New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. have announced the award of $7.3 million to fund college classes at 17 New York State prisons over the next five years. The Prisoner Reentry Institute (PRI) at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, in collaboration with the State University of New York, will receive approximately $2.37 million over five years to serve as the Education and Reentry Coordinator for the College-in-Prison Reentry Program.
"We applaud Governor Cuomo and District Attorney Vance for launching this important program and recognizing the transformative power of a college education to improve the lives of those reentering their communities, reduce recidivism and ultimately help build safer communities,” said Karol Mason, President of John Jay College. “We also recognize the work of the New York State Council on Community Re-Entry and Reintegration and its chair, Secretary of State Rossana Rosado.”
"We are pleased to be a part of this significant initiative and look forward to working closely with the NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, SUNY, and the education providers to help incarcerated individuals access college education and to ensure they have the support they need when they return home to be able to succeed," said Ann Jacobs, Director of PRI.
The Education and Reentry Coordinator will oversee the education providers' reentry planning and offer technical assistance as needed; align course requirements across and develop articulation/transfer agreements between funded colleges; develop standards for prison education curricula in New York State; and exchange best practices and lessons learned among the education providers. The CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance, technical assistance provider to the Manhattan DA's Office on all of the Criminal Justice Investment Initiative, will work with the NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision to oversee the program's daily operations, working directly with the education providers.
According to the announcement issued by the Governor’s office, the College-in-Prison Reentry Program is being funded through the Manhattan District Attorney's Office's Criminal Justice Investment Initiative. Read the full press release here.
Prisoner Reentry Institute (PRI) at John Jay College of Criminal Justice was founded in 2005 with the mission to spur innovation and improve practice in the field of reentry by advancing knowledge; translating research into effective policy and service delivery; and fostering effective partnerships between criminal justice and non-criminal justice disciplines. PRI’s diversified portfolio reflects a focus on understanding what it takes for people to live successfully in their communities after contact with the criminal justice system, and on increasing the effectiveness of the professionals and systems that work with them. Central to PRI’s work is a commitment to creating access to higher education for people who have been involved in the criminal justice system.
About John Jay College of Criminal Justice: An international leader in educating for justice, John Jay College of Criminal Justice of The City University of New York offers a rich liberal arts and professional studies curriculum to upwards of 15,000 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 135 nations. In teaching, scholarship, and research, the College approaches justice as an applied art and science in service to society and as an ongoing conversation about fundamental human desires for fairness, equality and the rule of law. For more information, visit www.jjay.cuny.edu.
