The New Jersey Department of Corrections (NJDOC), in collaboration with the Pratt Institute, announced the launch of an innovative fashion design and workforce development program at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility (EMCF). The initiative is a significant step in correctional education, positioning New Jersey alongside similar international efforts in Milan and London.
Preparing for professional careers
This new venture, called the Design Studio, provides incarcerated women with a structured, professional-level curriculum over 10 months (40 weeks). The comprehensive training covers essential skills including:
- Fashion design and apparel construction
- Digital design (using tools like Adobe Illustrator and InDesign)
- Business planning, branding, and ethical sourcing
Participants will receive instruction from Pratt faculty, supported by NJDOC staff, and work in an environment designed to replicate a professional design studio. Upon completion, graduates earn a certificate from Pratt Institute’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies, lending significant prestige to their reentry pathways.
NJDOC Commissioner Victoria Kuhn, stated, “This program represents a milestone in correctional education… This collaboration will prepare participants for release by providing them with both state-of-the-art technical skills and the discipline, professionalism, and confidence needed to succeed.”
A commitment to expanded opportunity
For Pratt Institute, the program aligns with its 135-year mission of expanding access to creative disciplines for individuals who might not otherwise have the opportunity. Maira Seara, dean of Pratt Institute’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies, highlighted the value: “Creativity, design, and innovation are at the heart of what we do, and those values translate powerfully into helping people build new futures. Together, we’re opening doors, fostering dignity, and investing in safer, stronger communities.”
The curriculum was developed by faculty from Pratt’s renowned Fashion program. The training is designed to build both hard skills and essential soft skills—such as collaboration, accountability, and problem-solving—that are directly transferable to the workplace. Graduates will be equipped for in-demand jobs in regional apparel production, sample rooms, and design studios.
Capstone and reentry focus
The program emphasizes practical application and culminates in a challenging capstone project: the redesign of the institutional uniform. This final presentation requires the production of a prototype garment and all necessary professional documentation for manufacturing.
The Design Studio is the result of four years of dedicated work by the NJDOC’s DEPTCOR and the Division of Women’s Services, uniting their expertise in vocational training and gender-specific rehabilitative services.
Brian Gallagher, deputy director at DEPTCOR, affirmed the program’s goal: “The Design studio is about giving these women the tools to build real and marketable skills.” Assistant Commissioner Helena Tomé echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that the studio equips women with the “skills, confidence, and opportunities they need to succeed both during incarceration and in the community after release.”
