National Hockey League partners with Center for Criminal Justice Research

HOUSTON (September 14, 2020) – The Center for Justice Research (CJR) at Texas Southern University (TSU) has received a pledge of financial support from the National Hockey League (NHL) to work toward creating “a procedurally just criminal justice system.” The Center focuses on research in racial disparities within America’s criminal justice system.

“We are thrilled that an influential sports league such as the NHL recognizes and values the work our dedicated researchers are conducting,” said Dr. Howard Henderson, CJR’s founding director. “Our work is devoted to producing data-driven solutions to ensure our criminal justice system is equitable to everyone, especially people from vulnerable communities.”

Dr. Henderson said that other critical components to CJR’s work includes training TSU students in criminal justice research and increasing the number of African-American criminologists.

“We applaud NHL players for recognizing the importance of this moment and for coming together as part of a genuine movement for change,” said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. “We look forward to working with all voices of change to fight for equality and broaden access to the game we all love.”

The National Hockey League is a long-standing partner with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund that provides funding for CJR. The League’s effort, in conjunction with the NHL Players’ Association, is part of its sweeping anti-racism initiative in which all players at training camp will have mandatory inclusion and diversity training. The NHL also plans to form inclusion committees to encourage diversity among executives, professional and youth players, and fans.

“Everyone should be able to live and work in an environment that is inclusive, and one that is free from racism and discrimination in any form,” said Don Fehr, executive director of the National Hockey League Players Association.

The Center, founded in January 2018, is located on Texas Southern’s campus in Houston’s historic Third Ward, the city’s oldest African-American community. Houston has the third-largest criminal justice system in America, offering a pipeline for CJR researchers to investigate and find solutions in a complex criminal justice system.

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MORE ABOUT THE CENTER FOR JUSTICE RESEARCH

The Center for Justice Research is committed to creating justice reform-oriented solutions for the reduction of mass incarceration by connecting and applying academic thought to practical challenges. As a university-level research center, the Center for Justice Research provides a culturally responsive approach to mass incarceration and to criminal justice reform. Our targeted research advances data-driven solutions by supporting innovation, collecting committed reformers, compelling policy arguments and engendering broad consensus amongst community stakeholders.

ABOUT TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY

Texas Southern University (TSU) honors our designation as a special-purpose institution for urban programming and research. TSU is a comprehensive university providing higher education access to the nation’s underserved communities. TSU’s academic and research programs address critical urban issues, and prepares its diverse student population to become a force for positive change in a global society. TSU offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programs and concentrations – bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and professional degrees – organized into 10 colleges and schools on a 150-acre campus nestled in the heart of Houston’s historic Third Ward. The University’s enrollment has a population of more than 9,000 undergraduate and graduate-school academic candidates. Texas Southern has been a distinguished educational pioneer since 1927, and the University has become one of the most diverse and respected institutions in Texas. TSU has positioned itself as a proactive leader in educating underserved students and many who are the first in their family to attend college.