CANY Releases Systemwide Report on Conditions Across New York State Prisons
August 18, 2026
Contact: media@correctionalassociation.org
Nearly 6,000 survey respondents rate living conditions across facilities, including healthcare, safety, food and access to programs
Brooklyn, NY — The Correctional Association of New York (CANY) today released the findings of a survey of incarcerated individuals in state prison, conducted between July and September 2025.
The survey was disseminated several months following a particularly tumultuous period in state prisons, marked by the murders of Robert Brooks in December 2024 and Messiah Nantwi in March 2025, and a 22-day wildcat strike by correctional officers that resulted in severe operational limitations and the deployment of the National Guard. The release of CANY’s survey results also follows an independent review by the law firm WilmerHale, which identified opportunities to improve institutional culture, the rehabilitation of incarcerated individuals, accountability measures for staff, and overall safety and well-being.
Out of 31,182 surveys distributed, CANY received and processed 5,731 responses (an 18.4% response rate). The resulting 1,066,349 individual question responses offer unprecedented insight into incarcerated individuals’ experience of incarceration in New York State. Core topics covered in the survey included basic services, healthcare, programming and recreation, interpersonal relationships with staff, discipline and grievances, and material living conditions.
Key Findings:
Background: 64% of respondents reported being victims of crime prior to incarceration; 51% reported being incarcerated before the age of 18.
Healthcare: 43% of respondents expressed satisfaction with the medical care received after their last sick call request, and 37% considered the quality of mental healthcare adequate.
Programs: Across all facilities, 58% of respondents rated their academic program quality as a 6 or higher (out of 10). Similarly, 58% rated vocational programs a 6 or higher.
Safety & Violence: 34% of respondents reported experiencing physical abuse by staff, while 61% had witnessed it.
Living Conditions: 69% raised health and safety concerns regarding disrepair in their facility, and 80% reported that their living area was excessively hot.
Top Concerns of Incarcerated Individuals: Food quality was the most frequently cited issue impacting daily experience (41.7%), followed by programs and employment (35.3%), general medical care (33.2%), commissary (32%), and mail/packages (30.3%).
The full report is available at:
About CANY
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. Founded in 1844 by concerned citizens of the state and deputized by the state to provide monitoring and oversight of the state’s prisons in 1846, CANY is one of the first organizations in the country prescribed to administer civilian oversight of prisons.
