RMA April 20 Speaker, Sean Pica on Prison Transformation through Rehabilitation

One of today’s important topics is how our justice and prison systems incarcerate law breakers yet do such a poor job in rehabilitating them to become useful members of society upon their release. Sean Pica is the Director of Hudson Link for Higher Education and a graduate of the program, one of only a handful of prison-based degree granting college programs in the country.

Mr. Pica served time in prison, emerged with a college degree and now has a major role in rehabilitating others. Sean and several other prisoners founded Hudson Link as a way to end the cycle of crime, poverty and recidivism through the redemptive power of education.

Pica will discuss his compelling life story and how the Hudson Link For Higher Education works to rehabilitate prisoners. Handed a 24-year prison sentence at the age of 16, when most young people his age were about to graduate high school, he instead entered the New York State Correctional system. He decided to make the most of his time behind bars by becoming the first person in his family to earn a college degree.

Spurred on by the efforts of the women at the nearby Bedford Hills Correctional Facility,

Sean earned a Master of Professional Studies from the New York Theological Seminary, a Master of Social Work degree from Hunter College and is currently pursuing his MBA at Mercy College. He serves on the New York State Council on Community Re-Entry and Reintegration and is a Senior Fellow with Mercy College’s Center for Social and Criminal Justice. He is also a member of the Service Providers Advisory Committee (SPAC), which collaborates on policy issues in the New York State Department of Corrections, serves on the board of the Career Gear re-entry services organization and as a facilitator for STRIVE Fatherhood Programs.

The Greenwich Retired Men’s Association offers a free program every Wednesday that is open to the public, both men and women; no reservations are required. Our social break starts at 10:40AM followed promptly by our speaker at 11:00AM. Programs are at the First Presbyterian Church, 1 West Putnam in Greenwich. For additional information see www.greenwichrma.org or contact [email protected]