Research Projects
Recovering the Legacy of a Black Woman Political Prisoner: Geraldine (Robinson) Pointer
Researchers recover the life of a Black woman political prisoner, Geraldine (Robinson) Pointer, who, along with Black revolutionary Martin Sostre, was wrongfully imprisoned for their involvement in the Black Power movement in Buffalo, New York, in the late 1960s. Their research complements the grassroots organizing of the Justice for Geraldine Pointer and Martin Sostre campaign and the digital public engagement work of the #BuffaloSyllabus. To learn more about Geraldine Pointer, check out one of our researchers’ most recent pieces in Hammer and Hope.
Photo Credit: Martin Sostre Institute.
Innocence Narratives
Innocence Narratives, a genre coined by Carissa Bayack, are autobiographical accounts in which wrongfully convicted individuals reclaim their stories, challenge state-produced narratives of guilt, affirm innocence, and advocate for justice and criminal legal reform. Emerging alongside the Innocence Movement, these works transform personal testimony into a powerful form of resistance against systemic injustice.
Rochester Police Department Subject Resistance Report Data
Researchers compare Subject Resistance Reports (SRRs) with body worn camera footage from Rochester, NY.
AI software identifies racialized information found in SRRs.
FOIL/FOIA
Researchers create a guide to effective FOIL/FOIA inquiries about policing in New York State. They request police misconduct records from municipalities across Upstate New York State for longitudinal and comparative studies.
HOPE First Roc
The first non-police crisis response team funded as a pilot program of Daniel’s Law, HOPE First Roc remembers the people killed by police while experiencing a mental health crisis.
This work is done in memory of Daniel Prude.
Memoirs and Archives of Incarcerated People in Broome County, NY
In partnership with JUST, researchers collaborate with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people to develop archives of their personal papers.
These will be housed in the UNY-PRC Digital Archive.
This project is funded by the Steven Ross Fund at Binghamton University.