News

JustDane is partnering with multiple UW–Madison units to host an interactive Reentry Simulation on Friday, October 9, 2026, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. at Nancy Nicholas Hall. Presented in collaboration with Students Against Mass Incarceration, the Center for Law, Society & Justice, the School of Human Ecology, the School of Education, the Department of Sociology, the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work, and the Center for Healthy Minds, the event gives participants an “up-close” look at the significant barriers individuals face when returning home from prison or jail. 

By guiding attendees through the complex logistical, institutional, and emotional challenges of reentry, the simulation aims to foster empathy, illuminate systemic hurdles, and deepen understanding of post-incarceration experiences within the community. Sign up now before spots run out! 

Associate Professor Dr. Pajarita Charles will participate in an upcoming community panel and film screening organized by Zonta of Madison at the Barrymore Theatre. The Women Make Movies Film Festival event features six short films highlighting issues impacting women and girls, including a feature on pregnant women within the prison system. 

Following the screenings, Dr. Charles will join a 20-minute talkback panel to discuss the broad challenges faced by women in the criminal legal system, drawing on her expertise in family stability, justice involvement, and community reentry. All proceeds from the fundraiser support local wellness initiatives, educational scholarships, and emergency shelters for women and children in Dane County.

Associate Professor Dr. Pajarita Charles will present findings at the 2027 Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) Conference from a recent evaluation of Parenting Inside Out (PIO-24), a cognitive-behavioral parenting program designed for incarcerated parents in jail settings. Based on data from three county jails in Wisconsin and Minnesota, the study demonstrated pre/post changes in parents’ outcomes related to parent-child communication and contact, positive parenting practices, and parent-caregiver relationships. Dr. Charles’ presentation will highlight how brief, adaptable parenting interventions can maintain vital family connections and support justice-involved parents and their children. Findings are summarized in a Research-to-Practice Brief. 

Lab member Cece Babat is interviewed by PBS Wisconsin about her collaboration with The Crossing and Talik Akbar to bring a mobile prison cell to UW–Madison’s campus to expose the negative consequences related to solitary confinement.

PhD student Grace Landrum presented a poster about a study examining the association between parental incarceration and financial contributions to children. 

Research Assistants Ava and Miranda, Jordan and Mia, and Grace present on the Parenting Inside Out and Making Reading Memories programs at the Undergraduate Research Symposium! 

Dr. Charles presents on her Parenting Inside Out work in WI, an evidence-based parenting skills training program developed for parents experiencing incarceration. 

Madison WKOW publishes an article regarding the Child Friendly Visit program at the Dane County Jail entitled “Contact visits at Dane County Jail connect parents, kids.”