The Tom Castellano Award honors sustained and outstanding service to the Midwestern Criminal Justice Association. The award was created to pay tribute to Dr. Castellano’s dedication to social justice, and particularly his role as an advocate for restorative justice in the criminal justice system. He was a strong supporter for service learning, and for his students to understand the realities and challenges of the criminal justice system. He was the director for the Center of Crime, Delinquency, and Corrections (1998 – 2002) at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and was also the Rochester Institute of Technology Chair until his passing (2003 – 2009). 
​
To nominate someone for the Tom Castellano Award, please submit a letter of nomination highlighting their qualifications and service to the Midwestern Criminal Justice Association to mcja@mcja.org with the subject line “Nomination for Tom Castellano” by July 15th each year. ​