Weathering the Storm

Dear Friend,

Two weeks ago today was the last day BPI was physically in the prisons — our longest hiatus in 20 years. Immediately, there was more work to do than ever. Facing a crisis, we rallied quickly.

With colleagues around the state, we began advocating for the protection of those incarcerated people most vulnerable to the virus — including the release of the sick and elderly. See our letter to Governor Cuomo and a report from alumnus Darren Mack ’13.

Within 48 hours of our last in-person class, we developed and mailed a weekly newsletter to be mailed to all incarcerated students, keeping them informed and empowering them to spread accurate information. The academic team has been working to find ways for students to finish the semester and keep working without a pause.

And, perhaps most importantly, we are monitoring and advising the full alumni community: reaching out, providing referrals to services, coordinating with the NYC Department of Health. The director of our Public Health programs has created a webpage cataloging health and safety resources for the BPI community, which is regularly updated.

New York City is now ground zero for the pandemic and our community is on the front lines: some are already impacted, others will be soon. We’re working hard to keep people together even as we have to be separate, and to provide the most resources while we are apart.

As the virus bears down on our communities, we’ve worked for two weeks to become as prepared as possible. Hearing from you, our closest friends and supporters, keeps us going. Please stay in touch and we’ll keep you posted.

Max Kenner