College-in-Prison

The Bard Prison Initiative (BPI) is a college unto itself at the vanguard of college access and equity in the United States.

BPI creates and protects academic spaces where students and faculty engage in ambitious college coursework, challenge one another intellectually, and build supportive community. Across seven New York State Prisons, BPI extends the full breadth and depth of the Bard College liberal arts curriculum.

Majors and Areas of Focus

BPI offers courses across all four academic divisions of Bard College: The Arts; Languages, Literature and the Humanities; Science, Mathematics, and Computing; and Social Studies. Coursework culminates in accredited Bard College degrees.

While earning degrees and after they’ve graduated, students have opportunities to deepen their expertise in areas of career development. These specializations begin in prison and continue after students have been released, through paid internships and fellowships, specialized training, and career guidance.

Literature & Humanities

A student smiles while reading a book.

Mathematics

A student writes in a notebook by a blackboard covered in equations.

Social Studies

Bookshelf with BPI classroom in background.

Public Health

Public Health presentation at Fishkill.

Education

BPI Students discuss a book.

Biology

BPI Students in a classroom studying human anatomy.

Beginning Reentry in College

Returning home from prison is a complex and ongoing process. At BPI, reentry preparation begins inside prison upon enrollment with the college, and builds through years of intensive academic engagement and advising. As they leave prison, alumni join an extensive network of staff, partners, and, most importantly, fellow graduates who provide critical support to navigate life post-release and build personally-meaningful futures in New York City, the Capital Region of New York, and beyond.

LEARN MORE

Jed Tucker, Senior Advisor for Reentry & Alumni Engagement; Nikko Vaughn ’15, Associate Director of Educational Programs, Persistence, & Student Success; Shawn Young ’19, Project Lead Upstate Reentry and Capital Region Initiatives; Max Kenner, Executive Director

BPI Voices

“Bringing the traditions of college into a prison is transformative, giving the people within the opportunity to reinvent themselves and change their life’s trajectory.”

— Reynaldo Perez '21

Extracurriculars

Across BPI’s seven campuses in prison, students participate in a range of extracurricular activities, including the tutoring fellowship, debate, acting ensemble, and gardens.