Motivating Question: 

How does involvement in "goal-oriented communities" in the American prison system — those oriented around faith-based activities, self-help, parenting skills, counseling, arts and crafts, substance rehabilitation, work opportunities, and ethnic/racial organizations — help decrease recidivism and rule-violation rates?

Background, Professor, and Methodology:

For this project, I will be working with my sociology professor, Adam Reich, to analyze the data from a Bureau of Labor and Statistics questionnaire. With it, I hope to make some meaningful contributions to the study of the importance of communities and what impact they can have on the criminal justice system.

This was based on two things. (1) The first reading that we did for my sociology class with Professor Reich was about the horrific consequences of isolation, like solitary confinement. Since, I've become interested in how powerful the opposite, community, can be. (2) An amazing NGO that I heard about called GOALS which won the Grassroots award for igniting change with few resources --- which they achieved through community building.  

Objectives:

1. Make important discoveries

2. Help the world through science

3. Further my sociological mind

Let me know if you have any comments or ideas! Would love to hear all of your thoughts.