The main goal of the Beyond the Box Initiative is to provide a support system for prospective and current students who have been impacted by the criminal justice system. We will help outline long term solutions to increase access to higher education and other opportunities for people returning home after having been incarcerated, therefore creating better life opportunities for low-income communities of color. The group will serve to help incoming students—who have been impacted by mass incarceration—transition into an academic curriculum by providing peer counseling, mentoring, scholarship information, and other resources.