A proposal that would allow people in prison to access New York's Tuition Assistance Program as part of Gov. Kathy Hochul's $216 billion state budget proposal has the backing of prominent business leaders. 

The backing from the business community could be key for the proposal, which would restore aid for people in prison, and has been called a way to reduce recidivism and aid people in obtaining a job once they are no longer incarcerated. 

The proposal has won the endorsements of JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, Ford Foundation President Darren Walker and Kathy Wylde, the president and CEO of the Partnership for New York City. 

“Too many New Yorkers are blocked from obtaining the education and skills they need due to their conviction records. This hurts their ability to find jobs and earn a good wage after they have been incarcerated,” Dimon said in a statement. “Restoring the Tuition Assistance Program for incarcerated New Yorkers is not just the right thing to do – it will also reduce barriers to employment, help applicants contribute to society and put all of us on a path to a more inclusive economy.”

New York's prison population has been on a steady decline for the last decade and is now at its lowest number of people incarcerated since the 1980s. The state is set to close three more facilities in March. 

The backing from the business community, set to be announced broadly later on Thursday, comes as state lawmakers are considering Hochul's first budget proposal. Business leaders' support for the plan could help Democrats who represent moderate-to-conservative areas of New York back the provision. 

But proposals to extend higher education classes to people behind bars have been controversial and past proposals have sunk in the Legislature. Then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo pushed similar proposals several times during his tenure, and the state has largely relied on grants and other funding programs for higher education measures. 

“New York has a chance to right a historic wrong while also reducing recidivism and saving the state money — this is a no-brainer," Wylde said. "A college degree is so important to success and repealing the ban on TAP for incarcerated New Yorkers will change lives and set people up for success when they re-enter society by helping create more financial security and reducing income inequality, all while also helping local economies."

The plan as backed by Hochul this year is being supported by a statewide campaign called Turn on the TAP NY, composed of community organizations and advocates that include providers of higher education courses in prisons as well as the alumni of the programs themselves. 

“Extending the Tuition Assistance Program to include incarcerated New Yorkers is not only humane, it’s smart fiscal policy," Walker said. "Formerly incarcerated people are less likely to recidivate if they have educational opportunities that increase the chances of employment upon release. I commend the Governor for her leadership on this important issue.”