EIO Coalition | C/O CCF | 475 Riverside Drive | New York, New York 10115 | www.eiocoalition.

org

Governor of New York State

NYS State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224
Dear Governor Andrew M. Cuomo:
As institutions of higher education, and educators in the State of New York, we are
writing to urge you to support the restoration of New York State Tuition Assistance
Program (TAP) eligibility for currently incarcerated students. We ask that the expansion
of TAP Grants to incarcerated students be included in this years budget.
TAP provides grants to low-income New York residents to help them afford college.
TAP is one of the largest state student financial aid programs in the US and until 1995,
TAP grants helped incarcerated people in 45 New York prisons enroll in courses offered
by 23 colleges. That year, about 3,500 students in prison received assistance, funded
by a very small share of the total TAP budget (less than 1%).
According to a 2013 RAND Corporation meta-analysis research study, receiving
correctional education significantly reduces ones risk of recidivating after release.1
Specifically, incarcerated individuals who participated in correctional education
programs were 43 percent less likely to recidivate than those who did not. In addition,
researchers found a positive relationship between correctional education programs and
employmentthose who received correctional education (academic or vocational) were
13 percent more likely to find employment post-release. Lastly, RAND determined that
correctional education programs were cost-effective when compared to the cost of
repeat incarceration.
Restoring access to college education for people in prison would be of benefit to
individuals, families, and the overall health and well-being of the communities that
formerly incarcerated individuals return to. Aside from lower rates of recidivism, inprison college education is correlated with higher levels of civic engagement, improved
critical thinking skills, family reunification, better outcomes for children and family
members, and safer prison environments.2

1 http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR200/RR266/RAND_RR266.pdf
2 http://www.turnonthetapny.org/docs/HIP_TAP_Report_final.pdf

The Education from the Inside Out Coalition is a nonpartisan collaborative of advocates, led by the College and Community
Fellowship, JustLeadershipUSA, and the Center for Community Alternatives, working to remove barriers to higher education
facing students while they are in prison and once they come home.


EIO Coalition | C/O CCF | 475 Riverside Drive | New York, New York 10115 | www.eiocoalition.org

We are calling on the New York State legislature to:

Include funding to expand TAP eligibility to incarcerated students in this years

budget.

To increase the availability of college programs in New York State prisons, by

restoring eligibility for Tuition Assistance Program funding to qualified
incarcerated people. Both public and private institutions of higher education
should be eligible to receive TAP funds, and all students should be required to be
earning course credit that can be applied towards an AA, BA, or MA degree.

To demonstrate their systematic support for college programs, the Department of

Corrections and Community Supervision should provide appropriate space,
security, technology, and other reasonable resources necessary for the creation,
operation, and maintenance of successful college education programs within the
system.

To provide stability for students and maintain their ability to participate in college
programs, the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision should
allow and honor educational holds to limit student transfers.

To ensure the academic quality of college programs in prison, all college

education providers and courses should meet rigorous academic standards.

In the current national political climate we have seen growing bi-partisan support for
criminal justice reform and the dismantling of mass incarceration. There is no better
time to lend your voice to supporting individuals who want to improve not only their
lives, but those of their children and community. We want New York State to be at the
forefront of criminal justice reform and ensure that we promote fairness and healthier
communities at this opportune time.
Sincerely,
SUNY Jefferson
SUNY Genesee Community College
Mohawk Community College
Hudson Link
NYU Prison Education Program
Medaille College

Nazareth Jail Project

Prisoner Reentry Institute at John Jay
College
SUNY Cortland
Education from the Inside Out Coalition

The Education from the Inside Out Coalition is a nonpartisan collaborative of advocates, led by the College and Community
Fellowship, JustLeadershipUSA, and the Center for Community Alternatives, working to remove barriers to higher education
facing students while they are in prison and once they come home.