Mark Cornelius Booker, Ph.D.

Booker

Lecturer, Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice

Email: mbooker [at] desu.edu
Website
CV

EDucation

Ph.D., Morgan State University, Organizational Policy, Governance and Administration
M.S., Coppin State University, Criminal Justice Administration
B.S., Howard University, Consumer Affairs Management
Professional Certificate, Cornell University, Conflict Resolution

Bio & Research Interests

Mark is a social science practitioner and lecturer in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at Delaware State University. He partners with university officials, correctional administrators, and community stakeholders to operate higher education programs in prisons. These programs provide degree-earning courses and educational support to incarcerated individuals, raising graduation rates, building critical thinking, and improving post-release employment prospects as part of restorative justice to address recidivism. Beyond his professional role, Mark volunteers with the Brenda Murray Book Group at Maryland Correctional Institution for Women, leading literary discussions among incarcerated citizens. His teaching experience includes the former Higher Education Program for Correctional Institutions at Patuxent Institution (Coppin State University), the former Inmate Extension Program at Maryland Penitentiary (Morgan State University), and the current Second Chance Pell Experiment at Jessup Correctional Institution (University of Baltimore; Bowie State University), all expanding educational opportunities for incarcerated students. Drawing on these experiences, Mark’s research centers on prison higher education, particularly its effects on recidivism, the Sixth Amendment, and community engagement.

Professional Experience

C.E.O., We Teach and Tutor, LLC, Baltimore, MD
Assistant Superintendent, Maryland Department of Juvenile Services, Baltimore, MD
Court Commissioner, District Court of Maryland for Baltimore City, Baltimore, MD

Expertise

Prison Higher Education
Criminal Justice Systems
Community Engagement

Professional organizations

American Philosophical Association
American Society of Criminology
American Sociological Association - Community for Sociologists Teaching in Carceral Settings
Association of Black Sociologists
National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice

Selected Publications

Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison Celebrates Graduation of 28 Incarcerated Scholars at Sing Sing (June 2026). https://patch.com/new-york/ossining/hudson-link-higher-education-prison-…
Haynes, A. (2023, January). Making the most of their time: Bowie State offers college education program for inmates at Jessup Correctional Institution. The Baltimore Sun Howard County Edition, Front Page.
Jeffries, B. (2022, December). Never too late: Bowie State offers college education program for inmates at Jessup Correctional Institution. The Capital Gazette Newspaper, Front Page.
Booker, M., Booker, R., Booker, C. (2016). Why Our Teacher Wears Yellow.

Selected Presentations

Panelist, “Resisting Erasure: Civic Engagement, Education, and the Ongoing Work of Freedom,” Juneteenth 2026. Morgan State University’s CICS & Walmart at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture.
Panelist, Virtual Panel on Trauma-Informed in Carceral Settings, April 15, 2025. Hosted by American Sociological Association, Community for Sociologists Teaching in Carceral Settings.