That new building on campus is the College of Juvenile Justice & Psychology. January 2006 marked eight years of excellence in meeting the research, training, and education needs of the state by the Texas Juvenile Crime Prevention Center and the College of Juvenile Justice and Psychology.
The new center and college were established as a result of House Bill 1550, which allows students to receive degree offerings that are the first of their kind in the nation. This center will allow students to get a head start in any work field they would like to explore in juvenile justice or psychology, said Sherlene Husfeld, administrative assistant in the Husfeld stated that Prairie View is the first university in the United States to offer a Ph.D. prograam in juvenile justice and she thinks the new building will be a great resource. The building has 11 classrooms, four seminar rooms, a survey lab and a courtroom all in 68,000 sq.ft. Professors and students feel that the new building and their department have attracted many students to Prairie View. There are some 800 students enrolled in the College of Juvenile Justice and Psychology. The building will open Oct. 12 with a ribbon cutting and a flag raising ceremony. State Senator Royce West and John Wiley Rice, a representative from the Texas Youth Commission, will be in attendance.