CPEP will host two graduation ceremonies during Fall 2023 inside prison walls. Review the basic information and submit your name to request attendance of the events. Our tight timeline for announcing and organizing these events derives from the late approvals provided by the Department of Corrections.
Commencement Ceremony at Auburn Correctional Facility – Friday, October 13, 2023: Seven (7) students will receive their Associate in Arts (AA) degree from SUNY Cayuga Community College. To attend, guests must arrive at the prison in Auburn, NY during the morning on October 13th; the graduation ceremony will begin at 12pm, with a lunch to follow at 1:30pm.
Commencement Ceremony at Five Points Correctional Facility – Friday, November 3, 2023: Fourteen (14) students will receive their Associate in Arts (AA) degree from SUNY Cayuga Community College. To attend, guests must arrive at the prison in Romulus, NY during the morning on November 3rd; the graduation ceremony will begin at 10am, with a lunch to follow at 11:30am.
Members of the graduating class will be joined by members of their families in the audience; they also express deep appreciation when members of the Cornell/CPEP community attend the proceedings.
Due to the time required for security processing, all guests will be asked to arrive ahead of the scheduled time of admittance, and security escorts out of the facility will begin shortly after the ceremony. Guests must RSVP (using the form, below) and will be contacted about arrival time, security protocol, and any other details via email.
Update (Oct. 1st): Auburn CF will no longer be accepting requests to attend the graduation – and (Oct. 6th) Five Points CF will no longer be accepting requests to attend the graduation at this time. We are working with confirmed interested parties who requested attendance earlier. Thank you for understanding.
2014 Graduating Class at Auburn Correctional Facility (Image: Dave Burbank)