Press Releases & Policy Statements

In an effort to inform the public as part of its mandate, the Correctional Association of New York issues Press Releases & Policy Statements following prison monitoring visits, the publication of an issue-based reports, and on policy impacting incarcerated individuals and staff in New York. To access these materials, please see below.

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Correctional Association of New York Releases Second Report on HALT Solitary Confinement Law

New Analysis Details Two-Year Review of New York's Solitary Confinement Law

BROOKLYN, NY – The Correctional Association of New York (CANY) has released its second report on the implementation of the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term (HALT) Solitary Confinement Act. The new report, Two Years of HALT: Use of Segregated Confinement, Implementation of Core Requirements, and Perceptions Across the System, covering the period from January 2023 to July 2024, documents ongoing issues with implementation of the law and highlights the critical function of independent oversight in documenting stakeholders’ experiences living and working with HALT. 

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Correctional Association of New York (CANY) Dashboard Update Shows Surge in Prison Staff Vacancies Following Unlawful Strike

Brooklyn, NY - Today the Correctional Association of New York (CANY) updated its data transparency dashboard, displaying a significant increase in staff vacancies within the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) following an unlawful correctional officers' strike in early 2025. 

The updated data, reflecting staffing levels as of April 2025, shows that the systemwide staff vacancy rate more than doubled in just over a year, rising from 13.3% at the beginning of 2024 to 27.4% as of April 2025. The increase was largely driven by a sharp rise in vacant security staff positions. To address its workforce shortage, DOCCS has launched a new recruitment initiative. Since the strike, the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) reports that correction officer exam participation has risen by 160% and hiring by 62%. Additionally, more than 740 terminated employees have been reinstated.  

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Suicides in Prison More than Doubled from 2023 to 2024

New York, NY – The Correctional Association of New York (CANY) today released a new dashboard containing data obtained by Freedom of Information Law request from the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH). The dashboard presents monthly facility caseload and program census reports, providing transparency into the number of people receiving mental health treatment in each correctional facility, and highlighting enrollment in programs offered by OMH in facilities operated by the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS). Additionally, the dashboard contains information on self-harm incidents, suicide attempts, and deaths by suicide.

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Correctional Association of New York Releases Post-Visit Report on Washington Correctional Facility

Brooklyn, NY - The Correctional Association of New York (CANY) has released a Post Visit Briefing report on Washington Correctional Facility, a medium-security prison for men located in Washington County, NY. The report details findings from interviews with incarcerated individuals, analysis of administrative data, meetings with staff, and observations made by CANY during a monitoring visit in March 2024. Washington Correctional Facility is co-located with Great Meadow Correctional Facility, which closed in 2024.

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Correctional Association of New York Releases Report on Wallkill Correctional Facility  

Brooklyn, NY - The Correctional Association of New York (CANY) has released a Post Visit Briefing report on Wallkill Correctional Facility, a medium-security prison for men located in Ulster County, NY. Opened in 1933, Wallkill is the oldest continuously operating medium-security prison in New York. The report details findings from interviews with incarcerated individuals, analysis of administrative data, meetings with staff, and observations made by CANY during a monitoring visit in February 2024.  

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Sunshine Week: CANY Data Update Exposes Need for Transparency

New York, NY – In observance of Sunshine Week, a national initiative dedicated to the principles of open government and public access to information, the Correctional Association of New York (CANY) today announced an update to its public dashboard of New York State prison data, providing the latest available information on key indicators including the incarcerated population and deaths in custody. The updated dashboard includes data on the incarcerated population and deaths in prisons through March 1, 2025. 

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CANY Releases Recommendations to Improve Safety, Institutional Culture, and Conditions in New York State Prisons

BROOKLYN, NY – The Correctional Association of New York (CANY) today released CANY’s Recommendations to Improve Safety, Institutional Culture, and Living & Working Conditions within DOCCS Facilities. These recommendations, based on extensive on-the-ground monitoring, interviews with incarcerated individuals and staff, and data analysis, provides a critical assessment of the challenges facing New York's prisons and offers concrete solutions to address persistent challenges and opportunities for improvement within New York State prisons.

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New York Health Foundation & Correctional Association of New York Spotlight Food Challenges: Expert Discuss Solutions

New York, NY – As many New Yorkers prepare to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, the New York Health Foundation (NYHealth) hosted a virtual panel discussion to review food and nutrition within New York State’s prisons, along with the public health and policy context. The discussion explored the findings of a new CANY report and investigated challenges incarcerated individuals face in accessing nutritious and culturally appropriate food. Experts discussed solutions to improve food quality and promote healthier outcomes for this vulnerable population

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Correctional Association of New York Marks 180 Years of Independent Oversight with Release of Annual Report

New York, NY – The Correctional Association of New York (CANY) today released its annual report, OneEighty: Interpreting 180 Years of Prison Oversight, marking almost two centuries of independent oversight of New York’s prisons. The report reflects on the organization's long history and its ongoing mission to promote transparency, accountability, and human dignity within the state's correctional system. 

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Oversight to Reform: CANY's 2024 Policy Agenda Sets a Path for Progress for New York State’s Prisons

BROOKLYN, NY –

The Correctional Association of New York (CANY) today announced an update to its prison transparency dashboard, now including key data on staffing fill rates and vacant positions across New York State's prisons.

This release of data builds upon CANY's commitment to promoting transparency and informed change by providing the public with easily accessible and comprehensive information about prisons in New York.

 

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