irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $1.15MTO ASSIST WITH STUDENTS' ONGOING SUCCESS AND MANAGE THEIR TRANSITION TO LIFE OUTSIDE OF THE PRISON SYSTEM THROUGH TRAINING, JOB READINESS PROGRAMS, WORKSHOPS, COMMUNITY PROGRAMS, HOUSING, AND CASE MANAGEMENT.
- #2 $455KIN 2024, THE ORGANIZATION RAN SEVERAL INITIATIVES FOR THE BENEFIT OF HUDSON LINK STUDENTS AND ALUMNI BEYOND THE DEGREE-GRANTING COLLEGE PROGRAMS AND TRANSITIONAL SUPPORTS. THESE PROJECTS INCLUDED ADVOCACY TRAININGS AND ENRICHMENT WORKSHOPS, COMMUNITY ORGANIZING AND LEADERSHIP, PRODUCTION OF THE "BEYOND THE BLOCK" EVENT AT SING SING CORRECTIONAL FACILITY, AND FACILITATION OF THE 2024 RISE UP CONFERENCE.
named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Alumni Services Program
Provides reentry support to graduates after release, including job readiness services, interview attire, laptops, mentoring, networking events, and connections to transitional services.
Alumni Youth Assistance Program
Engages formerly incarcerated alumni to speak with at-risk youth in schools and residential programs about choices, consequences, and the transformative power of education.
College Degree Programs
Partners with Nyack College, Mercy College, and Vassar College to offer accredited Associate's and Bachelor's degree programs in correctional facilities including Sing Sing, Taconic, and Fishkill.
Inside Out College Program
Collaborative college course at Taconic Correctional Facility that brings together incarcerated students and college students from outside to study together.
Life Skills Program (Ripples of Hope)
Monthly speaker series at Sing Sing offering workshops on resume writing, financial management, professionalism, leadership, and workplace skills.
activities · 10 groups
What they do
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Justice System Innovation & Inclusion Programs 3 activities
- Expands higher education in prison programs nationallyWorks to scale its model of college-in-prison programs beyond New York by expanding operations and providing technical assistance to other organizations.
- Offers leadership development and advocacy training for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individualsRuns initiatives including advocacy trainings, enrichment workshops, community organizing, leadership development, and events such as the RISE Up Conference and "Beyond the Block" at Sing Sing Correctional Facility.
- Provides technical assistance to organizations developing prison education programsSelected and supports five organizations through its National Technical Assistance (TA) Program to help build capacity for delivering higher education in prison.
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Education Policy Advocacy & Reform 1 activity
- Advocates for policy change to expand access to higher education in prisonSuccessfully advocated for the reinstatement of state financial aid for incarcerated students in New York after a 26-year ban, advancing systemic change in education access.
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Alumni Leadership and Career Support Programs 1 activity
- Employs program graduates as peer educators and staffIntegrates alumni into program operations by employing them as tutors, mentors, and exam proctors, supporting both educational delivery and alumni reintegration.
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Financial Aid and Scholarship Access Programs 1 activity
- Funds college tuition for incarcerated studentsFunds college tuition for incarcerated students through private donations and grants, supporting enrollment in higher education programs across multiple correctional facilities.
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Student Milestone Ceremonies & Events 1 activity
- Hosts commencement ceremonies for incarcerated graduatesOrganizes and celebrates college commencement ceremonies within correctional facilities, including at Sing Sing, Taconic, Shawangunk, and Green Haven, recognizing students who have earned associate and bachelor’s degrees.
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College Preparatory Secondary Education 1 activity
- Offers college preparatory education for incarcerated studentsProvides a one-year, six-course college preparatory program to prepare incarcerated individuals for college-level coursework, serving as a foundation for degree enrollment.
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Higher Education Degree Programs 1 activity
- Provides college degree programs to incarcerated individualsOffers Associate and Bachelor's degree programs in partnership with seven colleges across five New York State correctional facilities, including Sing Sing, Taconic, Shawangunk, Green Haven, and Mount St. Mary’s University. As of recent data, supports over 450 currently enrolled students and has awarded over 1,300 college degrees since 1998.
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General Support for Educational Institutions 1 activity
- Provides organizational and logistical support for prison-based college programsProvides funding, management, and organizational infrastructure to sustain college degree programs at four correctional facilities, ensuring program continuity and quality.
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Supportive and Emergency Housing Services 1 activity
- Provides reentry support and transitional housing for formerly incarcerated individualsOperates the New Beginnings initiative, which includes transitional housing providing free, safe, and stable accommodations for over twenty returning citizens at a time. Includes case management, job readiness, and support for permanent housing and community reintegration. The program also engages alumni in hands-on renovation of housing properties for work experience.
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Prison and Jail Literacy Support 1 activity
- Provides textbooks and essential supplies for incarcerated studentsSupplies textbooks and other essential academic materials to incarcerated students enrolled in college programs, supporting their educational success.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$5.74M
Contributions & grants$5.62M98%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$123K2%
Other revenue$-10K
expenses
Total expenses$5.27M
Program expenses64%
Admin / overhead30%
Fundraising6%
Salaries & benefits$2.43M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$8.56M
Cash$676K
Investments$1.69M
Liabilities$1.35M
Net assets$7.21M
Liquid reserves5.4 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -0.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 4
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEAN PICA | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $228K |
| LILA C MCDOWELL | DEPUTY DIRECTOR | 40 | $209K |
| JOEL JIMENEZ | PROGRAM DIRECTOR | 40 | $143K |
| ELDREDGE A BLALOCK | DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR | 40 | $105K |
board members · 19
- ANN JACOBS — BOARD MEMBER
- ANNETTE JOHNSON ESQ — VICE CHAIR
- BRIAN S FISCHER — BOARD MEMBER
- CARLA PALMA — BOARD MEMBER, THRU JAN 2024
- CHRISTIAN FRENCH — PRESIDENT
- DANNY MATOS — BOARD MEMBER, THRU FEB 2024
- DAVID RUBIN — BOARD MEMBER
- DR GEORGE TIMMONS — BOARD MEMBER
- ELIZABETH M WELLS — SECRETARY
- ELLEN R DULBERGER — BOARD MEMBER, THRU SEPT 2024
- GARY GORDON — BOARD MEMBER
- ISMAEL DIAZ JR — BOARD MEMBER
- JASON SLIVKA — TREASURER
- JOHN MINKS — BOARD MEMBER
- JOSEPH JEAN — BOARD MEMBER
- MAYO BARTLETT — BOARD MEMBER
- MICHAEL ZWEIG ESQ — BOARD MEMBER
- NEAL KELLER — BOARD MEMBER
- ROBERT J DOBSON — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 24
Who they work with
- CUNY Law Partner — Provides faculty engagement through guest speaking and academic support, as demonstrated by Professor Steve Zeidman’s participation in the commencement ceremony.
- Clean Slate New York Partner — Hudson Link participates in coalition efforts to expand opportunities for people with criminal records.
- Columbia University Partner — Collaborates with Hudson Link to offer college degree programs inside correctional facilities.
- Columbia-Greene Community College Partner — Partner institution offering degree programs to incarcerated students via Hudson Link.
- Communities Not Cages Partner — Hudson Link collaborates with this campaign to strengthen pathways to opportunity beyond incarceration.
- DOCCS Government — Engages in armchair conversations with DOCCS Commissioner Daniel Martuscello III to discuss higher education in prison.
- Marymount Manhattan College Partner — Academic partner providing college degrees to incarcerated students at Taconic Correctional Facility through a program supported by Hudson Link.
- Marymount Manhattan College Partner — Partner institution collaborating with Hudson Link to deliver higher education in prison.
- Marymount Manhattan College Partner — Partner institution conducting commencement ceremonies at Taconic Correctional Facility
- Mercy College Partner — Academic partner offering Associate’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Behavioral Science to incarcerated students through Hudson Link at Sing Sing Correctional Facility.
- Mercy University Partner — Academic partner providing college degrees to incarcerated students at Sing Sing Correctional Facility.
- Mercy University Partner — Partner institution providing college courses and degree pathways through Hudson Link.
- Mount Saint Mary College Partner — Partner institution working with Hudson Link to offer higher education to incarcerated individuals.
- Mount St. Mary’s University Partner — Academic partner providing Bachelor of Arts degrees to incarcerated students through a collaboration with Hudson Link at Shawangunk Correctional Facility.
- Mount St. Mary’s University Partner — Partner institution providing higher education programs at Shawangunk Correctional Facility
- NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Government — Collaborates with Hudson Link to deliver college degree programs across state correctional facilities.
- New Beginnings Partner — Initiative providing transitional housing for Hudson Link alumni.
- New York Consortium on Higher Education in Prison Network — Hudson Link is an active member and peer leader shaping best practices in higher education in prison.
- Nyack College Partner — Founding college partner providing degree programs to incarcerated students through Hudson Link at Sing Sing Correctional Facility.
- SUNY New Paltz Partner — Partner institution providing college degree programs through Hudson Link in correctional facilities.
- SUNY New Paltz Partner — Partner institution welcomed to deliver higher education programs in prison
- SUNY Ulster Partner — Partner institution delivering college programs in collaboration with Hudson Link.
- Seven colleges Partner — Partners with Hudson Link to offer accredited degree programs inside New York State correctional facilities.
- Sing Sing Correctional Facility Partner — Hosts Hudson Link's educational programming and transitional support services on-site.
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Education as Rehabilitation and Personal Transformationmethodology: education-as-rehabilitationBy providing access to higher education in prison, we produce personal transformation, reduced recidivism, and successful reintegration, because education fosters hope, empowers individuals, and breaks cycles of incarceration.
- Holistic Re-Entry Support with Wraparound Servicesmethodology: holistic re-entry supportBy combining education with transitional support, housing, case management, and life skills, we produce more stable reintegration and lower recidivism, because addressing multiple needs simultaneously removes barriers to success.
- Peer-Led and Alumni-Driven Support Modelmethodology: peer_mentorshipBy using peer mentorship and alumni-led initiatives in education, housing development, and advocacy, we produce greater engagement and leadership development, because lived experience fosters trust, relevance, and sustainable transformation.