Michele Bishop became a Criminal Justice major in 1994. While in the department, Michele was involved with the Criminal Justice Student Association, Alpha Phi Sigma, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, and Epsilon Sigma Alpha.
“While working on my undergraduate degree, the Criminal Justice Department helped me with enrollment in two internship programs. One in my junior year with the State of Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences and the other in my senior year with Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division. Then, upon graduation, in May 1997, I was offered a position as a Deputy with the Sheriff’s Office and also offered a Graduate Teaching Assistantship with the CJ Department. I was able to take advantage of both opportunities by working at the jail while attending graduate school. Today, I work for the State of Alabama Department of Corrections in Montgomery. I am assigned to the Central Classification Division where I coordinate the classification of inmates at three ADOC facilities across the state. The exciting thing about my job is that each day presents a new opportunity to view and evaluate the real world application of how we deal with offenders, sentencing, rehabilitation, recidivism, re-entry, public safety, and the mounting issue so of prison overcrowding and violence. It’s an ongoing opportunity for growth and for the inception of innovative ideas for reform. My decision to work in corrections is one that I wouldn’t trade and I look forward to being part of the exciting changes taking place in the field today. Also, because of my ties with CJ, I have enjoyed returning to the department as a guest speaker and often have the opportunity to work with many of my former colleagues.”