By the time Sean Pica walked out of Sing Sing Correctional Facility a free man in 2002, he had spent more than half of his life in prison. When he was 16, Pica was convicted of murder, given a lengthy sentence and lived behind bars until he was 33. Pica left Sing Sing with only one possession, a college diploma, but he said it was the only thing he needed.
Through the prison education program called Hudson Link, Pica was able to use his time in prison to get ahead intellectually and give himself an edge for when he was released.