Dear Freinds,
Today is my last day of classes, so it only seems fitting that today I also write to share some personal news. After 20 years of teaching at Montclair State University, I am retiring at the end of this semester. When I left my work as a New York City public defender to join the Department of Justice Studies, I had no idea where the journey would take me. What I discovered was a community that shaped my life and my work more than I ever could have imagined.
Over the past two decades, I’ve had the privilege of teaching and mentoring hundreds (if not thousands) of students. I had tremendous opportunities to grow as a faculty member, to serve the department including a stint as department chair, to write two books (one coming soon!), and to publish scores of articles in academic journals and the mainstream media. I also received recognitions that humbled me deeply, including being named University Distinguished Teacher in 2015 and the University Distinguished Scholar in 2020.
While at Montclair, I had the true pleasure of collaborating across disciplines in ways that were profoundly moving and impactful for me and my students. Co-producing The Exonerated with Montclair State’s outstanding Theatre Department, bringing students to Lincoln Center to see Dead Man Walking, and finding creative ways to connect the classroom with the arts and the world beyond campus are moments that I will always hold dear. Another highlight was bringing the Petey Green program to Montclair, where I served as the faculty advisor and supported amazing students who tutored people in prison. I will be forever grateful for these experiences.
Having a platform at Montclair State also led to one of the most fulfilling moments of my career: serving as an appointed member to Governor Murphy’s clemency advisory board.
To be part of a process that has led to the release of many people who were serving excessive sentences, and the pardoning of others who had been burdened by criminal convictions, has been the privilege of a lifetime. I will always be grateful for the trust placed in me and for the reminder that justice is most powerful when it is grounded in mercy and human dignity.
Retiring from Montclair State does not mean I’m retiring from the work of justice. This transition opens more space for my podcast Just Justice, for writing, speaking, and new and expanded ways of advocating around second chances, excessive sentences, wrongful convictions, and our imperfect criminal legal system.
I remain committed to lifting up the simple truths that we can always do better, and that people are far more than the worst thing that they have ever done.
Department of Justice Studies Retirement Send-Off
As I enter this next chapter, I continue to encounter inspiring folks doing some pretty amazing things… and I am fortunate to get the chance to talk with them on the Just Justice podcast! This month brought compelling conversations with:
- Abe Bonowitz, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Death Penalty Action, whose tireless advocacy continues to reshape the national conversation about the death penalty; and
- Dr. Daphne Brydon, whose cutting-edge research sheds light on the reentry challenges of people released from juvenile life sentences and what it means to begin again.
I hope you will listen and be as inspired as I was. Join us!
Thank you for being part of this journey—whether you found me through Montclair, my books, an op-ed, a talk, or the podcast. I am grateful for every conversation and every moment of connection. You can learn more and stay in touch at jessicahenryjustice.com or you can reach me directly at jessicahenryjustice@gmail.com.
Wishing you rest, reflection, and a continued commitment to justice in this season and in the new year ahead.
Be safe and well,
Jessica