In this newsletter

CPEP leads effort to get PPE to prison population in New York
Update on the state of COVID-19 in NYS prisons from the Exec. Director
Former CPEP Instructor Seph Murtagh running for NYS Assembly
Cornell professors pen op-eds on the pandemic in prison
Staff Spotlight: Kyri Murdough

CPEP Leads a Statewide Effort to Provide Masks to the Entire State Prison Population

In early April, CPEP Executive Director Rob Scott reached out to the Department of Corrections to suggest a potential role for college providers in providing masks or face coverings to the prison population to protect against the spread of the disease. The commissioner approved, and the state's college-in-prison programs quietly rallied to raise funds to provide a mask for everyone in state prison (currently 42,784 people) within a week.

CPEP placed the order for the first 10,000 masks to get the ball rolling, using funds that an existing sponsor approved for this use. The remaining masks were funded through other programs/networks. Here is the announcement of the donation via the New York Consortium for Higher Education in Prison.

CPEP Academic Director Tess Wheelwright researched mask design and identified one that best fit the needs of the correctional environment (plain and uniform, reusable, washable, affordable). Through Cornell networks, she also found a trusted local manufacturer, Finger Lakes Textiles, of the not-for-profit organization Mozaic.

Locally, CPEP TA Ben Finegan reached out to Mutual Aid Tompkins, a county-based group who pledged a contribution to the cause. He is just one example of many in the CPEP community to contributed their know-how and networks to the project.

Director's Update on COVID-19,
Cornell University and NYS Prisons

Dear CPEP community,

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all Cornell University campuses have moved to remote instruction for the summer session. Given the risks associated with the spread of the disease in prison, the Cornell Prison Education Program will not likely be able to send anyone into the prison for any reason.

We are focused on completing Spring 2020 courses via correspondence and conferring credit for all work that has been disrupted. Our focus is on retaining our students and building for a better day when we can refocus on our mission to provide excellent higher education inside New York prisons. Given the current state of affairs, I am writing to share an update on the coronavirus epidemic in NYS prisons and the implications for our students.

Let me start with some good news: There have been no reported cases of COVID-19 in the four correctional facilities in which CPEP operates...
...to read the rest of this update click here.

Former CPEP Instructor running for NYS Assembly

Former CPEP Instructor Seph Murtagh is in is running for a seat in the NYS Assembly in the 125th district which includes Ithaca, NY and Cornell University. His campaign website biography mentions CPEP, in the second paragraph, as a formative experience. Murtagh wrote a stunning essay about his experience teaching in prison and supports the restoration of college financial aid for people in prison.

Two op-eds on COVID-19 and prison by Cornell Professors

Importance of ongoing contact for prisoners (April 18, 2020 | The Hill)
by Mary Katzenstein and Rosemary Batt

"Family members are desperate for news of their incarcerated relatives. And they have good reason to worry..."
Read Prof. Katzenstein and Prof. Batt's op-ed here.

Let the People Go (April 20, 2020 | The Boston Review) by Joseph Margulies
States should release from prison far more than the very small percentage of low-level, nonviolent offenders they hold... Read Prof. Margulies' article here.

Staff Spotlight

Kyri Murdough, CPEP’s Auburn Coordinator

Members of the CPEP staff have a remarkable drive and determination to help people in prison get a fair chance at education. The coronavirus pandemic has reminded us that the drive to educate is undergirded by a commitment to peoples' humanity that is imperiled by the threat of infection.

Kyri Murdough not only is the coordinator of the college program at Auburn State Prison, she is also coordinating a statewide working group that will look at both the short and long term challenges prison educators and programs will face in the COVID era. But Kyri's commitment to honoring the humanity of incarcerated people began over a decade ago...

Read our full staff spotlight here.