Jonathan Hardwick

University of Colorado Denver - 2025



Criminal justice reform, education opportunities.

Major: Psychology

Project: I want to provide an educational foundation as well as job preparation for the community by developing a mutual aid with volunteer teachers and career counselors. I would like to develop this program so it could be made available to vulnerable populations such as formerly or presently incarcerated individuals. If possible, I would also like to get the program approved as a sentencing diversion program making it an alternative to traditional criminal sentencing.

Inspiration: I was inspired to pursue this when I took an introductory class in forensic psychology, which taught me the correlation between education and crime as well as the immense racial and mental health disparities in the criminal justice system. These issues quickly became important to me because I felt that I could help change them with the career I am pursuing within the criminal justice field.

Future Goals: I hope to create more free education opportunities for people that have been negatively impacted by the criminal justice system and other racially inequitable systems.