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The need for oversight of prisons is

As Urgent Today as it was 175 Years Ago

 

CANY is the only independent organization in New York with authority under state law to monitor prisons. Our access creates a platform for those most affected by incarceration to shape the public debate.

 
 
 

CORRECTIONAL ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK RELEASES REPORT FROM MONITORING AT ALBION CORRECTIONAL FACILITY:

Monitoring Visit to Albion Uncovers Continuing Reports of Abuse at Women’s Prison, Substandard Quality of Services

NEW YORK, NY — Following a June monitoring visit to Albion Correctional Facility, one of three women’s prisons in New York State, the Correctional Association of New York (CANY) released a report finding a prison severely lacking in infrastructure, struggling to meet basic the facets and needs of incarcerated individuals, and continuing to grapple with reports of sexual harassment and assault at the women’s prison, in tension with the department's claim that Albion is ‘an example of why New York is a leader in the corrections field.’ The report’s release comes on the heels of a civil suit filed by at least 750 people who, under the Adult Survivors Act, allege they were sexually abused while incarcerated in New York State prisons.

At Albion, CANY designees interviewed 85 incarcerated individuals, met with elected representatives of the incarcerated population, and met with executive leadership of the prison, medical, mental health and other staff on site. CANY found that women and transgender and gender non-conforming individuals incarcerated at the prison lived in an environment characterized by a fear of sexual harassment or assault, racialized abuse, and/or other verbal or physical abuse. A lack of access to basic needs and services including food and medical care compounded a substandard daily life at the prison. The prevalence of reports indicating an abusive environment at the prison are alarming: 25.8% of individuals interviewed reported having seen or been personally subjected to sexual abuse or sexual harassment by staff, 43.3% reported having seen or experienced racialized abuse by staff at Albion, and 30 individuals reported having been targeted for harassment, verbally abused, or physically assaulted by staff.

As a result, and in line with recommendations made by CANY in a 2006 report on sexual harassment and assault at Albion, CANY recommends the department continues to invest in trauma-informed practice and training to all staff, increase accountability for staff engaged in abusive behavior, expedite the installation of stationary cameras at the prison, and deploy body worn cameras.

 
 
 

Featured Work

 

Three State Prison Report

CANY, along with the John Howard Association of Illinois and the Pennsylvania Prison Society, have produced a collaborative report comparing the responses of the prison systems in three states to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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5-PART Parole documentary

In the Fall and Winter of 2019-2020, CANY conducted a survey about the parole process with 1,994 incarcerated people across 49 New York State prisons who had gone before a parole board and been denied parole at least one time previously. As an accompaniment to the survey, CANY curated a 5 part documentary series, in which CANY aims to unpack the true nature of New York State’s parole process as told by those with lived experience.

Watch Now →

Attica Virtual Exhibit

Attica is Every Prison | 50 Years Later: Reforms, Repercussions, and Remembering. To remember the Attica Uprising on its 50th anniversary, CANY held a virtual exhibition with New York State Museum, and a short documentary film produced by David Kuhn.


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Today, 48,000 people are incarcerated in New York's 54 prisons – the sixth largest prison system in the country. Our work is informed by the experiences of people in prison – focused on dignity, health, and legitimacy.

 
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Who we are

CANY plays a critical and unique role in criminal justice reform. We provide independent oversight of New York’s prisons by conducting in-person monitoring visits, during which we speak extensively with incarcerated people and corrections staff, and by confidentially communicating with incarcerated people about their experiences through the mail, one-on-one interviews, and collect phone calls.

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What we are working toward

We urge the public to fundamentally rethink the nature and purpose of incarceration. In our vision for the future, the criminal justice system no longer targets African Americans and other people of color through mass incarceration. Far fewer people are incarcerated and for shorter periods of time. Read more about our vision here.

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How we get there

Our goal is to use our unique access to promote true transparency and accountability. We create a platform for those most affected to directly share their experiences; we document and disseminate information about system trends; and we advocate for reform  at individual prisons and at the system level. 

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Incarcerated People’s Experiences with New York’s Parole System

 
 
 
 
 
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Fact Sheets

  • Women in New York prisons have histories of trauma and violence, profound physical and mental health needs, and experience significant challenges while incarcerated.

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  • The number of people incarcerated in New York is declining, but those in prison are staying for much longer periods of time.

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  • On an average day, around 2,600 people are in solitary confinement in New York’s prisons.

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  • A significant portion of those eligible for parole are being denied—some multiple times.

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Our Strategic Focus

Our oversight pays close attention to the issues people in prison report to us.

Specifically, we are currently conducting projects on:

 
 
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Dignity

The arbitrary over-denial of parole applications, which is keeping thousands of people in prison beyond their minimum sentences.

 
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Legitimacy

The pervasive misuse of isolation and lock-up throughout prisons, including but extending beyond the use of solitary confinement.

 
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Health

Acute needs and barriers to effective care.

 
 

Stay in the Know

 
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Today's post focuses on the accessibility of healthcare services within NYS prisons since the start of the pandemic. According to the data collected from all four of last year's prison monitoring visits, only 45% of incarcerated people were able to a
Across all of last year's monitoring visits, the vast majority of respondents reported being unsatisfied with DOCCS’ response to COVID-19. From inadequate social distancing measures to a lack of cleanliness in high-touch areas, today’s p
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Our last post for this week looks at both the prevalence of COVID-19 complaints and the accessibility to and acceptance of flu shots at Green Haven Correctional Facility. Given the dangerous impact COVID-19 continues to have within prisons, access to
Today’s post continues to look at how COVID-19 has impacted the lives of incarcerated people by analyzing the prevalence of key health and safety concerns at both Sing Sing and Bedford Hills. In particular, this data showcases how pervasive rep
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