Incarcerated men and women are admitted to the Bard Prison Initiative (BPI) and discover they are held to the same academic standards as students on the Bard College main campus.

Students address the difficult circumstances of their past. The debate team preps to face the University of Vermont. Some make strides academically, while others are accused of breaking prison rules.

The debate team faces West Point. Seniors embark on their thesis projects. Rodney and Dyjuan's families visit, while Shawta reckons with her path to prison. Jule struggles to find work in New York.

The debate team faces Harvard. Most seniors complete thesis projects but Giovannie is sent to SHU and might not finish his. Students at Taconic and Eastern celebrate at graduation.