College in Prison New Directions
The College in Prison Program (CPND), housed at Marcy Correctional facility in Marcy, N.Y., provides individuals who are incarcerated an education through MVCC while serving their sentence. CPND enrolls nearly 25 incarcerated men and offers three to four courses yearly to go towards a Business Administration and/or Liberal Arts degree. To date, CPND has enrolled nearly 80 students. The program was established in 2014 and oversight was taken over by the Office of Civic Responsibilities in January 2016. Original funding for the program was provided by the Sunshine Lady Foundation, however, we now receive state funding through Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) and the District Attorneys of New York - Criminal Justice Investment Initiative (CJII). For more information on the program, visit this page.
MVCC has been involved in providing higher education in the prison environment since 2014, originally at Mohawk Correctional Facility and now currently at Marcy Correctional Facility. The College in Prison New Directions (CPND) program provides individuals who are incarcerated with an MVCC education while serving their sentence. CPND recognizes the educational gaps that exist within the criminal justice system and works to strengthen those particular barriers by challenging incarcerated males to complete an education by inspiring them. MVCC academic standards and coursework are stringent and foster developmental growth.
All students are fully matriculated and in pursuit of a General Studies or Business Administration degree.
CPND students will be supported with an unbiased approach to education and growth through personal development. Through the means of education, CPND team members will help rebuild students’ lives by offering hope and opportunity to foster student’s imagination, passion, intellectual curiosity, and critical thinking. Students will be treated with dignity and provided with a healthy learning environment that foster their ability to excel through academia.
Through the stringent academic study in the degree programs offered, CPND students are able to discover new strengthens, attributes, skills, and a direction for their future. Students are able to return home with confidence, with support from CPND, and a plan while others may continue their education and enroll in other universities or colleges. Another benefit of CPND is that it prepares students to focus and challenge themselves no matter what path they choose.