The moment Lynne Crockett stepped in the classroom, she knew that teaching was her purpose, but her students are not just those at Sullivan Community College. They’re also located inside the Sullivan County Correctional Facility.

“They’re completely committed to the program," Crockett said of the students. "They feel that education is a privilege, whereas at other schools, sometimes students feel that that’s just what you do next.”

Crockett, along with Dani Weber and several others, are professors that teach inmates through a collaboration between nonprofit Hudson Link and SUNY Sullivan.

Hudson Link provides two and four-year degrees at correctional facilities across the downstate area, including Sing Sing and Green Haven, among others.

They’ve graduated more than 1,400 inmates since its founding in 1998.

What You Need To Know

  • Through Hudson Link, inmates in New York correctional facilities can earn two and four-year college degrees

  • Sullivan County Community College offers an associate degree in liberal arts for Sullivan Correctional inmates

  • Inmates in Sullivan can also earn a bachelor of arts degree

Weber said having this positive, educational atmosphere for the students helps them grow.

“The bonding for them, the sharing, the having to be open, the challenging, the self-reflection," Weber said. "All the things Lynne said, I think is really crucial to that growth.”

Crockett has seen the advantages the program offers students. Most recently, one student's self-image did a complete 180.

“He thought he was just worthless, just stupid," Crockett said. "He’s not at all stupid. He’s in my class. He’s doing well. He has an A and he creates it with me. Although, certainly, it was his effort that did it.”

According to Bureau of Justice Statistics, incarceration education greatly reduces recidivism rates by 14% for those with an associate degree, and 5.6% for those with a bachelor’s. According to studies from UCLA and the RAND Corporation, it also reduces overall crime and saves taxpayers money.

Crockett said that seeing inmates, some of whom have spent decades behind bars, realize their potential is a reward that makes one thing certain to her: She wouldn’t rather be doing anything else.

“So many people in our society feel as though they lack a purpose. I feel like I have a purpose, and I think it’s so important to help people, to improve people’s lives," she said. "And that improves my life.”