The 1990s ushered in a new “get tough on crime” initiative that dominated local and national politics for a decade. Hudson Link for Higher Education is founded in the wake of the elimination of Federal Pell and Tap grants.

Despite considerable evidence of its positive effects, support for higher education in prisons was collapsing around the country. Federal Pell grants that were once readily available to incarcerated men and women – and provided nearly all of the funding for college programs in prisons – were eliminated. Most states, including New York, also barred incarcerated men and women from state-level tuition assistance programs. As a result, 350 college education programs in prisons across America were reduced to just eight by the turn of the century.

Knowing the devastating effect this would have on prison morale, a group of men at Sing Sing Correctional Facility approached religious and academic volunteers for help. In January of 1998, Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison was formed to spearhead the restoration of college education in prison. Through private donations and grants from foundations and religious institutions, Hudson Link created a post-secondary education program in conjunction with Nyack College at Sing Sing. The classrooms inside the facility look and feel the same as traditional college campuses: chalkboards, posters of famous authors on the walls, and the familiar all-in-one desk and chair sets that, ironically, are made by incarcerated people at facilities across the state.

The sounds of a violin concerto ushered in 17 students who marched proudly through the visiting room at Sing Sing in celebration of Hudson Link’s first-ever college graduation ceremony on October 19, 2001. The graduates received their Bachelor’s degrees in Organizational Management from Nyack College as family, friends, and supporters looked on with pride. Nyack College President David Schroeder spoke proudly about the graduates’ accomplishments and the tremendous transformation that had taken place inside the prison walls. Hudson Link remains grateful to Nyack College as its founding and stalwart college partner. Hudson Link formed a second partnership with Mercy College shortly after the first Nyack College graduation, and the first group of Mercy students were on their way to achieving an Associate’s degree in Behavioral Science.

With a flutist playing in the background and in front of a room full of family members and friends, 23 students at Sing Sing received their Associate’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Behavioral Science from Hudson Link/Mercy College. Venerable actor Ossie Davis delivered the commencement address and referred to the graduates as his sons, saying that he “felt like a proud father.” Superintendent Brian Fischer delivered the keynote speech and spoke about the graduates’ personal commitment to transformation. “Each and every one of them realized that they could not change the past, but could change the future,” Fischer said.

Using sign language to begin his address, Class of 2004 Valedictorian Nigel Lawrence said, “Education has changed our world…and language has a purpose, language has power, language builds bridges, connects lives, transcends boundaries and invades silence.” Nigel’s speech resonated with the graduates and the audience, giving powerful testimony to the transformation that takes place through the power of higher education.

WRNN-TV news correspondent Tara-Lynn Wagner, attends the Sing Sing Correctional Facility’s Hudson Link/Mercy commencement ceremony and speaks with students about how the program has transformed their lives.

Tara Lynn states, “seeing the men receive their diplomas is proof of the program’s success. Knowing that none of the graduates that have been released have returned to prison is doubly so. Hudson Link has proven that education has the power to transform the lives of men in prison.”

To quote Dr. Anne Reissner, founder of Hudson Link, “Education equals hope.”

Hudson Link and its alumni partner with residential programs, middle and high schools in Westchester County, New York City and the five boroughs to speak with young people about the consequences of their choices and criminal behavior. This innovative program brings alumni who have been released from prison into the classroom, where they also screen Hudson Link’s documentary Zero Percent to help break the cycle of incarceration and prevent youth from entering the juvenile and criminal justice system.

Hudson Link alumni engage in interactive discussions with youth on topics which include: who they were as people before they were incarcerated, what they believed about themselves and their futures, the struggles of peer and gang pressure, the pressure to survive in adverse conditions, the consequences of poor choices and the power of education and how it transformed their lives.

Recognizing the importance of a strong support network, Hudson Link launches a unique and innovative program focused on helping alumni successfully transition back into their families and communities. The goals of the Alumni Program are to increase employment opportunities, strengthen the relationships between alumni, their families and their communities and reduce the risk for re-incarceration.

The Alumni Services Program provides the following: job readiness services, interview attire, laptop computers, mentoring, networking dinners and events, alumni resources guide to assist with the transition from prison to the community, connections to fellow alumni to help navigate the unique challenges of reentry and links to partner reentry organizations for much needed transitional services.

For the first time ever, Hudson Link expands college programming to a medium security women’s correctional facility.

Partnering with Mercy, Nyack and Vassar Colleges, Hudson Link offers college preparatory and college classes as well as the Inside Out College Program at the Taconic Correctional Facility. This unique program starts with pre-college Math and English classes to prepare students for the challenges of a college-level curriculum. Once completed, students attend lower and upper-level college classes which fit requirements for an Associate’s degree in Liberal Arts. The goal is for the women to have completed approximately 30 college credits upon release from prison so they have a solid foundation to complete their degrees on the outside.

Motivated by the men at Sing Sing, Hudson Link launches a monthly speaker series called “Ripples of Hope.” Professionals from the community visit Sing Sing one Friday per month to lead seminars and workshops on topics such as: resume writing, effective oral and presentation skills, career development, leadership and goal setting, etiquette, dress for success, financial management, professionalism and productive relationships in the workplace.

Nyack College partners with Hudson Link to sponsor a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management at the medium-security Fishkill Correctional Facility for men.

This progressive program provides a fast-track for students to complete their college degrees in 18 months, and a unique pathway for men to transition from a maximum to medium security prison and complete their Bachelor’s degrees prior to release.

Students are required to have completed a minimum of 60 college credits from an accredited institution of higher learning in order to be accepted. The cohort of students attend classes 4 days per week over a period of 18 months. More than 70 men apply to the program and 17 applicants are accepted.

Recognizing that many new students are unprepared for college-level work and struggle in the first semester of college, Hudson Link launches a College Preparatory School at Sing Sing Correctional Facility to prepare students for the rigors of college coursework.

Prep school is an intensive one-year, six-course program with classes held Monday through Friday. The curriculum is focused on remedial Math and English, Sociology, History, Current Events, study skills, and time management. More than 200 applicants apply and 26 are selected to participate in the first cohort.

With Zero Percent, Moxie Pictures Director Tim Skousen goes inside Hudson Link’s college program at Sing Sing. Hudson Link students are men who have come to appreciate the full impact of their life-altering crimes, on others and themselves. And while it may be years before these men see life outside the prison walls, they know their only hope for a productive, redeemed life is through sheer determination to transform their lives for the better.

The driving force behind Hudson Link’s success is the men and women who were once incarcerated themselves – people with first-hand experience on the impact of mental and emotional rehabilitation on their lives, their families and their communities.

The film’s title, Zero Percent, refers to the fact that not a single Hudson Link graduate has been re-incarcerated for a new crime within 3 years of release from prison. With a national recidivism rate of over 60%, “Zero Percent” provides real-life evidence of the far-reaching positive effects of the Hudson Link program.

The unforgettable strains of “Pomp and Circumstance” ushered in the first Hudson Link/Nyack College commencement ceremony at Fishkill Correctional Facility. Thirteen men marched proudly through a room of family, friends, and supporters to receive their Bachelor of Science degrees in Organizational Management from Nyack College President Michael Scales.

Prior to the commencement, three graduates were released from prison. Acknowledging the determination and commitment required to complete their Bachelor’s degrees under adverse conditions and the impact that this accomplishment would have on the students, their families, and the prison population, the Department of Corrections granted permission for the men to attend the commencement and participate in the festivities with their fellow graduates.

Keynote speaker Glenn Martin, Vice President of Development at the Fortune Society, spoke about the choices that each of us makes and how the graduates’ choice to attend college opened the door to transformation and redemption. Brian Fischer, Commissioner for the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, spoke about responsibility – the responsibility our graduates to make the right choices going forward and their responsibility to help the students behind them to succeed – to “pay it forward.”

Students shared their riveting life stories with the audience throughout the evening. Their ability to persevere in the face of adversity and reach significant academic achievements moved everyone in the audience.

Hudson Link joins forces with SUNY Sullivan Community College to launch an Associate’s degree in Liberal Arts and Humanities at maximum-security Sullivan Correctional Facility for men. The curriculum focuses on English, History, Psychology, Sociology and the sciences, building the foundation for students to transfer to a four-year degree granting program. Receiving more than 150 applications from incarcerated men in correctional facilities across the state, Hudson Link and SUNY Sullivan select 24 students to participate in the first cohort.

TEDxSingSing was the first TEDx event held in a New York State prison. With the theme “Creating Healthy Communities,” speakers explored a variety of perspectives including individual, physical, mental, and emotional health and how to work together to build a nourishing and supportive community, even in a maximum security prison like Sing Sing. Twenty-two dynamic speakers including Ice-T, Hill Harper, Gina Belafonte, Majora Carter, Bryonn Bain, Dan Slepian, Sing Sing Superintendent Michael Capra, Carnegie Hall Musical Connections and incarcerated men at Sing Sing captivated the audience speaking about topics such as The Ambient Existence of Music, Shaping the Future from the Inside, Echoes of an Urban Desert, Creating a WE Nation, Transcending Mental Bars, and Surviving on the Inside.” The event was filmed by acclaimed producer and director Jonathan Demme with assistance from the Jacob Burns’ Film Center. To view TEDxSingSing videos, please click here.

TED is a global community devoted to the power of ideas to help change attitudes, lives, and ultimately, the world. The concept has become so popular in recent years that TED launched TEDx, a program that helps organizations independently organize their own events based on the TED model: A gathering of individuals to share ideas with one another in the form of a sequence of carefully curated talks on a variety of topics. Independently run TEDx events help share ideas in communities around the world.

Hudson Link partners with Columbia University to offer college-level courses at Sing Sing and Taconic Correctional Facilities. Columbia University is one of the world’s most important centers of research and at the same time a distinctive and distinguished learning environment for undergraduates and graduate students in many scholarly and professional fields. This is the first Ivy League institution to partner with Hudson Link and to offer classes inside prison walls.

Hudson Link Executive Director Sean Pica joins Nyack College President Dr. Michael Scales on a visit to the White House along with other college and university officials to sign a historic pledge supporting higher education for formerly incarcerated people.

Representatives from 15 higher education public and private institutions from across the country, including Hudson Link partners Nyack College and Columbia University, stood with Pica and U.S. Secretary of Education John King in the West Wing to sign the Fair Chance Higher Education Pledge, which removes unnecessary barriers to a college education for formerly incarcerated people. “We know that African-American and Latino young people and adults are overrepresented in our prison population and among folks who have criminal records. I think this will help those who have a criminal record have an opportunity to access higher education,” King said.

“This is a life-changing moment in history for institutions of higher learning and the formerly incarcerated,” said Pica. “President Obama continues his groundbreaking support of criminal justice reform and New York is once again on the vanguard of these historic initiatives.”

Cecilia Munoz, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council; Geraldine Downey, Vice Provost for Columbia University; and Nyack College Provost David Turk were also in attendance for the historic pledge, which has been signed by a total of 25 institutions. The White House prepared a fact sheet which contains Columbia University’s pledge to “support access to college education and employment for those who need a second chance and, more broadly, for those from communities bearing the brunt of mass incarceration.”

On September 29, 2016, Hudson Link hosted a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony in celebration of the grand opening of the Doris E. Buffett Building for Higher Education in Prison – the new, permanent home of Hudson Link.

Through the generosity of Doris Buffett and the Sunshine Lady Foundation, Hudson Link purchased an historic building at 23 State Street, conveniently located less than a mile away from Sing Sing Correctional Facility.

The building, which was built in 1878, was once home to the Mt. Pleasant Military Academy Library. Today, it serves as home to Hudson Link’s college-in-prison and alumni reentry services programs.

Wednesday, January 24th marked a groundbreaking moment in Hudson Link’s history, when associate degrees were awarded to six of our students inside Taconic Correctional Facility.

Friends and family of the graduates gathered to celebrate along with representatives from the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. Acting Commissioner Anthony Annucci, Taconic Superintendent Tanya Mitchell-Voyd, and Director of Education Emily Bessette each shared words of wisdom and expressions of heartfelt congratulations on the students’ achievements.

The day’s keynote address was delivered by Starshell, a Grammy-winning singer/songwriter who has collaborated with the likes of Kanye West and Jennifer Lopez. She wished the graduates a “happy birthday,” likening their achievement to a rebirth and encouraging the women to look forward to their future achievements as if it was their first day on earth.

The ceremony also marked the first time that one of the six grads had returned to Taconic since her release. Now home, Shelly said she couldn’t miss the opportunity to walk with her Hudson Link class. “This experience was amazing,” she told Alumni Coordinator Todd Young after being greeted with hugs and smiles by classmates and Taconic staff alike. “To know that I had the courage to go back in, I’m so proud of myself and how far I’ve come. Hudson Link gives me the motivation to keep on striving. This is not the end for me and I will not stop here. My daughter was so proud of me!”

Hudson Link’s staff and board share these sentiments – in fact, we could not be prouder of the six graduates and the 37 women still pursuing their degrees with us at Taconic.

With our New Beginnings initiative, Hudson Link is leading the way by utilizing the efforts of our released alumni to construct transitional housing intended to improve outcomes for other returning citizens. Our people rebuild local homes – while rebuilding their lives.

The heart of New Beginnings is the purchase and rehabilitation of dilapidated housing near our office in Ossining, New York. Hudson Link alumni are engaged in the renovation of these properties, working side-by-side with trade professionals to gain real-world, meaningful work experience that will help nurture a sense of value, accomplishment, and self-reliance – and provide a critical basis for future employment. We intend to empower formerly incarcerated people to improve their own lives and the lives of those that follow in their footsteps.

After renovation, Hudson Link operates the restored properties as temporary housing for returning program alumni. We understand that reentering citizens face a complex matrix of needs, especially when it comes to housing. With New Beginnings, Hudson Link provides a safe and stable temporary home, free of charge, while our released alumni get back on their feet.

In addition to safe and stable housing, New Beginnings provides newly released alumni with case management support to further their education, find housing, seek employment, and—most importantly— help them rejoin and enrich their communities!

When Hudson Link suspended our in-person college classes in March 2020, we had no idea when we would be able to resume regular face-to-face instruction. The uncertainty of our position led Hudson Link to innovate new and exciting ways of interfacing with our students. We believed that we had a responsibility to our students to create an environment as close to the quality of in-person instruction as possible. This led us to the creation of our synchronous distance learning technology.

By partnering with the Department of Corrections, Hudson Link embarked on a brand new venture where we upgraded all of our college program sites to include one classroom equipped with Webex video conferencing technology. These new classrooms introduced hybrid courses to our curriculum and gave our students new alternatives.

After 15 months of no-contact instruction, it was finally deemed safe to return to the facilities. We were allowed to start up the summer semester by offering in-person and hybrid classes once more! Our students and professors all missed the connection and the impact of in-person teaching, but the increased access created by the new video-conferencing technology will continue to be a valuable addition to all of our college program sites.

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In a groundbreaking legislative decision, New York State officially repealed the ban preventing incarcerated students from accessing TAP funding on April 7th! For the first time in 26 years, incarcerated students will be eligible for the Tuition Assistance Program. This victory is even more historic as it comes on the heels of the restoration of Pell funding for incarcerated students.

TAP restoration will uplift programs across the state and sends a message that college-in-prison matters. It lets our students know that our state leadership believes in their second chance. This news will allow us to further build out our holistic approach to college-in-prison from pre-college, on-site academic coordinators, computer labs, instructional support, and reentry services such as clothing, housing, technology, employment services, continuing education, and community building.  

Thank you all for your support as we’ve campaigned to #TurnOnTheTAPNY! It’s been an honor for us to be part of a coalition of currently and formerly incarcerated people, college providers, grassroots organizations, and many more that have advocated for decades to make this accomplishment possible.

In April 2022, Hudson Link opened our doors to the first women’s New Beginnings house, affectionately commemorated as “Mo Place” after the beloved late Hudson Link Academic Coordinator Arlene “Mo” Mohammed. Hudson Link opened our second housing project for Hudson Link students reentering their communities after incarceration.

Mo was instrumental in helping launch the college program at the Bedford Correctional Facility and Hudson Link’s college program at Sing Sing. Ms. Mo, who sadly passed away in 2018, left a significant impact on our program and its participants. We are excited to dedicate this home to Ms. Mohammed and create opportunities and a home for Hudson Link’s students as they transition back to society.

The second graduation was held at Taconic Correctional Facility the following afternoon where we had the opportunity to celebrate graduates from the class of 2021 and the class of 2022 including the first-ever class of Bachelor’s Degree graduates at Taconic. Seven graduates received their associate degrees from their graduation in 2021, and 13 students received their associate degrees as members of the class of 2022.

Additionally, Hudson Link and our academic partners at Marymount Manhattan College were so excited to award the first four Bachelor’s Degrees to graduates at Taconic.

As Executive Director Sean Pica mentioned in his emotional closing address, the progression of the Hudson Link program at Taconic is nothing short of remarkable. It started as a pass-through program to assist students who were preparing for reentry but would not be at Taconic long enough to complete a full degree, and has since transformed into a robust college degree-granting program that allows students to pursue associate and Bachelor’s degrees.

It was with great pleasure that the Hudson Link team, and the administration at Sing Sing Correctional Facility, held the first-ever Beyond the Block speaker series on Friday, March 24th; an all-day event in Sing Sing centered on celebrating community both inside and beyond prison walls, class, and creed.  

Building off the success of TEDx Sing Sing 2014 and 2019, this groundbreaking speaker series showcased the unique intellectual, artistic, and creative talents of people residing inside Sing Sing Correctional Facility with inspiring and innovative messages to share. The energy in the space was electric, emotional, and filled with the rare sense of every person being fully present as the speakers shared thought-provoking ideas, poetic prose, and musical performances reflecting on what the theme “Rewind, Fast Forward, Press Play” meant to them.  

On Wednesday, May 10th, we had the privilege of hosting our inaugural graduating class at Green Haven Correctional Facility. This program launched in January 2022 with Colombia Greene Community College; three short semesters later, the first seven graduates walked across the stage to earn their degrees and set a new precedent inside the facility.

The first graduating class of Green Haven continues to prove that education is for all, and the community they helped build both inside the facility and out is excited about their continued success. You can  read our press release of the day by  clicking here and view more photos from the festivities here.

On Wednesday, June 7th, 2023, Hudson Link and Mercy College hosted a commencement ceremony at Sing Sing Correctional Facility for 17 graduates with an associate degree in Liberal Science and 11 with a Bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Science.

Micheal, valedictorian and speaker for the graduating class of 2023, said “We overcame all adversities just to be here today. It was all worth it. This is just one of the many ways we will show the world we are worth more than our worst mistakes. Education was the first step to redemption. It’s now time to apply what we learned.” 

The day’s keynote speaker, Jon-Adrian Velazquez, also a graduate of the Hudson Link program and New York State Program Director of the Fredrick Douglass Project, addressed the audience with a feeling of pride, “When I left prison 21 months ago, I had no idea where my life would be, but right now, I wouldn’t change it for anything. In that time, I went from the big house to the White House to meet with the president. Hudson Link is a home base when you’re released and has taught us not to give up on ourselves. You will all be successful if you want it.”  

This graduation ceremony also marks the 1000th degree awarded by Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison over its twenty-five-year history!

Read the full press release of our Sing Sing Graduation here, and find more photos on our Flickr page.  Photo Credit: Angela James Photography

Hudson Link for Higher Education, in partnership with SUNY Ulster and Mount Saint Mary College, hosted a joint commencement exercise at Shawangunk Correctional Facility on Wednesday, June 21st, 2023. This graduation hosted thirty-three students who earned their associate of Science from SUNY Ulster, while an additional 11 graduates became the first group of Bachelor of Arts graduates in Social Science from Mount Saint Mary College at Shawangunk Correctional Facility. 

In 2020, Mount Saint Mary College began offering a pathway to a Bachelor’s degree at the prison to those that have already completed their associate degrees. This marks their first graduating class at the facility!

During the ceremony, Biesheem represented the first Bachelor’s graduating class and shared, “As we continue to grow, our light will get brighter and brighter. And as time passes, hopefully, this same light will illuminate the cynics, and they, too, will begin to see beyond our bad choices to see the determination of men, who, despite their shortcomings, are pushing and striving to be better individuals. We are an example of that paradigm shift. There is a difference between who we once were and who we are striving to become.” 

The event also featured a keynote address from SUNY Chancellor John B. King, who previously served in President Barack Obama’s cabinet as the 10th U.S. Secretary of Education and as president of The Education Trust, a national civil rights nonprofit which seeks to identify and close opportunity and achievement gaps for students from preschool through college. He shared with students “Through education, anything is possible. Please remember that you can make a difference and can and will show the world you are more than your past.”

Read the full press release of our Shawungunk Graduation here, and find more photos on our Flickr page.