The Correctional Association of New York (CANY) recently released its recommendations to the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS). The report provides a critical assessment of the challenges facing New York’s prisons following a year marked by volatility and violence. 

CANY’s recommendations for 2026 introduce new strategies to leverage technological advances while reinforcing previous recommendations to address the root causes of violence and improve living and working conditions systemwide. CANY’s central recommendation for 2026 is the expansion of tablet technology to serve as a tool for improving communication, transparency and accountability. 

The report also reflects on a year of significant CANY priorities:

Safety infrastructure: Deployment of $400 million for stationary cameras and $18 million for body-worn cameras in the FY26 budget to ensure systemwide transparency. 

Mental health: The launch of the first Office of Mental Health-led programming in Residential Rehabilitation Units (RRU) at Five Points, fulfilling a long-standing CANY recommendation for therapeutic intervention. 

The precarity of New York’s prison system was exposed this past year by high-profile tragedies and massive disruptions to facility operations. While we have seen progress in some areas, the daily operations of these facilities remain tethered to archaic, paper-based processes that breed frustration for both staff and incarcerated people. Our 2026 recommendations provide a path to shift this culture through transparency and modernization.

To view the full recommendations and for more information, visit www.bit.ly/49Cfnre.

Jennifer Scaife
Executive director, Correctional Association of New York 
Brooklyn, NY