Pakistani roots led Rutgers student to prison work

For Marisa Syed, helping others is a family tradition. 

Growing up in Jersey City’s bustling Desi community, she spent most of her weekends packing food or organizing donations alongside her family. 

“When my parents came to this country [from Pakistan], one of the biggest things that they brought with them was advocacy,” said Syed, a sophomore at Rutgers-New Brunswick.

Today, these core values inform Syed’s work as co-founder of a youth-led organization called Pages4ProgressNJ, focused on improving literacy within the prison system. It’s the first prison literacy program in the nation to be youth-led. Outside of that effort, Syed has also worked to improve access to menstrual products in correctional facilities and was an editor of the book “First Steps Into Criminal Justice Activism: For Youth,” featured in Teen Vogue.

Last year, Rutgers-New Brunswick Chancellor Francine Conway awarded Syed the Chancellor’s Outstanding Student Volunteer Award.

Literacy is a persistent challenge among people in U.S. prisons. A 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy estimated that 70% of inmates are unable to read at a fourth-grade level. Subsequent studies note that incarcerated adults are more likely to struggle with basic reading and writing skills than the general public. 

Lack of literacy not only harms the well-being and confidence of people who are in jails and prisons, it hurts their chances of succeeding when they get out, Syed explained. 

A passion for criminal justice reform

Syed first became involved in criminal justice reform as a high school junior in 2022 after joining the Justice Education Project, a global youth-led effort based in the United States that aims to empower Gen Z to act on criminal justice reform.

“The point of the Justice Education Project is to create digestible information about the criminal justice system for young people,” said Syed, who became executive director of the group. “I became more and more passionate learning more about it and talking to people.”

Syed’s advocacy led her to join the Ali Leadership Institute, a civic program centered on elevating youth activists, where she met Howard University student Matthew Kassi. Together, they outlined a project targeting illiteracy in prisons and secured a grant from the institute to build Pages4ProgressNJ.

Their first initiative is an eight-week literacy education program at the Hudson County Correctional Center. At first, it was hard for Syed and Kassi to gain traction.

“We got connected with several people within the county jail and they were just not responsive to us at all,” Syed said. “People don't necessarily take you as seriously when you're younger, especially in something relating to the criminal justice system.”

They persisted and found allies within the system, including a vocational school with existing access to the jail, Educate the Block, which helped them find a licensed teacher and develop curriculum. Hudson County Commissioner Bill O’Dea also helped Syed and Kassi cut through red tape to launch their effort.

Last spring, the first cohort of the Pages4ProgressNJ literacy program graduated.

Syed and Kassi now manage a team of six people and are working to expand the program. 

“We're rolling out speaker programs for community leaders, colleges, trade schools,” Syed said. “People from those specific industries and places can come and speak to the inmates throughout the program to help motivate them.”

Advocacy within the Desi community 

Many of the people in the Hudson County jail are immigrants. Syed feels a personal connection to their struggle.

“If I wasn't privileged enough to have a family that was able to afford everything that we could, maybe I could have been in that position,” she said.

While the South Asian community has supported her work, Syed said getting Desis to act on social issues continues to be a challenge.

She said South Asians, especially those who grew up in predominantly white areas, may not see themselves represented in public service. 

“I don't see many South Asians elected into office or public policy roles, and that can obviously make the path seem a lot more inaccessible,” Syed said.

Cultural pressure to pursue professional success is another factor, she added. And she expects that the current political climate, including increased scrutiny toward activism, might push more South Asians away from getting involved. 

“With many first- or second-generation South Asians, there's this historical tendency to keep your head down, avoid controversy, and stay out of politics due to backlash or systemic discrimination,” Syed said.

Still, Syed remains dedicated to advocacy and public service. At Rutgers, she serves as a senator in the University’s student assembly and aims to draft legislation that uplifts underrepresented communities. 

Syed plans to integrate this spirit of advocacy into whatever career she has post-graduation as well. She is debating between medical school and law school, but expected to weave criminal justice into either career track. 

“I definitely don't ever see myself abandoning something like this. I want to grow it more and more,” she said. “After going inside of the jail and talking to the people who are directly impacted, I got to see how much it affected them personally and it was amazing.”

Astha Lakhankar is a 2024-25 reporting fellow at Central Desi. She is a recent graduate of Rutgers University, where she worked as managing editor of the student-run newspaper, The Daily Targum.

What did you think of this issue? Reply to this email to chat with us, or join the conversation on Instagram.

Support our efforts by becoming a member or inviting a friend to subscribe. Let's make this a place for all Desis regardless of background, class or creed. ❤️