The need for oversight of prisons is as urgent today as it was 175 years ago

The number of people incarcerated in New York is declining, but those in prison are staying for much longer periods of time. Read more.
A significant portion of those eligible for parole are being denied – some multiple times. Read more.
On an average day, around 2,600 people are in solitary confinement in New York’s prisons. Read more.
Medical staffing shortages have reached crisis levels in prisons across the state, exacerbating other healthcare challenges. Read more.
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.
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.
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.
Specifically, we are currently conducting projects on:
Dignity: The arbitrary over-denial of parole applications, which is keeping thousands of people in prison beyond their minimum sentences.
Legitimacy: The pervasive misuse of isolation and lock-up throughout prisons, including but extending beyond the use of solitary confinement
Health: Acute needs and barriers to effective care