Merle Cooper is a therapeutic program which confronts criminal behavior and holds men accountable for their past actions. It is the most effective rehabilitative program in the New York State Correctional system. It has encouraged inmates to look at the root causes of their criminality, to emphasize with their countless victims and to take accountability for all the horrendous acts that they impose on society. The Merle Cooper program has proven over the past 36 years that men who are willing to do the work are in fact redeemable. When we look at rehabilitation of our incarcerated, we should all want programs that encourage inmates to become better people, to care for others and to be responsible for their behaviors. From my fathers 23 years of incarceration, I know that there is no better program in the New York State Department of Corrections.