May 5, 2026
Earlier this month, CPEP staff presented at the two-day symposium Labor, Discipline, and the Carceral State, hosted by Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations.
Executive Director Rob Scott spoke about the post-strike state of the prison system in New York—highlighting a complex moment in which incarceration rates are declining, prisons are closing, and educational programs are expanding, even as staffing shortages are making facilities increasingly difficult to operate.
Deputy Director Keisha Burrows discussed the impact of last year’s strike on CPEP and higher education in prison programs across New York State. Research Associate Tess Pendergrast presented on the barriers to research within departments of corrections.