By Matt Zalaznick. Bard College doesn’t judge the success of its prison initiative by the number of students who stay out of jail. Recidivism is an extremely low bar, says Executive Director Max Kenner. “We judge by how many people are becoming middle-class taxpayers, how many people are involved in deeply meaningful ways in their communities. We think by those measures we are thriving.”
In New York’s Hudson Valley, Bard is expanding its work in prisons as similar programs see a resurgence across the country. There are 275 men and women working toward degrees in Bard’s tuition-free programs in six prisons. “The degrees are precisely the same as what’s offered on campus,” Kenner says.
Operating costs are about $3,000 to $5,000 per student per year. More...