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Mary and Sheldon talk during a recent tutorial in the CPEP Computer Lab at Auburn.
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In This Newsletter
- Ali Franz '18 teaches in prison in order to learn.
- Formerly incarcerated Cornell alumna pens exposé on women's prison experience
- Arabic language instruction takes off.
- CPEP builds 3rd computer lab inside prison walls
- Joanna Chen '14 on why she supports CPEP
- "If it weren't for CPEP, I wouldn't be following my gut, my heart, my mind."
- CPEP contributes to national conversation
- A Thanksgiving appeal
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 Volunteer Profile: Ali Franz '18
"I think the teachers learn more than the students."
Human Development major Ali Franz volunteered as a CPEP study hall tutor during her junior and senior years as an undergrad at Cornell. "I helped with student questions on everything from Greek mythology to physics, philosophy, ideas about life, and a lot of psychology questions."
"What kept me coming back," she says, "is that I really think the teachers learn more than the students..." Read more of Ali's story here.
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Formerly Incarcerated Cornell Alumna Writes
Exposé on Women's Prisons for the Washington Post
Keri Blakinger '15 offers a probing look inside prisons where women are deprived of tampons, bras, hair conditioner, sunlight, and vegetables. Read the article.
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Arabic Courses Popular at Auburn Prison
CPEP is offering a sequence of Arabic language courses for the first time this year. Listen to our Academic Director Tess Wheelwright and Cornell Senior Lecturer Makda Weatherspoon in an interview on the Language Resource Center's podcast Speaking of Language.
Click here to listen.
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Third Cornell Computer Lab Built, at Five Points Prison
 CPEP installed a computer laboratory at the Five Points Correctional Facility this past Saturday. This was the third lab we have built within prison walls. The lab is scheduled to be operational before the start of the Spring 2020 semester. Our computer labs were made possible with generous support from David Brown '66 who dedicated his gift to his parents Melvin and Beatrice Brown.
We are also proud to announce that the Cornell Prison Education Program has been selected as a site for an expanded off-line piloting of the JSTOR digital library which includes thousands of scholarly sources such as books and academic journals.
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Donor Profile: Joanna Chen '14
"I know from reading the newsletters that CPEP is good at using limited resources to make a big impact."
 When Joanna Chen '14, who now works at a 3D printing company in Boston, was a Cornell undergraduate, she was a TA for a pre-college writing course taught in prison by Jan Zeserson (current Chair of the CPEP Advisory Board). The experience opened her eyes to the importance of educational opportunities for nontraditional students, including incarcerated people.
Nontraditional students, Chen points out, "have made a conscious decision to pursue education, not just the next step in life that’s expected of them..." Read more here.
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Alumni Profile: Jesse Johnston CPEP '18
 One day at Five Points prison, Jesse Johnston overheard a conversation between two "good guys," churchgoing fellow inmates that he liked. One of them said something about "octosyllabic couplet," and Jesse thought, "Whoa! I can't even say anything right now because I have NO idea what they are talking about." That was the moment he decided to apply to the college program. Read more of Jesse's story here.
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CPEP Team Attends National Conference
 The 9th annual National Conference on Higher Education in Prison was hosted in St. Louis this past week. Interesting fact: the first national conference was organized in 2010 by a graduate student named Rob Scott (now director of the Cornell Prison Education Program). Ten members of the CPEP team attended this year including 5 teachers, 2 formerly incarcerated students, and 3 program coordinators, several of whom presented at the conference.
Pictured above: Betsye Violette presents on her prison course on Science Fiction.
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Giving Thanks for Second Chances
Dear Friends:
By bringing Cornell into prisons we are extending a lifeline to people who might have run out of chances, encouragement, or even a glimmer of hope. With your help, we are making a pivotal difference in the lives of those directly impacted by the criminal justice system.
Earlier this month, many of you received a letter from me in the mail. I hope you’ve had a chance to read it.
If you contribute a gift to the Cornell Prison Education Program, what will it go toward?
- Selecting and training undergraduate teaching assistants
- Purchasing books and other class materials for incarcerated students
- Supporting coordinators who make all of our activities inside the prisons possible
- Recruiting Cornell faculty to bring their teaching and expertise to prison
- Hosting graduation ceremonies and alumni events
- Offering honoraria to distinguished lecturers who speak to our students
- Supporting the Cornell Prison Education program endowment (here), so that the program can continue beyond the duration of our foundation grants.
This Thanksgiving, we are incredibly grateful for your continued support.
Thank you for helping us to bring education to people in prison.
Sincerely,
Rob Scott, Executive Director
Cornell Prison Education Program
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