Opinion: Supporting Incarcerated Students Helps New York, Writes BPI Alumna Krystal Thomas ’17 for the NY Daily News
“Last week, the New York State budget included a major victory for educational equity, ending a 26-year-old ban on access to need-based Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) grants for incarcerated students,” writes BPI alumna Krystal Thomas ’17 in an opinion piece for the NY Daily News. “Having myself attended college while incarcerated, I can attest to the importance of the opportunity to transform one’s life through education. This win will profoundly impact the lives and trajectories of countless individuals, their families and their communities.”
A straight-A student who ended up dropping out of high school, Thomas writes that her college-in-prison experience was drastically different from anything before it. “I took liberal arts courses that exposed me to larger social issues, challenged my perspectives and informed my perception of the world. And the benefits transcended beyond the classroom. More than the degree, I cherish the growth.”
Thomas asserts, “Considering that 95% of incarcerated people will return home, it matters greatly how the state helps prepare them to reenter society. College-in-prison is the ideal solution . . . We, the people, have long been ready: Fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, friends, neighbors, residents of New York State.”
Post Date: 04-19-2022
A straight-A student who ended up dropping out of high school, Thomas writes that her college-in-prison experience was drastically different from anything before it. “I took liberal arts courses that exposed me to larger social issues, challenged my perspectives and informed my perception of the world. And the benefits transcended beyond the classroom. More than the degree, I cherish the growth.”
Thomas asserts, “Considering that 95% of incarcerated people will return home, it matters greatly how the state helps prepare them to reenter society. College-in-prison is the ideal solution . . . We, the people, have long been ready: Fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, friends, neighbors, residents of New York State.”
Post Date: 04-19-2022