Lisette B. Hughes on Education, Advocacy, and Changing the Narrative

Lisette B. Hughes first heard about College and Community Fellowship (CCF), when a friend who had participated in their WISH Advocacy Program recommended that she get involved. Lisette has since graduated from being a participant to leading the charge. Today, as the Education Initiatives Manager at CCF, she is on a mission to ensure that women impacted by the justice system are not just accepted into higher education but are truly and holistically supported to thrive. 

With a background in education as well as lived experience in the justice system, Lisette understands the barriers that women face when reentering society. She also knows that those barriers don’t have to define their futures. This is her story—and her call to action for all of us to rethink how we view justice-involved individuals.

Why Education Support Matters

For many women returning from incarceration, reintegration into society can feel like a maze. While many institutions want to admit formerly incarcerated students, they often overlook the crucial support systems these students need to succeed.

Lisette has witnessed this reality countless times. While managing a college-in-prison program, she saw how students struggled once released. Many would reach out to her in confusion, with questions like:

How do I register for classes?
What’s a major declaration?
How do I access financial aid?

“These women are coming from environments where everything—courses, schedules, and majors—was decided for them while they were incarcerated,” she explains. “Once they return to school, they’re suddenly expected to navigate complex registration systems, choose classes that align with their goals, and advocate for themselves in academic spaces where they often feel like outsiders.”

Without proper guidance, students can quickly become overwhelmed, leading to frustration, financial setbacks, and even dropping out.

Lisette is determined to change that. Through her work at CCF, she is revamping the Thrive curriculum—a program that was originally designed to educate employers and institutions on the value of hiring justice-involved women. Now, she is developing a full roadmap that helps women navigate higher education, from enrollment to graduation and beyond.

With patience and care, Lisette has guided countless women through these challenges. But she knows that one-on-one mentorship isn’t enough. She wants to see systemic changes that ensure every justice-impacted student gets the support they need without having to fight for it.

From Reaction to Prevention

Lisette’s ultimate goal is to prevent people from being incarcerated in the first place. What if we lived in a society where education, opportunity, and support systems prevent incarceration rather than react to it? 

“The majority of women who enter the justice system have experienced trauma—domestic violence, abuse, poverty, and a lack of support systems,” she says. “Instead of addressing those root causes, society criminalizes them.”

For Lisette, true justice doesn’t just mean finding ways to help people after they’ve been incarcerated. It means ensuring they never have to go through the system at all. She envisions a future where at-risk women receive the resources, education, and support they need before a crisis happens. Where trauma-informed interventions replace punitive measures. Where women don’t have to experience prison to finally receive access to higher education.

She points out a troubling reality: “I’ve taught men who told me that the first time they ever had access to a college education was in prison. That shouldn’t be the case. Why weren’t those opportunities available to them before?”

Breaking the Stigma to See Beyond the “Label”

Beyond education, Lisette is working to change the way society views formerly incarcerated individuals. She recalls speaking with correctional officers who admitted that, had circumstances been different, they could have been the ones behind bars.

“There’s so much stigma around incarceration,” she explains. “But the truth is, many people have had similar experiences. Some just didn’t get caught. Others had the resources to navigate the legal system differently.”

Another problem is that society often reduces a person’s identity to their past mistakes. “Why do we always need to attach someone’s worst moment to their story?” she asks. “We don’t introduce people by saying, ‘This is John, and he failed out of college once.’ So why do we always say, ‘This is so-and-so, and they were incarcerated for X, Y, or Z’?” Lisette believes that justice-involved individuals should be seen for who they are today—their talents, their resilience, and their contributions to society.

By the way, for women, the stigma is even greater. “When men go to prison, people often say, ‘Oh, they were young, they made mistakes, they got caught up in the wrong crowd.’ But when women go to prison—especially women with careers or children—the judgment is harsher. We need to change that.”

A Call to Action: What You Can Do

Lisette hopes that those who read her story will walk away with a new perspective and a commitment to change. Here’s how you can help:

Challenge the stigma. When you hear someone making assumptions about formerly incarcerated individuals, speak up. Encourage people to see them as whole human beings.

Support education initiatives. Programs like CCF provide crucial resources for women seeking to rebuild their lives through education. Consider donating, volunteering, or advocating for policies that expand access to education for justice-involved individuals.

Hire differently. If you’re in a position to hire, consider candidates with justice involvement. Many are highly skilled, hardworking, and eager to contribute their gifts. 

Advocate for systemic change. Push for policies that prioritize prevention over incarceration. Support mental health services, educational programs, and social initiatives that address root causes rather than punishing symptoms. Sign up for our newsletter to stay in the loop on how to support. 

Justice-involved individuals are more than their past. They are daughters, mothers, educators, and leaders. They have wisdom, skills, and dreams that deserve to be nurtured, not buried under stigma. And if we are willing to change the way we see them—to support them, invest in them, and believe in their potential—we can transform society.