When a judge sentenced Charles to a minimum of 25 years to life for criminal possession of crack cocaine, she said he had “no redeemable value.” Deeply stung by the judge’s words, Charles decided to dedicate himself to personal growth through higher education while incarcerated, and soon earned an Associates Degree with Honors. The experience transformed him to such an extent that when a second judge granted his petition for early release 15 years later, she said incarcerating him any longer would be a “travesty and a waste.”

Today, Charles is pursuing his Masters Degree at the Hunter School of Social Work and leading the Young Father’s Program at the Claremont Neighborhood Center in the Bronx. “I’m doing everything I can to help these guys understand how important it is for them to be in their children’s lives, and to be a good father,” he says. Charles has a strong relationship with his own children, and is considered a role model in his community.

When students in prison lost eligibility for college funding in 1995, the women of Bedford Hills Correctional Facility witnessed an immediate rise in both violence and despair. Education had been their inspiration, and it was gone. Cheryl was sent to Bedford Hills a year later, where she promptly got involved in a new initiative to bring college back to the prison. The women’s efforts were successful, and by the time she got out in 2005, Cheryl had earned both her Associates Degree in Liberal Arts and her Bachelors in Sociology.

Cheryl will tell you that, while they didn’t realize it then, they were developing a model program. “Every time there was a study”, she explains, “the conclusions were the same. The higher the education, the lower the recidivism rate.” In fact, Cheryl says, “my own reentry transition began not when I got out, but when I started college. It was like a light bulb went off. The more knowledge I gained about myself and my family, race, politics, culture, and policy - the more I knew my own purpose in life was to assist women who came from similar situations navigate the challenges of reentering society after incarceration.” Having earned her Masters Degree in Urban Policy, Cheryl now works as the Associate Director of the Criminal Justice Initiative at the Columbia University School of Social Work, where she has the daily opportunity to realize this purpose.

Glenn went to prison in 1994 intent on doing his time and getting back to the streets. Then a corrections counselor unexpectedly took an interest in his future, saying, “You should go to college, and I’m going to make sure you get into a facility that has a higher education program.” The counselor was true to his word, and six years later, Glenn returned to New York City with an Associates Degree and a completely redefined worldview. “Education taught me tolerance,” he explains, “a critical skill in a line of work where it can sometimes be easy to be dismissive of others who have opinions that oppose yours. Having learned about other people, cultures, religions, and societies, I am better able to understand and appreciate differing perspectives. As an advocate, this helps me stay focused on the issue instead of the individual.”

Today, Glenn works diligently to help shape a criminal justice system that is more equitable, rehabilitative and focused on public safety. “I was lucky enough to have access to college in prison when so many don’t,” he says, “and the sense of responsibility I have towards these men and women drives my attitude and work ethic to this day.” “There is a saying,” he continues, “To whom much is given, much is required.” Now - through his role as the Director of The Fortune Society’s David Rothenberg Center for Public Policy - he follows that credo by reaching back to help others.

Serena received an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts through the Bedford Hills College Bound Program, one of the higher education-oriented programs established through private funding after incarcerated persons became ineligible for Pell Grants in 1995. Serena says that, “the opportunity to participate in a program where I was viewed as a student, not a prisoner, made incarceration a less damaging emotional experience for me.” It also gave her the jump-start she needed to pursue and receive her Bachelor’s Degree after release, and from there to take on criminal justice advocacy and policy work in New York State.

Serena, who has previously held the position of Associate Director of Policy for the Women in Prison Project at the Correctional Association of New York, shares that it was “the opportunity to pursue a degree while incarcerated was the chance I so desperately needed to transform my reentry experience into a successful one. I am convinced access to higher education in prison is what allowed to achieve what I have in my career, assisting others as they navigate the criminal justice system, and working to change policies that impact prisoners and their families.” Serena serves on the boards of key criminal justice and social justice organizations and currently works as a community organizer.

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Yanis followed a man she loved to New York City when she was 18 years old. Turns out he was the wrong man, and within a year she was facing 19 years to life in prison for drug-related crimes. Luckily, Yanis ended up at one of the only prisons in the state with a thriving education program. After two years of English classes, and five more of night classes, she earned her Associates Degree. Home now for five years, Yanis is back in school and about to earn her Bachelors Degree; she plans to pursue her Masters Degree next. She is also married, and is raising a beautiful baby boy.

To hear Yanis tell it, none of this would have been possible without the education she earned in prison. “Education helped me think beyond myself and my environment and see that there was a better future to head towards,” Yanis explains. “I got into my situation because, as a teenager, money was God to me. But education gave me a new perspective, and a sense of compassion that I work daily to pass on to my son. I want to raise him to realize how valuable other people are, and how his actions will affect them. I now know that the people you love are so much more important than money or anything else, and every second is an opportunity for me to say - through both my words and my actions - ‘I’m so grateful for you in my life.’” Yanis has been gainfully employed since her release, and is currently a Case Manager at Westhab Transitional Housing, located in Westchester County.