What We Do
We pair Cornell students with currently incarcerated individuals serving life sentences in NY State prisons. The undergraduates work on teams of three with the incarcerated individual, also known as the “applicant” to help them prepare for a parole hearing in the coming 8-10 months.
Our Service
Our organization focuses on relationship building first and critical advocacy & support second. The volunteer team ultimately prepares a parole packet that contains an advocacy letter, a personal statement, certificates, letters of support, a release plan, and much more. They also work extensively through visitation and phone communication on interview preparation for the applicant. Our work is guided by the expertise and desires of the incarcerated applicant and their families.
Our Story
Anna Lifsec, a Cornell undergraduate, founded the Parole Preparation Project (PPP) in 2019 as a partnership with the NYC-based organization with the same name. he first cohort was then introduced in January of 2020. In September 2021, the two groups decided to part ways, and the Parole Preparation Project was rebranded as the Cornell University Parole Initiative (CUPI). Since then, we have been working to establish ourselves outside of PPP.
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Mission
To work together with the prison community to build lasting relationships and bring fundamental change
Vision
To make a direct impact on the criminal justice system and to bring people behind bars home.
