Over 640,000 people in the United States are released from prison each year, yet more than 40% of them are rearrested within their first year of release. As sobering as this statistic is, there is hope for a better outcome. Research shows that prison-based education programs offer the single most effective way to break the cycle of incarceration and intergenerational poverty.
In 1998, Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison (Hudson Link) launched a groundbreaking prison initiative that offers college education, life skills and reentry support to individuals during and after involvement with the justice system. What began as one class of 16 men at Sing Sing Correctional Facility has grown to become a degree-granting program for more than 670 people in prisons across New York State.
Today, Hudson Link partners with nine colleges and universities to provide in-person and virtual courses at five New York State prisons and issues fully accredited associate and bachelor’s degrees to those who complete their program. Hudson Link also leverages community organizations to provide wraparound services to almost 2,000 released alumni, whose recidivism rate is less than 2%. These include job readiness and professional development programs, as well as access to a dedicated case manager, transitional housing and free clothing.
The economic benefits of Hudson Link’s program alone are enormous. Hudson Link provides its degree-granting program for $5,000 per student, per year—a cost that is 100% funded through private donations. It costs nearly $60,000 a year to incarcerate one person in a New York State prison.
“Education in prison opens doors for incarcerated individuals to overcome their pasts, rebuild their lives and prepare to one day become productive members of their communities,” said Sean Pica, President of Hudson Link. “While most programs are offered directly by colleges, Hudson Link works as a third-party facilitator. The ability to link correctional facilities to degreed programs at accredited colleges across the state means we’re able to create programs in prisons across New York. It also means that Hudson Link can be easily replicated.”