Providing higher education to prisoners is a hotly debated topic in America. Opponents of the idea ask why tax dollars should be spent on criminals who broke the law, and therefore do not deserve a second chance. Supporters of prison-based higher education point out that federal funds for prison education were eliminated in 1994, and that most college programs in prison are funded through private sources. Both sides of the debate agree on one thing--prison is a costly solution to crime.
The average cost to keep a person in prison is $29,000 a year. Considering that America’s prison population numbers nearly 2.4 million individuals, it is no wonder that state and federal budgets are strained to the point of bursting. Most prisoners will eventually be released, with 750,000 inmates returning to their communities each year. Nationally, over two-thirds of these individuals will be rearrested within three years of release, and more than half of that number will go back to prison. Studies have shown that the recidivism rate of those who are given a “significant educational opportunity” while incarcerated drops to 22%. One college which provides higher education to prisoners has seen the recidivism rate of its participants fall to a low 2%.
Bard College has been hailed (or condemned, according to one’s point of view) as one of the most liberal colleges in America. The Princeton Review ranked Bard as the second most liberal college in the U.S. in 2005. The Review added that Bard “puts the ‘liberal’ in liberal arts.” More recently, in July of this year, the Huffington Post ranked Bard the fourth “Most Radical College” in the U.S. Bard college, located in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY, does things differently, and providing quality education through the Bard Prison Initiativeto prisoners is one of them.
BPI was started in 1999 when student Max Kenner sought to connect Bard students to an initiative that would help restore quality education to prisoners. Originally, Kenner arranged for students to tutor prisoners. In 2001, BPI evolved from a student organization to a Bard College academic program.
Funded by private supporters, BPI is doing its part to offer a Liberal Arts program to prisoners in five New York State prisons. With grant money received in 2009, Bard helped Wesleyan University in Connecticut, and Grinnell College in Iowa to create and sustain their own college programs in prisons. Bard’s goal is to help establish more programs in ten states within five years.
Participants in the BPI program are not rejected because of criminal histories or release dates. Some participants in the BPI leave prison before completion of the program, while others will still be in prison long after they completed the program. The program currently has 250 enrollees, with 50 more prisoners expected to take part in the program in 2012. Applicants must have a high school diploma or a G.E.D. Approximately ten inmates apply for each available spot. It is not uncommon for an inmate to apply for a slot several times before being granted admission. Those who apply must be strongly motivated and must pass a written test. A personal interview is also part of the selection process.
Courses are taught by Bard College faculty, and by visiting professors from other educational institutions. Participants can receive an Associate’s Degree, or Bachelor of Arts degree from Bard College. The liberal arts curriculum is offered so that prisoners can expand their knowledge, and use
what they have learned to advance in life. BPI does not offer vocational training, but does offer “advanced, employment-oriented training” to graduates who are about to be released. Since 2001 over 500 prisoners have enrolled in BPI, and 157 individuals have received degrees. The success of graduates is measured by their low recidivism rate, and their contribution to their communities. Graduates have gone on to pursue post-graduate education, and have found work in private businesses and community organizations.
Because BPI is so closely connected to area prisons, its relationship with prison staff members has grown. Bard college now also offers two full scholarships, which includes room and board, to two children of New York Department of Correctional Services employees annually.
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