Restorative Justice, Real Learning: Inside Criminal Justice Education with Amy Nemmetz

Sensitive Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of sensitive topics, including crime, victimization, and incarceration which may be distressing to some listeners.

In this thought-provoking episode we sit down with Dr. Amy Nemmetz, program director and faculty member in Criminal Justice at Madison College. Dr. Nemmetz shares her journey from working in the justice system to shaping the next generation of criminal justice professionals through education and restorative practices. We explore the role of real-world learning, her students' work at Oakhill Correctional Institution and The Grow Academy, and how empathy, reflection, and community engagement are woven into the curriculum. Whether you're interested in justice reform, higher education, or the power of human connection, this episode offers meaningful insights and inspiration.

Amy Nemmetz joined the Madison College Criminal Justice program in 2018. Her interest in the criminal justice field began in 1992 when she was hired part-time to transcribe mini-cassette tapes for detectives at a Sheriff’s Department. She instantly knew this was the field for her; she subsequently pursued a career working with offenders and victims in the criminal justice system.

Amy has been fortunate to teach for 20 years and work in a variety of criminal justice and social work roles to include-community service officer & telecommunicator with police departments, case manager at a juvenile group home, social worker with a jail diversion court program, social worker with human services (child protection), restorative justice facilitator with offenders, and treatment provider.

Amy is currently the Program Director for the Criminal Justice Program at Madison College. She holds State of Wisconsin licenses in social work and substance abuse counseling. Simply stated, her passion is truly helping those in the criminal justice system to include facilitating restorative-justice based service-learning projects with her students for Department of Corrections every semester for the last 10+ years. She has presented on Restorative Justice at numerous conferences to include the Wisconsin Juvenile Court Intake Conference and the National Restorative Justice Conference.

She was a tenured faculty member with UW-Platteville’s Criminal Justice program before joining the Madison College Criminal Justice Program. She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in criminal justice from UW-Platteville and a PhD in Criminal Justice from Capella University. She has been fortunate to receive awards for teaching and service to include the Madison College Leader Impact Award in 2022. Amy is super grateful to be a part of the Wolfpack!