You Belong is a group of students, faculty, and staff who come together to facilitate a more accessible and inclusive campus for students impacted by the criminal legal system. If you are a student at UB who has experienced incarceration, who has a family member who has experienced incarceration, or who is passionate about expanding the accessibility of campus to those who are system-impacted, join us!
While system-impacted students face a number of barriers and challenges, it is important to recognize that they also bring numerous strengths and assets to educational settings, workplaces, and communities. Research has shown that many system-impacted individuals demonstrate:
Academic & Professional Strengths
Community & Leadership Strengths
Lived Experience & Advocacy Strengths
Interpersonal Strengths & Resilience
Supporting system-impacted individuals means recognizing and building upon these strengths rather than focusing solely on deficits or challenges. As many programs have demonstrated, when institutions adopt asset-based approaches that value the expertise and potential of system-impacted individuals, everyone benefits from the diverse perspectives and contributions they bring, and this is the goal of You Belong.
Here are some of the many things we are currently working on. We welcome your assistance, expertise, and input!
If you are interested in getting involved in any capacity, please join our working group by emailing Dr. Mary Nell Trautner (trautner@buffalo.edu).