Sam Houston State is renowned for its criminal justice programs throughout the US. There are multiple organizations dedicated to criminal justice on campus. One of those organizations includes the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice.
The National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice (NABCJ) is an organization offered on the Sam Houston Campus that is dedicated towards increasing the knowledge of issues in the criminal justice system and providing an environment for minorities and other races to learn about their presence within the system. The organization was founded in 1974 and its members include criminal justice professionals, ranging from law enforcement to social services.
NABCJ President, Sam ELITE Scholar, and Student Council President Xavier Perry was available for discussion about the SHSU chapter of the organization.
“Our organization is a nationally chartered group and we have 18 adult chapters and 16 student chapters nationwide,” Perry said.
They have weekly meetings every Wednesday at 4 p.m. in the LSC room 315, this meeting schedule will continue during the spring semester.
In these meeting the groups discuss a variety of issues according to Perry. They also typically end their meetings with discussions led by body members over a topic of their choice. They also host guest speakers each month. For September through November they hosted FNI Houston, The Juvenile Probation Department of Harris County, and The Harris County Sheriff’s Office
“Our organization prides itself on promoting networking and real world skills,” Perry said.
For a student to join they must first attend a general meeting and pay a $25 due. Ten of that will go towards a T-shirt for the member, and the other fifteen will go towards the national organization.
Any student can join regardless of major, ethnicity, politics, or religion. All that is needed is for the dues to be paid and for them to agree with the mission and policies of the NABCJ.
“We seek to enlighten the community on the criminal justice system as a whole and prepare students for integration into the system post-graduation,” Perry said.
There are plans to look forward to in the coming spring.
“We host annual mini-conferences each Spring on Sam Houston’s campus in which we enlist speakers from different professional backgrounds to address topics picked by a standing committee. Students also have the opportunity to attend our national conference in the summer. This upcoming summer the conference will be hosted in Cincinnati, Ohio,” said Perry.