Staff

CI Executive Director, Michael Carey, has been working with the program since its founding. He facilitated the design of a pilot peer mentoring program for CI. He also helped to design and implement the college preparation program, including providing direct instruction in reading and establishing the volunteer tutor component. He is responsible for the development and management of all CI programs. He holds a BA with a dual major in Philosophy and Fine Arts from the University of Sydney in Australia and a MA in Philosophy from the New School for Social Research. Prior to joining CI, Michael worked in publishing in Australia and in New York City.

Charlene Griffin has worked with CI since 2002 in a variety of roles. She has experience as an Academic Counselor and a program manager and she has been CI's Data Manager since 2008. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Her duties include: management and refinement of the CI database; producing reports for current contracts; administrative coordination.

Cassandra Jones joined CI as a full-time Academic Counselor in February 2011. Cassandra has an extensive education background. She comes to us from the Fortune Society where she was a GED instructor for at-risk youth and adults. Her education background includes working in the NYC public school system for 6 years as well as working as a college readiness instructor for the College of New Rochelle. Cassandra holds a BA in Psychology and a MS in Education.

CI Founder, Benay Rubenstein, has been a leading prison educator for over 25 years, designing and directing college programs in New York State and federal prisons. In 1997 she produced the award-winning film, The Last Graduation, documenting the history of higher education in New York State prisons. From 1997-2000 she directed the college program at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, New York's only maximum-security prison for women. This college program, the first to return to a NYS prison after the loss of Pell and TAP, was supported entirely with private funding and a consortium of private colleges. In 2000, Benay co-founded the College and Community Fellowship, a reentry education program for women. In 2002, she founded, and until recently directed, CI. She is currently a Special Adviser and works with CI's graduate students.

Ray Tebout is CI's Director of Counseling. Prior to joining the core staff, Ray was a co-creator, along with four other students, of CI's mentoring program and an active member of the CI community. He has worked as non-profit and criminal justice transitions consultant for over 5 years. He is a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), a credentialed addiction counselor (CASAC-T) and education and training provider (ETP) through the New York State Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services. Ray further holds a Family Development Credential (FDC) from Cornell University and is trained in strength-based human service work. He attends John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Nicole White has served as CI's Director of Mentoring since January 2010.  She has experience with New York City government and the City University of New York, managing groups of students while coordinating multiple executive projects for NYC311.  She holds a Bachelor of Art degree in Sociology and Master of Science degree in Urban Affairs from Hunter College. As the Mentor Coordinator, she is responsible for making sure newly enrolled students have the support they need throughout their first year of college.  As she puts it, "After the academic counselors get students into college, it's the responsibility of the mentoring program to keep them in and uplift them." Her duties include: selecting and training mentors, screening mentees, matching mentors to mentees, and supporting mentor/mentee relationships.