America’s criminal justice system is broken. Any semblance of combining punishment with rehabilitation has disappeared in all too many aspects of this system. We support causes that seek to reclaim this goal and thereby return some aspect of balance and dignity to the system.
The Art for Justice Fund connects the generosity of collectors with the creativity of artists and the ingenuity of advocates to help solve the crisis of mass incarceration. They believe in the enduring power of art to call for change, to expose injustice, and to empower communities.
What is possible when we invest in incarcerated people as community and professional leaders? What happens when we provide access to college and career development for incarcerated students, enabling them to launch public health careers when they return home? For 20 years, the Bard Prison Initiative (BPI) has been defying expectations of who college is for and where it might lead.
As a response to the elimination of college education from American prisons, BPI became one of a handful of college-in-prison programs in 1999. Founded by Bard student Max Kenner as a pilot program with fifteen students, the program has grown in size and scope to become a nationally-recognized leader in the field. BPI's model leads by example, influencing both policy and practice in the field.