Labor, Discipline and the Carceral State

Overview

Labor, Discipline, and the Carceral State is a one-and-a-half-day conference that explores the contestations over labor and solitary confinement between incarcerated people and correctional officers within the prison, with special attention given to New York State.

Bringing together scholars, practitioners, and artists—including Heather Ann Thompson, author of Pulitzer Prize-winning Blood in the Water, JoeBill Muñoz award-winning documentarian of The Strike, Barry Peek and Patrick Mehler, mediators of the 2025 strike by New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association and Jennifer Scaife, executive director of the Correctional Association of New York, among others.

Registration is required for Day 2 only. No registration is needed for the Day 1 film screening.

Agenda

May 1, 2026

7:30 p.m.

The Strike screening and fireside chat with director JoeBill Mũnoz and Jennifer Scaife, Executive Director of the Correctional Association of New York (CANY) in Ives Hall 305. Moderated by Devin Wiggs, Assistant Professor of Labor Relations.

May 2, 2026

9 a.m.

Breakfast and Coffee at the Statler Hotel

9:45 a.m.

Opening Remarks by Alexander Colvin, Dean of ILR School and Dionne Pohler, Associate Director, Scheinman Institute on Conflict Resolution

10 a.m.

Keynote by Adam Reich, Professor of Sociology

10:45 a.m.

Junior Scholar Panel

David Knight, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Julia Mizutani, Law Research, Instruction, and Liaison Librarian and Gali Racabi and Devin Wiggs, Assistant Professors of Labor Law and Relations

12 p.m.

Lunch

12:45 p.m.

Presentation by Esta Bigler, Director of Labor and Employment Law Program, the Criminal Justice Employment Initiative at ILR School and Cornell Prison Education Program

1:15 p.m.

Labor Mediators Fireside Chat

Discussion of the New York State Correctional Officers’ Wildcat Strike in 2025 with Barry Peek and Patrick Mehler, Mediators

Moderated by Dionne Pohler, Professor of Dispute Resolution, Scheinman Institute on Conflict Resolution at ILR School

2:45 p.m.

Senior Scholars Panel

Heather Ann Thompson, Professor of History, Sharon Dolovich, Professor of Law and Andrea Morrell. Professor of Anthropology

4 p.m.

Closing Remarks

Gali Racabi and Devin Wiggs, Assistant Professors of Labor Law and Relations