[2] Sullivan is located on an 850-acre (3.4 km2) stretch of land that also contains Woodbourne Correctional Facility, a medium-security prison.

In order to build access roads to the prison, the New York State Department of Correctional Services purchased the Lebowitz Pine View Hotel, the 62 acre (0.25 km2) adjoining property, in 1983.

Eighty-six percent of those inmates are being incarcerated for committing violent felonies, and 60% are serving life sentences Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison, a not-for-profit organization was founded to provide college education to incarcerated people in an effort to help reduce recidivism and poverty, while strengthening families and communities.

In 1998, as part of the get-tough-on-crime campaign, state and federal funding for college programs inside prison was stopped.

Understanding the positive effects of education in the transformation and rehabilitation of incarcerated people, inmates at Sing Sing Correctional Facility reached out to religious and academic volunteers to develop a college-degree granting program.