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 ’21, a Cornell undergraduate, partnered with the Parole Preparation Project NYC to create opportunities for students to provide comprehensive parole application services to incarcerated people. In January 2020, Lifsec formed the first team of student advocates, who helped their first applicant secure release after 28 years of incarceration. In September 2021, the student teams became independent of Parole Prep NYC and formed CUPI. Today, CUPI is a full-fledged organization that has supported dozens of successful applicants and maintains a 71% success rate—twice the average rate among people convicted of A-level felonies (34%).
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.
