“One in 28 American children — over 2.7 million — has a parent in prison. That’s a jarring statistic. Over the next year, I will be interviewing the incarcerated, the formerly incarcerated, their families, as well as politicians and policy makers.”
Alumna Madison Peace ‘12 recently received a $7,500 grant from the Robert Novak Journalism Fellowship Program to report an in-depth feature story or series on the criminal justice system.
Her project is titled “Breaking Free: The damaging effects of incarceration on the family and how prison reform can help stop the cycle of intergenerational crime.” Peace is the advancement and communications associate at Avail NYC, a confidential care network serving those facing unplanned pregnancies. She previously worked at National Review and was an editor for In Earnest Mag. She graduated from The King’s College with a bachelor’s degree in politics, philosophy, and economics.
“I am honored to be a recipient of an alumni fund fellowship from the Robert Novak Journalism Fellowship Program,” said Peace. “It’s a great opportunity, and I am so thankful.”
Peace continued, “One in 28 American children—over 2.7 million—has a parent in prison. That’s a jarring statistic. Over the next year, I will be interviewing the incarcerated, the formerly incarcerated, their families, as well as politicians and policy makers. I am looking forward to telling the stories of families that have been affected by incarceration and considering how prison reform can help change their life prospects. 1.2 million American parents in jail leave too many children without a mom or a dad. I think it’s time for our country to embrace smart, values-based prison reform, and I am looking forward to researching and reporting on this topic starting in September.”
Peace, a former student body president at The King’s College, is the third alumnus of The King’s College to receive a Novak Fellowship in the past three years. “The Novak Fellowship program gives young journalists like Madison an incredible privilege of time and funding to report on stories of public interest,” said Paul Glader, Associate Professor in journalism and Director of the McCandlish Phillips Journalism Institute at The King’s College. “Madison was a standout student in my journalism class and I know she will make the most of this opportunity in reporting and writing.”
In 2013, King’s alumnus Christopher White received a part-time Novak Fellowship to report on “How Productive Technologies Post Serious Threats to the Traditional Family Unit.” White is now director of the Center for Bioethics and Culture and associate director of Catholic Voices USA. Also in 2013, King’s student Tiffany Owens received a part-time fellowship to report on urban development issues in America.
The Novak Journalism Fellowship Program was launched in 1994 to nurture a new generation of responsible journalists. Legendary journalist Robert Novak provided the inspiration for the program, which was named in his honor following his passing in 2009. Novak Fellows devote a full year to a journalism project supportive of American culture, a free society, and free enterprise.
The Novak program has awarded 130 fellowships over the past two decades to promising young journalists who are climbing the ranks as groundbreaking reporters, editors, editorial page writers, columnists and authors. Novak Fellows include Steve Hayes of The Weekly Standard and Fox News, Mollie Hemingway of The Federalist, and Damien Cave of The New York Times.