On Monday, June 10, Marymount Manhattan held its first commencement ceremony at the Taconic Correctional Facility, recognizing women graduating from the newly established Taconic College Program (TCP).
This past February, in partnership with nonprofit Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison, MMC opened a new teaching location at the medium-security Taconic Correctional Facility for women in Bedford Hills, New York. The program at Taconic complements MMC’s longstanding college program offered in the adjacent maximum-security Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for women, which has awarded more than 235 degrees since its inception in 1997.
The Taconic commencement ceremony on June 10 awarded four Associate of Arts degrees in Social Sciences. The ceremony featured keynote speaker Topeka K. Sam, Founder and Executive Director of The Ladies of Hope Ministries (LOHM), whose mission is to help disenfranchised and marginalized women and girls transition back into society through spiritual empowerment, education, entrepreneurship, and advocacy. She is also the founder of HOPE HOUSE NYC, a safe housing space in the Bronx for formerly incarcerated women and girls.
In addition, Jane Maher, Ph.D.—long-term professor in the Bedford Hills College Program for over 23 years and professor at the Taconic facility for the last three semesters—received an award in recognition of her distinguished service.
More about the new Taconic partnership is available here.
On December 24, 2020, Governor Andrew Cuomo granted clemency to an MMC student completing her studies at the Taconic Correctional Facility, citing a clear demonstration of significant rehabilitation and a commitment to her community. Only 21 incarcerated people were granted clemency in 2020 out of more than 1,000 requests from New York State inmates.
