As Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) continues to “go global”, Dr. Camille Gibson and six students majoring in Criminal Justice enrolled in the Comparative Criminal Justice Systems course, spent two weeks as guests of the University of Madras in Chennai, India.  The students visited India to learn about the nation’s justice system and heard from speakers that included the head of the Tamil Nadu’s prison system, the Chief of Probation Officer, leaders in India’s Police Service and investigative journalists from The Hindu newspaper.

The PVAMU group visited local police stations, a youth observation home, ancient temple sites at Mahabalipuram and St. Thomas Church where one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, Thomas the Apostle is buried. They were also special guests of the Inspector and Deputy Inspector Generals of the Puzhal Central Prison, where a rare tour of the facility was granted.

Reciprocally, Dr. Gibson delivered a lecture to the state’s Police Academy on criminogenic factors. The undergraduate President and Treasurer of Alpha Phi Sigma Criminal Justice Honor Society- Beta Epsilon Nu Chapter,  Amber Thomas made a donation from the chapter to an SOS Children’s Village. The group also attended to some of the district’s homeless community.

Prairie View A&M University hopes to host students of the University of Madras during the Fall 2018 school semester. The College of Juvenile Justice and Psychology, Justice Studies faculty and staff, the staff of the International Office at Prairie View, the Travel Office staff and Mr. Ralph Perri in Financial Aid along with Professor Srinivasan and his students and alumni at the University of Madras were all very instrumental in the realization of this faculty-led study tour to India.