Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison provides college education, life skills, and reentry support to currently and formerly incarcerated people so they can make a positive impact on their own lives, their families, and communities, resulting in lower rates of recidivism and higher rates of employment, community regeneration, cohesiveness, and reciprocity. We provide post-secondary educational opportunities for incarcerated students enrolled in programs at six correctional facilities in the greater New York area.
Partnering with accredited New York State colleges, we deliver quality undergraduate education that is cost-effective. Nationally, over 67% of formerly incarcerated people return to prison within three years of their initial release date. However, less than 2% of Hudson Link graduates return to prison for a new crime within this three-year period. Educating a full-time undergraduate student is estimated to cost $5,000 annually, significantly less than the $60,000 a year it takes to incarcerate a person in New York State.
This amazing success is the direct result of the transformative power of education and the support network that Hudson Link provides for students and alumni, both inside and outside the prison environment.
Our Core Values
Transformation. We believe that education can change the way people see themselves, others, and the world around them. We help our students reclaim their dignity and realize their potential. We believe that everyone deserves the opportunity for transformation, regardless of their present circumstances.
Lived Experience. Lived experience is embedded into the core of our organization. We center the voices and needs of students, alumni, and other directly impacted people in everything we do. We use our standing in the field to encourage others to do the same.
Holistic Approach. We see the whole student and view their education in the context of the rest of their lives. We recognize there is more to our students’ stories than taking classes and earning a degree. We empower individuals to rebuild their relationships and reputations in their families and communities.
Access and Agency. We view education as a human right, and believe that all incarcerated people should have access to it. We approach our work with students and alumni as a partnership in service of their goals. We empower our students to grow in the ways they identify for themselves, not in ways we identify for them.
Collaboration. Hudson Link exists at the intersection of multiple partners, each of whom brings valuable expertise to our shared work. We respect and value the unique contributions of these partners and invite the best of each to benefit our students and alumni. We collaborate in ways that honor the needs and concerns of all partners without compromising the best interests of the people we serve.
Dedication. We offer constant, reliable support to incarcerated people before and after they earn their degree. We serve and care for our students and their families both while they are inside and after they are released. We treat these responsibilities not just as a job, but as a calling.
Family. We see our students, alumni, their families, staff, board, partners, and supporters as part of a broader Hudson Link family. The basis of our work together is respect, protection, and care for each other. We know that by treating one another with love we can create a powerful ripple effect that extends beyond the success of individual students.
