[Ossining, NY] – Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison has selected five reentry programs across the nation to receive comprehensive support through a new national technical assistance initiative. This opportunity will provide each selected organization with a specialized team of senior staff, successful alumni, and experts with lived experience to enhance support systems for formerly incarcerated people to rebuild their lives.

Through a competitive selection process, the chosen organizations will each receive up to $50,000 to develop their own reentry programming. This funding will support the creation of effective continuing education curricula, transitional housing initiatives, comprehensive case management processes, peer mentorship, and more. The customized support teams will address specific operational needs, helping each organization develop more effective pathways for system-impacted students within their respective models.

Selected organizations include:

• Justice Involved Education (JIVE) -Truckee Meadows Community College, Nevada

• Tufts University Prison Initiative of Tisch College and Reentry Program - Massachusetts

• Goucher Prison Education Partnership (GPEP) - Goucher College, Maryland

• Yale Prison Education Initiative at Dwight Hall - University of New Haven, Connecticut

• Texas Education Justice Alliance-South (TEJAS) - University of Texas San Antonio, Texas

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"Hudson Link's expertise of reentry support for formerly incarcerated college students will enhance these organizations' ability to impact their communities," said Dr. Lila McDowell, Executive Director of Hudson Link. "By leveraging our organizational expertise, we're helping our grantees maximize the impact of the work they have started with their students on the inside."

Since its establishment in 1998, Hudson Link has led in providing college education and reentry programs within New York State correctional facilities. This national initiative expands the organization's impact by empowering similar programs nationwide to strengthen their reentry services and support successful community transitions for their students.

"It is an honor to work in collaboration with Hudson Link to advance our mission of transforming lives through education," said David Delvalle of the Tufts University Prison Initiative of Tisch College (TUPIT). "The ability to consult their expertise on their holistic pipeline model that has been proven since their inception in 1998 has been invaluable to our organization. At TUPIT, we have built strong relationships with our HEP partners and see Hudson Link as family along this journey of educational justice."

"Since its founding, the Yale Prison Education Initiative (YPEI) has been deeply inspired by Hudson Link and the comprehensive services it provides to incarcerated students and formerly incarcerated alumni," shared Zelda Roland, Founding Director of YPEI at Dwight Hall. "Now, YPEI is beyond grateful for this opportunity to learn from its nationally recognized model and to work closely with members of the Hudson Link team as YPEI strengthens reentry support for students inside and returning home."

"Access to quality education is at the core of what we do, but we know that a degree alone is not the outcome—what follows is," said Ramieka Robinson-Peoples, Director of Continuing Education and Professional Advancement at Goucher Prison Education Partnership. "What matters most is how that opportunity transforms students' lives, impacts their families, and strengthens the communities they return to. We're excited to partner with Hudson Link to build the kind of support students need as they transition home and step towards building meaningful futures."

"Truckee Meadows Community College is proud to partner with Hudson Link to strengthen the systems that support students impacted by the justice system as they transition from incarceration to higher education and the workforce,” added Jarret Orcutt, Coordinator at the Justice Involved Education (JIVE) program at TMCC. "This initiative expands peer mentorship, deepens collaboration across courts, housing providers, and employers, and builds coordinated reentry pathways that help students move from custody to college and into meaningful careers."

"We say that the main requirement for TEJAS team members is to show up—that is, to be a reliable presence and source of support and guidance alongside TEJAS students as they follow their paths despite many unexpected and challenging barriers they encounter," affirms Mel Webb, Program Director of The Texas Education Justice Alliance-South. "The support of Hudson Link through the Reentry Capacity Building Initiative is growing our capacity to do just that—show up, remove barriers, and witness and celebrate students as they go from success on the inside to success on the outside."

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About Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison  

Hudson Link (hudsonlink.org) empowers currently and formerly incarcerated people to realize their academic and economic potential by managing degree-granting college programs and providing essential reentry support. Established in 1998, Hudson Link has had a profound impact on the lives of countless incarcerated individuals, empowering them to create positive change for themselves, their families, and their communities. Working with eight college partners, Hudson Link provides funding, management and organizational support for academic programs leading to a college degree at five correctional facilities. In addition to in-prison college programs, Hudson Link operates a strong portfolio of services for alumni, including transitional housing through an initiative called New Beginnings.

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