LaNeice Jones is a University of Michigan alum herself and graduated with a degree in Sociology with a Criminal Justice Certification and a masters in Social Work. She is the CEO of the Southwest Detroit Community Justice Center, where I have been interning this summer! I’ve had such a good time getting to know her and seeing her passion for social justice work and community first hand.
When she graduated from high school, she went to U of M with the goal of becoming a doctor. The heavy STEM courseload proved tough and she needed to pivot her career goals in order to better suit her needs. She was a first-gen college student and felt the pressure that comes with that. She explored careers in pharmacy and nursing, but wanted to use her science background in order to impact the lives of others. She participated in U-M’s Project Outreach program in the Sociology department, which led her in the direction of criminal justice reform.
LaNeice was reluctant to go to grad school, but her roommate filled out her application and sent it in. They made a pact that if LaNeice got in, they would both go to grad school together – she did get in and the rest is history! Her masters focused on Social Welfare Administration and creating systems of change in order to benefit the community as a whole. She targeted jobs that focused on juvenile social justice with unconventional approaches.
Throughout her career, she’s helped juveniles and adults navigate survival in tough environments, encouraging people to take charge of their own welfare. She’s kept in contact with a lot of her clients, forming lasting bonds through social work. She worked at Wayne County Youth Services, which presented a whole new subset of challenges. She helped coordinated volunteer programs and building capacity for staff. Shortly after graduating with her masters, her best friend and lifelong roommate passed away, prompting and fueling her motivation to be an “agent for change” in order to honor her friend.
She worked at the Neighborhood Service Organization for 21 years (Hi Erin!) in order to build up her clinical skills, starting with working on their crisis line. This shifted her focus to mental health and crisis prevention services. She moved her way up the ranks at NSO until she was laid off in 2016. Her next job was with Christ Child House, working with children focusing on mental health services. She then moved on from that to become the CEO of the Southwest Detroit Community Justice Center in April 2019. SWDCJC allowed her to use all of the tools she has acquired throughout her career in the realm of juvenile criminal justice reform. LaNeice sends her love to all of the DCERP fellows in the important work that they’re doing!
Hi,
Your mentor sounds super cool and has lived such an interesting life. I really admire the wide range of places she has worked and the type of work she is doing. It is also nice to hear of some uncertainties she may have faced at the start regarding her career since it is relatable to most; the way everything fell into place and she was able to find a career she is passionate about is amazing :))
Wow this was really interesting to read and learn about your mentor! It seems like she is doing great things for Detroit and I can already see how much she loves what she does. She never stopped moving and never gave up, I am sure she is an inspiration for the people she meet. Thank you for sharing!
How cool that your mentor went to U-M! She sounds like a passionate change-maker. I’m sure you have learned many valuable lessons from her!