Project Assistant
David Cruz is a first-year student in the MA Criminal Justice Program at Rutgers University-Camden where he also earned his BA in Criminal Justice and Religion in 2017. David will be working with the Cumberland County Positive Youth Development Coalition. The Coalition develops strategies for decreasing juvenile delinquency and is part of the Municipal Prevention Planning Initiative that is funded by New Jersey’s State Attorney’s Office.
In 2017 David was a recipient of the ¡Adelante V! Hispanic Heritage and Multicultural Celebration Award, presented by DH/Perfil Latino TV, Inc. for diligent commitment and dedication to serving the South Jersey community and for academic achievement as a successful youth leader and supporter of Hispanic initiatives. During his undergraduate career, David has conducted research within Philadelphia prisons and has worked with the Pennsylvania Innocence Project. At the Municipal level, David has worked for the Camden Redevelopment Agency, where he primarily focused on Area-Wide Planning efforts in the Mt. Ephraim Choice Neighborhood of Camden. The AWP project focused on Brownfields that are a major impediment for the redevelopment of the city. David’s academic interests include Human Trafficking, Intimate Partner Violence, and Immigration.