Episode #559
Each One, Teach One: Cheryl Wilkins on Building Hope Behind Bars, Ep. 558
Cheryl Wilkins graduated as the 2000 valedictorian of Marymount Manhattan College, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude. She later received her Master’s degree in Urban Studies from Hunter College. Cheryl is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of Columbia University’s Center for Justice (CFJ), where she works to end the nation’s reliance on incarceration, advance new approaches to safety and justice, and contribute to national and global conversations on transformative justice policy. Through research, advocacy, and leadership development, she partners with directly impacted communities to reimagine systems of justice and accountability. She also serves as Co-Director of Columbia University’s Social Intervention Group (SIG), where she supports the development and implementation of evidence-based solutions to emerging health and social challenges, while mentoring the next generation of scholars from underrepresented and directly impacted communities. Cheryl’s leadership is deeply rooted in expanding access to higher education. She was among the advocates and organizers who helped restore college programming for incarcerated women at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, work that contributed to the reestablishment of educational opportunities for women and was later documented in the film Degrees of Freedom. Her commitment to educational equity continues to shape her work today. She is also the driving force behind Center for Justice at Columbia University’s annual Beyond the Bars Conference, one of the largest academic conferences in the country centered on justice, incarceration, and community-led solutions. Under her leadership, the conference convenes formerly incarcerated leaders, scholars, advocates, policymakers, and artists from across the nation to advance new visions of safety and justice. Cheryl’s community leadership includes serving as an Advisory Board Member of the International Network of Formerly Incarcerated Women and as a Senior Advisor with the Women & Justice Project. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Jumpstart Retreat Center and is an Advisory Board Member for Step Beyond Women and Girls. Cheryl is a founding member of Women Building Up. She is the recipient of numerous honors, including the Brian Fischer Award, the Kathy Boudin Award, the Davis Putter Fellowship Award, the Sister Mary Nerney Visionary Award, the Alliance of Families for Justice Leadership Award, the FreeHer Award, the Architects of Power Award, the Pan African Global Award for Women in Leadership, and the Citizens Against Recidivism Award. Linkedin Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheryl-wilkins-69761045/ *********** Finalist " Women in Cloud - Podcast of the YEAR " - #empowHERaccess Global Prestige Awards 2026 Susanne Mueller / www.susannemueller.biz TEDX Talk, May 2022: Running and Life: 5KM Formula for YOUR Success https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oT_5Er1cLvY Join Substack: https://substack.com/@susannemuellernyc? Enjoy one coaching session for free if you are a yearly subscriber. 800+ weekly blogs / 500+ podcasts / 1 Ironman Triathlon / 5 half ironman races / 26 marathon races / 4 books / 1 Mt. Kilimanjaro / 1 TEDx Talk
