CPEP’s 25th Anniversary
The Cornell Prison Education Program turns 25 this year! In January 2001, Professor Pete Wetherbee and a small group of graduate students offered the first two credit-bearing Cornell classes at Auburn Correctional Facility. Those courses were American Literary Tradition (ENG 275), taught by Pete Wetherbee, and History of Ethics (PHIL 101), co-taught by Keith McParland and Aaron Zimmerman.
That small spark grew into what would eventually become the Cornell Prison Education Program. As an organization, we serve three upstate prisons—Auburn CF, Cayuga CF, and Five Points CF—and offer an academic reentry program to support our students as they return to their communities.
Providing higher education in prison for 25 years is quite an accomplishment, especially given that programs like ours often cannot endure when political, financial or policy climates become challenging.
CPEP’s longevity can be credited in no small part to the unwavering passion of our long-time instructors and volunteers who have stood by CPEP for decades, giving, in Cornell language, their time, talent and treasure.
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Doing the Greatest Good
The Cornell Prison Education Program (CPEP) is a stand-alone unit under the Office of the Vice Provost for Engagement and Land Grant Affairs at Cornell University. CPEP benefits greatly from its affiliation with Cornell—through access to world-class faculty, teaching assistants, and undergraduate students as well as in-kind support in the form of waiving tuition and fees for credits. However, CPEP receives no direct financial support from the university for the operation of our program and services. We are entirely funded by private gifts and grants.
CPEP’s work is largely carried out by volunteers who teach, and tutor in the prisons we serve. All direct and indirect costs, including compensation for teaching staff when needed, as well as all books, supplies, and all operating expenses are covered through the generous support of our donors and grantors.
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