Laleh Panahi '25
About
Graduation year: 2025
Major and Minor: Operations and Information Management, Journalism (Double Major)
Commonwealth Honors College
Name of Scholarship: Fulbright Open Research Grant
Period of the Scholarship: 10 Months
Country: Netherlands
As a Fulbright researcher in the Netherlands, I will examine how employment and vocational programs within the justice system support individuals transitioning from incarceration into stable employment. Working in affiliation with the Netherlands Helsinki Committee in The Hague, I will conduct interviews with policymakers, nonprofit leaders, and justice-involved individuals, alongside comparative analysis of Dutch and U.S. program models. This research evaluates how these programs are designed and implemented, and how effectively they improve employment outcomes and reduce recidivism. Situating this work within a broader political context, I will also examine how Dutch populism and polarization shape policy approaches to punishment, rehabilitation, and decarceration. The project will culminate in a comparative report identifying effective, transferable approaches to labor market integration, building on my prior work in U.S. child welfare and juvenile justice systems and informing my future graduate study.