Re-imagining the FutureFrom Prison to CollegeThe College Initiative (CI) is a non-profit reentry education program open to all men and women in the New York City metropolitan area who want to begin or continue their higher education after release from prison or jail; during probation or parole; or while fulfilling alternative-to-incarceration commitments. CI's free services include one-on-one guidance counseling; help with financial aid and college applications; preparation for entrance examinations; textbook stipends; and on-going support and mentoring. In the following video, CI students describe how their minds, lives, families and futures have been positively transformed by higher education – and how the College Initiative helped them attain it. |
Success StoriesFROM MANDATORY SENTENCING TO A MASTER’S DEGREEWhen a judge sentenced Charles Greene to a minimum of 25 years to life for criminal possession of crack cocaine, she said he had "no redeemable value." Fifteen years later, when a second judge granted his petition for early release, she said incarcerating him any longer would be "a travesty and a waste." >>more |
CI students have city-wide impact
With the College Initiative's help, hundreds of CI students are currently enrolled at 36 colleges and universities, primarily within the City University of New York (CUNY) system, pursuing associate, bachelor and master's degrees.
Additonally, close to 100 students have registered in the College Initiative's free college prep program.