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The series is the main correspondence/subject file of the CCJ. It contains the correspondence, 1976-1982, predominantly of CCJ Chair/Director & Coordinator Irene Jackson, 1976-1982. To a lesser degree of Diane Geary, CCJ Administrative Assistant/Assistant Director 1979-1982, and Interim Director 1982-1983; Director Richard V. Avant, 1983; Executive Director Van Zwishohn, 1984; Good Time Project coordinator, 1981-1982, Planning and Legislative Coordinator 1982-1983, and Assistant Director Peter Pollack, 1982-1983; his successor as legislative coordinator Sandra Mitchell, 1983-1984, mostly with the New York State Commission of Corrections. Also includes correspondence with Senator Marino, Coalition members, the Department of Correctional Services, the Monroe County Legal Assistance Corporation (Greater Upstate Law Project), the Medical Society N.Y. State, the Council of Churches, the Creative Communications Committee of Green Haven, Prison Families Anonymous, INC., the Prison Outreach and Prevention Program, the Osborne Association, INC., the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, the Volunteer Attorney Service Teams for N.Y. State Prisons, Amnesty International, Prison Research Education Actions Project, Westchester Alliance, Prisoner's Accelerated Creative Exposure, INC., Prisoner Rehabilitation, INC., Full Step, INC., and the Fortune Society. The correspondence documents the mission of the organization, which is reforming the state's criminal justice system by educating citizens about the law. To improve the quality of the system, the CCJ advocates alternatives to the traditional criminal justice policy of incarceration. These alternatives include bail reform, sentencing reform, good time reform, second felony offender laws, redirecting correctional resources from prisons to community programs, expansion of the state temporary release program, victim restitution programs, community dispute resolution programs, and fighting against the death penalty and prison expansion. Other materials include: a December 29, 1981 draft article by Irene Jackson on the history, personnel & responsibilities, and programs of the Coalition financial/budget records, legal grants manuals, Good-Time reform project information, membership lists 1979-1980/82, prisoners legal services of N.Y. employee list 1981, judicial process committee membership list 1980, minority business directory, and lists of alternative programs. Series also contains photographs from supersession, training weekend, and Coalition staff. Cassette tapes contain audio from Community Correction Conference.

Contains the records of the Coalition's annual meetings, and special meetings on topics of interest to criminal justice reformers organized by the Coalition. The series also contains statements of goals and purpose, minutes, agendas, by-laws, proposed amendments to the by-laws, strategy suggestions, and several questionnaires directed for committee members. Also included are lists of organizations by caucuses in geographic regions, lists of the individuals in the different caucuses, and attendance at meetings. Notes of the executive and policy committee are available, they mainly include discussion of sub-committees work, and confirming new policies. The file also contains information on the Coalition's 1979 SuperSession, a two day agenda devoted to a discussion of topics such as good time, temporary release, and the death penalty. Super Sessions were also held in 1980 and 1981, where the main topics were inappropriate confinement and community corrections. Series also contains cassette tapes of panel questions from March 22-23, 1982, "Managing the Crisis: Population Policy".

Included is a financial report for the fiscal year 1977-1979, and a proposal for training the Coalition's satellites to become more effective 1979. Known funding agents include the Albany Focus Churches Task Force, the Albany Rotary Club. Community service society, New York State Catholic Conference, United Methodist Women, the Judicial Process Commission, United Presbyterian Women, and by far the greatest funding support was received from the New York State Council of Churches. Membership dues was also added to funding. Also found is a 1976 grant proposal by the coalition for an education program in criminal justice for citizens, elected officials, and administrators, a 1977 supplement is also included. Also present are Funding requirement updates 1978-1979 and a progress report to the New York State Council of Churches. Grant request/proposal samples from the coalition to several possible funding organizations, donations and paid membership dues listings for 1981-1982 can also be found.

The file consists of documents received by the Coalition from the New York State Commission On Corrections. Founded in 1895, the commission is charged in its legislative mandate with general oversight responsibilities for the jails, prisons, and lockups located in New York State. The series includes information on the commission, its purpose, goals, and officials. Many reports are included starting with Commissioner Coughlin's report to the Correctional Association of N.Y. 1982 in which he characterizes the association's report as irresponsible; the final report of the special Attica investigation 1975; the Judicial Process Commission report on Attica 1976; and the State Commission of Correction staff report concerning the abuse of authority at the Attica correctional facility 1977. The series also includes audit reports on rehabilitation programs for 1973/78, restitution reports and a comparative study of cost of service delivery between N.Y., California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Other Commission on Corrections' reports include those on the overcrowding of jails 1980/82; on prison alternatives 1981/82; and on prison health maintenance 1979/80. Guidelines for minimum standards and regulations for management of county jails and penitentiaries can also be found in the collection. These standards concern visitations, correspondence, security and supervision, hygiene, medical, access to media, legal services, physical restraint, maximum prisoner capacity, fire safety, staffing requirements, overcrowding, lock ins, recreation, religion, access to courts, telephone calls, and packages.

Included is correspondence between the Coalition and prisoners. Prisoner correspondence concerns membership information, coalition updates, access to legal bills, references to other organizations, and asking of employment agencies able to help them after their time is served. The series also contains official prison descriptions of the facilities and its activities. Access to this series is restricted.

The file consists primarily of correspondence and reports received from the Division of Parole. Included is the National Survey of Good-Time Laws And Administrative Procedures for 1973, which was distributed by the Research and Development Division of the Texas Department of Corrections, along with Uniform Parole reports summary tables from 1974 for male prisoners. A list of the 1975 New York State Parole Board members can be found, including salaries and term expirations. In addition, tables of probation information for 1974 are included. Also found is the forty-seventh annual report of the Board of Parole of the Department of Correctional Services for the year of 1976, this report includes such topics as rules and regulations, types of sentences, methods/basis of release, violation of parole and hearings. In addition a report from the Task Force on Criminal Sentencing which discusses fair and certain punishment is available for 1976.

The Division of Correctional Services is responsible for the care, custody, and rehabilitation of all offenders sentenced to its institutions. Included for the division of correctional services is a summary of appropriations and estimated expenditures for 1977, and a budget for 1980. Administrative bulletins can be found concerning such topics as work release, temporary release program violators, leave of absence and furlough 1972-1974. Also included are several Correctional services procedure directives concerning the inmate liaison committee, affirmative action, research studies and surveys, minimum provisions for health and morale, inmate group activities and organizations, and human rights complaints. Also found are inspection reports concerning fire and housing for the Elmira correctional center 1980-1982, inmate grievance mechanisms and case records 1975-1976.

Contains the Coalition's Good-Time survey given to prison staff and inmates, computer print outs of survey coding, and miscellaneous notes of Peter Pollack concerning the survey. The Good-Time survey established prison staff and inmate attitudes toward the granting of early release or parole to inmates for good behavior. 642 completed surveys are also in the series but are being considered for destruction.

The Issues Files were created by the CCJ to collect background information on subjects related to criminal justice reform. The series contains correspondence between Thomas A. Coughlin, Commissioner, and all the New York State central office and facility staff concerning new affirmative action plans. Included are the Commissioners remarks presented to the Assembly Sub-Committee on Affirmative Action in 1980. Also present is information on programs established as alternatives to incarceration 1975-1980, the Attica prisoners 28 demands/convict proposals, along with the correctional guards Union 82 list of demands, and the papers on the legal aftermath of the Attica uprising, mainly concerning the Attica legal defense fund. Also available are newsletters of EUI, [Ending Unnecessary Imprisonment] in New York State, citizen participation (how to) papers, and Christian statements concerning the criminal justice system. A Corrections Information Series for jail classification can also be found concerning background information, court decisions, ACA standards, and examples of classification systems for small, medium, and large prisons. Several other reports can be found on issues such as "Community Alternatives to Maximum Security" 1974-1975, a "Proposal to Repeal New York's Second Felony Offender Law", "Philosophies of Punishment and Correction", "Fines: An Inquiry Into The Use of Fines As an Alternative to Incarceration", "Probation Subsidy", and a summary of the New York State YWCA Intervention Program sponsored by the New York State Commission of Correction. Information related to the expansion of prisons and the prison bond issue intended to fund the expansion including Gov. Plans 1980-1981, Coalition responses and alternatives 1978-1982, Committee hearings 1982, testimony by Coalition members 1981-1982.

This series contains analysis of N.Y. State legislation bills by coalition staff and decisions to support or oppose a bill. The series also contains bill monitoring in the assembly and senate 1983-1984, along with bill reporting forms. Many Assembly and Senate bills, along with bill calendars/index can also be found for 1983-1984. Paperwork on opposition to the death penalty for the years of 1979-1984 are also present, lists of Assembly and Senate leaders stating their position on the death penalty, and the 1984 State of the State Message given by Mario M. Cuomo. Insanity defense paperwork by the New York Defenders Association, INC. can be found, along with memorandums of support for several different bills concerning such topics as acts to amend the criminal procedure laws, correctional law, and the penal law etc. The series contains proposed legislation concerning Parole, Permitting Prisoners Serving Life Sentences To Marry, Pre-trial Detention, Probation, Sealing Misdemeanor Records, Victim Compensation Laws, Marijuana Reform, Prison Construction, and Programs For Released Prisoners.