Carissa Bayack

Conference Coordinator
Board Member

Carissa is a first-generation graduate of Binghamton University, where she earned her B.A. in English and Philosophy, Politics, and Law (PPL), with a Human Rights minor. A native of Upstate New York, she was UNY-PRC’s first intern and now serves as Intern Coordinator. Her research focuses on wrongful convictions, the Innocence Movement, and the narratives of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals. Carissa is passionate about using writing and storytelling as tools for advocacy, particularly in amplifying the voices of those impacted by the criminal legal system. She accepted an offer to the PhD program in English at Syracuse University, where she plans to continue her research on prison literature and carceral studies.