Thread by @BPIBard

Breaking: Gov. Hochul just announced a plan to restore Tuition Assistance Program funding to incarcerated New Yorkers, lifting a 30 yr ban. At BPI, we stand with @GovKathyHochul & #TurnOnTheTapNY in bringing equitable access to higher education to incarcerated New Yorkers. 🧵

In 1995, NY banned incarcerated people from accessing its Tuition Assistance Program. That ban is still in place today despite the fact that college-in-prison is one of the most effective means to successfully reintegrate people back into their communities. #TurnOnTheTapNY

Policymakers knew it then, and they know it now, that if someone gets an education in prison, he/she is not only part of the least likely demographic to ever return to prison but also part of the most likely demographic to be successful. #TurnOnTheTapNY

Providing college opportunities in prison has been found to deliver strong employment outcomes, develop employer-demanded skills, make prisons safer, and strengthen pathways to successful reentry. #TurnOnTheTapNY

These programs also hold the unique potential to improve students’ lives, help narrow racial & economic equity gaps in postsecondary attainment & workforce participation, & strengthen local economies & communities. #TurnOnTheTapNY

Programs like @BPIBard disrupt cycles of incarceration that continue to target, harm, & limit opportunity for Black & Brown people & people from low-income backgrounds.

Thank you @GovKathyHochul for prioritizimg people & education.over prisons & punishment. #TurnOnTheTapNY

There are ~30,000 people imprisoned in New York. Only 1500 of them currently have access to higher education in prison because, in the year 2022, NYS still excludes incarcerated people from accessing TAP. #TurnOnTheTap

As for the fiscal argument, research has shown that for every $1 a state invests in college-in-prison, it saves $4-5 on incarceration costs.

#TurnOnTheTapNY
Learn more: bpi.bard.edu/wp-content/upl…