The Correctional Association of New York (CANY) is designated by law to provide independent monitoring and oversight of state prisons in New York State.
CANY, under §146 of New York’s Correction Law, is charged with visiting and examining the state’s correctional facilities to identify and report on prison conditions, the treatment of incarcerated individuals, and the administration of policy promulgated by the executive and legislature.
Mission
CANY provides independent oversight of prisons in New York State to promote transparency and accountability; safeguard the human and civil rights of incarcerated people; identify and provoke a response to harmful practices and policies; promulgate information that supports reform, and advocate for the decreased use of incarceration in New York.
Vision
CANY envisions a future in which our criminal justice system uses an entirely different approach to responding to violence and social concerns. In this vision, prisons look nothing like they do today: far fewer people are held for much shorter sentences in transformed conditions that promote health, safety, and justice for incarcerated individuals, communities, and society at large.
Values
1
Respect
We uphold the dignity and worth of all people.
2
Anti-Racism
Racial equity is central to our shared humanity.
3
Justice
We call for justice and fairness in all systems.
4
Transformation
We embrace creativity and bold ideas for change.
Overview of Legislative History
CANY was founded in 1844 as the Prison Association of New York and incorporated by state law in 1846 with the following objectives:
The amelioration of the condition of prisoners, whether detained for trial or finally convicted, or as witnesses.
The improvement of Prison Discipline, and the Government of Prisons, whether for Cities, Counties, or States.
The support and encouragement of reformed convicts after their discharge, by affording them the means of obtaining an honest livelihood, and sustaining them in their efforts at reform.
In 2021, CANY’s authority to monitor New York State prisons was codified in New York Correction Law § 146 through legislation affirming its power to visit, access, inspect, and report on conditions within state correctional facilities. Following the passage of the Prison Omnibus Bill in 2026, CANY is now authorized to visit any state prison with 24 hours’ notice to the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) and receive quarterly data reports from the department. Under Correction Law § 146, CANY can communicate confidentially with incarcerated individuals and prison staff, operate a hotline for reporting prison conditions, disseminate surveys to incarcerated people, and issue reports and recommendations to the executive branch, the legislature, and the public regarding conditions of confinement and the implementation of correctional policy.
Excerpt from our founding constitution.
