NJDOC and Pratt Institute Launch Fashion Design Program for Incarcerated Women

CLINTON, N.J. — The New Jersey Department of Corrections (NJDOC) and Pratt Institute have partnered to launch a groundbreaking fashion design and workforce development program at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility (EMCF). The initiative, one of the first of its kind in the United States, offers incarcerated women access to professional-level education in the fashion industry as part of a broader effort to support reentry through vocational training.

The EMCF Design Studio will deliver a structured, 40-week curriculum developed by faculty from Pratt’s Fashion program, a nationally renowned leader in creative education. Participants will engage in courses covering apparel construction, digital design, business planning, and ethical fashion practices. Instruction will be led by Pratt faculty and supported by NJDOC staff.

The program aligns with NJDOC’s ongoing commitment to rehabilitation and reentry, while also furthering Pratt’s mission to expand access to creative disciplines for underserved populations. Similar models internationally include initiatives in Milan, Italy, and London, England—making this a pioneering effort in the U.S. corrections system.

🔧 A Studio for Skill-Building and Career Pathways

The Design Studio replicates a professional fashion environment and aims to equip participants with both technical and soft skills essential for success in the modern workforce. Over the course of 10 months, students will progress from sketching and mood boards to draping, patternmaking, and garment construction, before advancing into digital design using Adobe Illustrator and InDesign.

The curriculum culminates in a capstone project, where each participant is tasked with redesigning the institutional uniform. The final presentation includes both the prototype and the professional documentation required for production—an exercise that integrates creativity with real-world business standards.

Graduates will receive a certificate of completion from Pratt Institute’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies, providing a credential recognized in fashion and design industries and enhancing participants’ employment opportunities post-incarceration.

🌍 A Model for Expanding Opportunity

For Pratt Institute, the program builds on a long tradition of creating educational pathways for those with limited access to the arts and design. From founding Design Works High School in New York City to early public-school collaborations, Pratt continues to emphasize equity in creative education. The partnership with NJDOC underscores the institution’s dedication to empowering individuals through professional skills that enable community reintegration and self-sufficiency.

NJDOC Commissioner Victoria Kuhn noted that programs like the Design Studio reflect a systemic shift toward gender-informed, rehabilitative environments, particularly at women’s facilities like EMCF. The program also represents a significant collaboration with DEPTCOR, NJDOC’s correctional industry program, and the Division of Women’s Services, which has provided gender-specific rehabilitative support since its founding.

DEPTCOR, which has offered vocational training to incarcerated individuals since 1918, played a key role in bringing the Design Studio to life. It currently trains over 900 individuals annually across various industries.

🧵 Real-World Reentry Readiness

In addition to technical training, participants will build key workplace skills such as collaboration, accountability, and creative problem-solving. These competencies are designed to transfer directly into employment opportunities in New Jersey, New York City, and beyond, including in design studios, sample rooms, apparel manufacturing facilities, and other sectors of the regional fashion economy.

The program also covers business planning, niche markets, ethical sourcing, and branding—providing a comprehensive education that aligns with the needs of contemporary fashion employers.

📚 Program Overview:

• Location: Edna Mahan Correctional Facility, Clinton, NJ

• Duration: 10 months (40 weeks of structured instruction)

• Instruction: Led by faculty from Pratt Institute’s Fashion program

• Certification: Issued by Pratt’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies

• Focus Areas: Fashion design, garment construction, digital tools, business and branding, ethical sourcing

• Capstone Project: Redesign of institutional uniforms with production-ready documentation

This initiative marks a notable evolution in the intersection of corrections, education, and industry, aiming not just to rehabilitate, but to reimagine the potential of incarcerated individuals through creativity, training, and opportunity.

Context on Edna Mahan Correctional Facility and Closure Plans

The launch of the Design Studio at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility (EMCF) comes amid a broader transition for New Jersey’s only women’s correctional facility. In June 2021, Governor Phil Murphy announced the state's intention to close EMCF following the release of a highly critical investigative report into violent incidents that occurred at the facility on January 11, 2021. The independent investigation, conducted by former New Jersey State Comptroller Matt Boxer and the law firm Lowenstein Sandler LLP, uncovered serious abuses involving unauthorized cell extractions and excessive use of force by correctional officers. In response, Governor Murphy declared the closure of EMCF as the only viable path forward to protect the dignity and rights of incarcerated women and to end what he described as a longstanding pattern of misconduct at the facility.

The 2021 report led to criminal charges against multiple officers and a directive for systemic reforms across the Department of Corrections, including enhanced training, improved oversight, and the expansion of body-worn camera programs. Governor Murphy emphasized the importance of rebuilding trust and ensuring that individuals in custody are treated with dignity and respect.

Progress toward closure advanced in November 2023, when the first phase of the plan was completed. This phase involved relocating the full minimum-security population from the aging EMCF campus to a Satellite Unit located on the grounds of the former William H. Fauver Youth Correctional Facility in Clinton Township. The newer facility offers modern amenities, including temperature-controlled housing, natural light, increased personal space, and enhanced programming tailored to support rehabilitation and reentry. Among the innovations is a newly created “Honors Dorm,” designed to promote pro-social behavior through incentives and home-like living conditions.

While planning continues for a purpose-built women’s correctional facility, only the medium- and maximum-security populations remain at the original EMCF Main campus. Limited vocational and medical services are still provided there. State officials have indicated that the full closure of the facility will be a multi-year process, driven by both the need for safer, more rehabilitative environments and the desire to avoid costly capital projects estimated at $166 million that would be required to maintain the existing EMCF infrastructure.

Together, the Design Studio and broader closure plan represent a significant shift in New Jersey’s approach to women’s incarceration—prioritizing safety, rehabilitation, and meaningful pathways to reentry.

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