CJ Student Organization Ranks 4th in Nation

The SHSU NABCJ was recognized at the fourth largest student chapter in the country.

The National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice (NABCJ) at Sam Houston State University (SHSU) offers one of the largest student chapters in the country for the organization that promote equal justice for all.

Members of the SHSU NABCJ enjoy dinner at the national conference.The SHSU chapter was recently recognized at the national organization’s annual meeting in Orlando this summer for being the fourth largest student chapter in the United States. The NABCJ is a group of criminal justice and community leaders dedicated to improving the administration of justice and includes state and federal corrections officials, police officers, sheriffs, judges and lawyers.
The SHSU chapter was represented at the conference by President Trenton Maxie and members Orlando Gray, Brittny Baily and Chris Kha. The conference included speakers, seminars and networking opportunities with professionals in the field.

In fact, Maxie came back with a potential job offer from the Federal Bureau of Prisons to work in new correctional institutions opening in Mississippi and Alabama.

The chapter at SHSU is active.“I was very inspired by the conference and grabbed everyone’s business cards,” said Maxie. “When I got back, I photocopied them and began passing them out aggressively to all the members and everyone I know. A lot of people are in criminal justice, but I found out that you don’t have to be in criminal justice at all.”

Maxie was surprised to find that the organization is international, with members from Trinidad and Tobago attending the conference. He also had the chance to meet students from other NABCJ Chapters to share information of what these groups were doing on their campuses.

Trenton Maxie share business cards from the conference with members of his organization.In addition to holding bimonthly meetings, where members discuss issues involving minorities in the criminal justice system, the SHSU group is involved in community service. It recently completed an “In Justice” program for new students at SHSU, letting freshman know the right way to respond if they come in contact with law enforcement officers. Among their recent topics of discussion were riots in Ferguson, Missouri following the police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown and the arrest of Viking Running Back Adrian Peterson on child abuse charges.

On September 25, the NABCJ participated in “Is Orange is the New Black?,” a collaboration among NABCJ, the NAACP and Women United at SHSU. The program covered the statistics of women in prison, how it affects their families, and cases and scenarios that relate to the show "Orange is the New Black." The NABCJ provided statistical information on the racial and gender makeup of the populations in prison in Texas and nationwide.

The NABCJ conference was held in Orlando.Each spring, the NABCJ provides a mini-conference, inviting professionals from various fields to discuss career opportunities and providing workshops on preparing for the job hunt. All students are invited to attend.
The NABCJ is also involved in community service with the elderly, offering bingo to residents of two local nursing homes. This year, they hope to adopt a local school to raise funds for resources in the classroom.

For more information about the organization, contact Trenton Maxie at tjm022@shsu.edu. The NABCJ meetings are held the second and forth Wednesday in the Lowman Student Center, Room 302.