BA ’06, a second-year evening law student at Hofstra University School of Law, was named a 2008–2009 Executive Lt. Governor for the 2nd Circuit of the American Bar Association.

Joseph “Joe” Capobianco, BA ’98, was promoted to national sales manager at the YES Network. Prior to joining the YES Network, he was an account executive at WPIX-TV in New York.

Elizabeth A. Gray, BA ’85, graduated from Brookdale Community College in Lincroft, NJ with an AAS degree in nursing. She is now a registered nurse .

Juan C. Carreras, BA ’07, is a territory manager responsible for the marketing plans of over 100 accounts at R.J. Reynolds Tobacco.

Candi N. Green, BA ’02 & MPA ’07, whose specialization was criminal justice policy and analysis while attending John Jay, started a new position as a legal assistant in the United States Attorney’s Office.

Diana M. Castro, BA ’08, is currently attending graduate school at the Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Science, University of New Haven, CT.

Alexandra D. Hampton, MA ’04, joined the United Nations after 10 years with the New York City Department of Investigation and is currently working in the Congo conducting investigations of crimes committed by U.N. personnel.

Davita J. Cook, BS ’05, is an entrepreneur and inventor. She started her own soft drink company, created “Topplez,” a fruit drink; invented and patented a special beverage container; conducted nutritional analyses of the fruit juices; and even designed the product labels. Proud of her accomplishment, she says, “thanks to my degree, the analytical approach to problem solving helped me complete this project.”

Stephen J. Heavey, BS ’05, a member of the New York City Fire Department, was promoted to captain in November 2008. Luisa A. Hernandez, BS ’90, majored in legal studies. She worked as a Spanish language court interpreter for eight years before becoming a juvenile probation officer in Florida. She then earned a master’s degree in counseling and psychology. After working several years as a counselor, she decided that she preferred working in the criminal justice field and is now working as a probation officer in New Jersey and “really enjoys it.”

Carl E. Cruz, BA ’04, is currently working for the New York City Administration for Children Services (ACS). Germain Dearlove, BA ’07, is serving as a police officer for the City of Atlanta, GA.

Hyda D. Hernandez, BS ’87, a decorated New York City police officer, retired after 20 years on the force. She is the mother of five and is currently a financial consultant with First Investors Corporation.

Aleksandr Dvoskin, MA ’08, recently joined the ranks of the U.S. Department of Justice. Denise Elkin-Andrews, BS ’75, attended John Jay from 1972–1975 and worked in the library during that time. She says, “I am very grateful to the teachers, my peers and the library staff.” She became a police officer in Florida and retired after 25 years at the age of 46.

Cassandra Jean-Baptiste, MA ’08, is working full-time as a applied behavioral science specialist with an agency that serves the mentally challenged.

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Alumni Class Notes

Meghan M. Lennon, BA ’04, recently transitioned from working as a victim advocate for the YWCA to a forensic interviewer position with the Child Advocacy Center of Rockingham County in Portsmouth, NH.

Irma Ramos, BA ’03, obtained a position as secretary to several Family Court judges in Bronx County with the New York State Unified Court System. One of the many benefits, she says, “is being able walk to work! Dreams do come true when you are an alumna!”

Edith Linn, MA ’82, has written a new book, Arrest Decisions: What Works for the Officer? (Peter Lang Publishing). It is based on her doctoral research (PhD 2004 from CUNY) about how the personal lives of NYPD officers affect their arrest decisions. She is currently a professor of justice studies at Berkeley College in Manhattan and would love to hear from old John Jay friends!

Michael A. Reddington, AS ‘04, is a 20-year veteran of the NYPD where he is a detective investigator in the Organized Crime Control Bureau in the Bronx. He is also an active Navy reservist who was called to active duty last June and is serving as a master-at-arms 2nd class with the 1st Army in Bagram, Afghanistan.

Gregory I. Mack, MA ’91, retired from NYPD in December 2007 and now works with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Dr. Mack recently led a workshop, “Hero or Malingerer: The Forensic Evaluation of Police Officers Involved In Critical Incidents,” at the 115th Annual International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference and Exposition in San Diego, CA.

Tony Reed, BS ‘86, a Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO), now serves as assistant director of construction in the Office of Contracting and Procurement (OCP) for the District of Columbia. He was appointed to this position in October 2008. Damon E. Rice, BS ‘99, is a special agent with the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service. From 2005 to 2007 he worked as an assistant regional security officer at the American Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. Currently, he is working at the American Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Amy S. Mangione, BA ’04, received a JD from Quinnipiac University School of Law in Hamden, CT in May 2008. She successfully passed the bar exams in both Connecticut and New York in July. Liz Martinez, BA ’97, has two anthologies coming out this year that she co-edited with award-winning writer Sarah Cortez. One is Hit List: The Latino Mystery Reader (Arte Publico Press), a collection of mystery short stories by Latino writers. The other is Indian Country Noir (Akashic Books), a collection of short stories about Native Americans, (Akashic Books) in which her own short story, “Prowling Wolves,” appears. Since 2007, she has been working as a senior investigator with the New York State Department of Education’s Office of Professional Discipline.

Kelly Root, MA ’05, is a substance abuse counselor with a non-profit organization in Detroit, Michigan. She conducts group, didactics, and individual therapy sessions for recovering addicts and alcoholics. She says, “I love it! I would recommend John Jay to anyone interested in psychology, law, or criminal justice. I hope to one day return for my PhD.” Jermel L. Singleton, BS ’05, is a financial representative for Northwestern Mutual in New York.

Delana K. Mendes, BS ’08, is currently employed with Target Corporation as a protection specialist working in the Asset Protection Department. She credits her criminal justice background from John Jay for the position. “They were ecstatic to hire me and I look forward to continued promotion.”

Carmen R. Velasquez, BA ’84, was inducted as a Judge for the Civil Court of Queens County last December. Dennis L. Weiner, BS ’92, retired as police chief in May 2008 from the Centre Island Police Department in Nassau County, NY. He then accepted the chief of police position with the Town of Juno Beach, FL in July 2008.

Gary Miller, BA ’82, a photographer for the New York Post, was awarded the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award in Photography by the New York Association of Black Journalists.

Philip B. Weiss, MPA ’05, was promoted to captain in the Emergency Medical Service Bureau of the New York City Fire Department.

Daniel V. Minor, BS ’08, is currently working as a police officer for the Richmond, VA Police Department.

Jermaine Wright, MPA ’06, was recently named as associate director of the City University of New York Black Male Initiative (CUNY BMI). Prior to becoming the CUNY BMI associate director, she worked at the National Urban League as a program manager for the Urban Youth Empowerment Program.

Melinda S. Molina, BS ’98, joined St. John’s University School of Law as a research professor. She teaches criminal law and a seminar on “Latinos in the Law.” She is also conducting research on the lives of Latino lawyers. Albert Noa, BS ’75, is retired from law enforcement and the private investigation field.

Marvin S. Yearwood, BA ’04, recently completed more than two years in the U.S. Navy and is now stationed on the USS John C. Stennis (CVN74) as a qualified air warfare specialist.

Celide Ortiz, BS ’06, was promoted to the executive ranks after working one year at Montefiore Medical Center. She has also been accepted into the MPA program at Marist College.

PLANNED GIVING Everyone can play a part in the future of the College, especially in ensuring the success of future programs and activities. A bequest to the John Jay College of Criminal Justice Foundation, Inc. will contribute significantly and forever, either toward the John Jay Endowment Fund or in support of a particular program, lectureship or scholarship fund. When formulating your bequest, the following wording is suggested:

Alesia Yezerskaya, BA ’06, is working at the Bank Street College of Education.

Rebecca E. Paul, BA ’07, is a court liaison and case manager working with felony drug offenders. In April 2008 she gave birth to a “beautiful baby girl named Chloe Jade who is happy, energetic, and bouncy!” She hopes to evenually pursue a master’s degree.

Jay L. Zwicker, BS ’77, was recently promoted to assistant director of public safety at New York University.

I give and bequeath to John Jay College of Criminal Justice foundation, inc., New York, NY, $________ to be added to the principal of the John Jay Endowment Fund, the income to be credited each year in my name. It is as simple as that, and just imagine what your gift will provide for future generations of students who follow in your footsteps.

Hillary Potter, MA ’96, has written Battle Cries: Black Women and Intimate Partner Abuse (New York University Press.) She is currently an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Colorado, Boulder, CO.

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John Jay College T h e

C i T y

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of Criminal Justice 899 TenTh AvenUe new york, ny 10019 www.jjay.cuny.edu

Campus expansion project (Phase II) construction site on March 13, 2009.