Prison-to-College Pipeline

The Prison-to-College Pipeline (P2CP) is CUNY’s college-in-prison program. Based at Otisville Correctional Facility, P2CP allows incarcerated students to pursue higher education before release.

P2CP guarantees all passing students a spot in a CUNY college upon release. By offering students college experience and academic support during incarceration, P2CP lays the groundwork for a successful transition into their communities and continued involvement in higher education. 

How does P2CP work?

CUNY professors teach accredited, credit-bearing college courses in English, sociology, anthropology, mathematics, and other liberal arts disciplines that put students on track to complete John Jay’s general education requirements. P2CP provides additional academic and reentry support for students at Otisville, including:

  • One-on-one and group meetings to discuss academic goals, pathways to degree completion, and relevant career opportunities.
  • Guest lecturers who enhance students’ understanding of disciplines outside of the P2CP curriculum.
  • Guest speakers who help students explore the connection between a college degree and a career in an area of interest.
  • Skills development workshops to help students take advantage of academic and employment opportunities in their community.

P2CP’s Learning Exchange brings students from John Jay’s Manhattan campus to Otisville for monthly seminars with P2CP students. The Learning Exchange is a credit-bearing course, and each session is facilitated by a different CUNY faculty member to expose students to academic topics beyond the standard course offerings. It also provides students at Otisville an opportunity to network with their peers from John Jay.

In the year leading up to release, P2CP students develop individualized academic reentry plans, which address both their immediate needs and broader goals related to higher education. Academic reentry planning is facilitated by College Initiative’s Intake and Support Services team.

P2CP Academic Director: Carla Barrett
Director of Statewide Educational Initiatives: Denisse Martinez

Faculty interested in teaching with the P2CP program at Otisville Correctional Facility should contact Academic Director Carla Barrett (cbarrett@jjay.cuny.edu). Please include an updated CV in your email.

For more information, please contact us at JustOppInfo@jjay.cuny.edu

Photo credit: John Jay College / Photography: Amber Gray.