The Bard Prison Initiative: Bringing hope to a broken system

In a criminal justice system that’s astonishingly expensive and disproportionately punitive and yet stunningly ineffective at rehabilitating inmates or preventing crime, the Bard Prison Initiative (BPI)—a program of Bard College in Rhinebeck, New York—stands out for an approach that’s both innovative and practical. Founded in 1999 by then-student Max Kenner, BPI creates an opportunity for incarcerated men and women to earn a Bard College degree while serving their sentences.BPI currently enrolls almost 275 incarcerated men and women, from six medium- and maximum-security prisons across New York State. Most of these students are people of color who come from the state’s poorest urban communities. Higher education transforms their daily realities and offers a renewed sense of possibility—and not coincidentally, reduces recidivism dramatically.

BPI currently enrolls almost 275 incarcerated men and women, from six medium- and maximum-security prisons across New York State. Most of these students are people of color who come from the state’s poorest urban communities. Higher education transforms their daily realities and offers a renewed sense of possibility—and not coincidentally, reduces recidivism dramatically.