Dear friends,
Things were unpredictable this year. I am proud of how we responded. I am writing with a review of the year’s major developments, and to thank those who continue to support our work.
The COVID virus spreads itself by exploiting our need to come together, to breathe the same air, to see each other’s faces. The measures we take to protect ourselves are a catalog of antisocial words: distancing, isolating, remote, contact-free, etc. It has been painful to have to take such steps in order to protect people while continuing our work in prison.
This year, many of our educators—Cornell professors and students—were prevented from holding classes inside prison, leaving hundreds of eager learners missing the spark of discovery that happens most often with others inside a classroom. We returned to in-person instruction in all four prisons this autumn, but we have been dragged into the conflict between the correctional employees and the state, the difficult decision of how to navigate different protocols for the vaccinated and the unvaccinated in prison, and the tension between those who wear masks and those who refuse to do so. One thread of consistency in our return to prison was the message from our students that they want in-person instruction, and will do what it they can to make it possible.
Academic Milestones: Fifteen CPEP students graduated from the program at Cayuga Correctional Facility. Sadly, our December 3 commencement ceremony was cancelled by the Department of Corrections due to COVID, as was an attempted follow up to simply take photos of the graduates to share with their families. Of course we will celebrate our graduates’ successes as soon as we can — even if that is after they are released from prison, as with Angel Torres (pictured). Let this be a point of emphasis: a commencement ceremony can be taken away, but one’s status as a college graduate cannot! Congratulations to the Class of 2021!
Development News: We have received renewed support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and new support from Ascendium Education Philanthropy. This will result in two new positions: an Associate Director of Academic Reentry Services and a Information Access Librarian to serve our incarcerated students, as well as a new initiative to develop computer software that will track our incarcerated learners after they complete their degree. Read our write-up at the Cornell Chronicle.
NYC Event: We hosted a lively public discussion at the Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt Island, featuring former Cornell professor Anna Haskins and Cornell Associate Professor of Political Science Jamila Michener, who is also CPEP’s board chair. Formerly incarcerated CPEP alumni, former Cornell CPEP TAs, family and friends attended in person and via Zoom.
Political News: New York’s new Governor has announced the closure of six prisons. None of these prisons had college programs. The correctional system in New York is currently operating at 62% capacity with 50 prisons still open, and the state is claiming there will be no lay-offs during the holidays.
From the currently incarcerated former CPEP student who sent us $20, to our former instructors and TAs who now extend higher education in prison across the country, to all those who are in a position to do much more in helping us fund this vital work, we are deeply grateful. Together, this support has allowed us to recruit new instructors, purchase a small mountain of books and articles, convene events, publish a journal of poetry, essays, and art by CPEP students behind bars, and plan for the future with confidence. Thank you.
Wishing you a safe holiday and a happy healthy new year,
Rob Scott, Executive Director
Cornell Prison Education Program
