Lee Bernstein

Lee Bernstein is a Full Professor in the Department of History at SUNY New Paltz. His academic career includes roles as Interim Associate Provost for Undergraduate Studies (2015-2016) and Department Chair (2009-2013). He holds a Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Minnesota, an M.A. from Boston College, and a B.A. in English from Hobart College.

Bernstein specializes in crime and incarceration in U.S. history, authoring books like America Is the Prison: Arts and Politics in Prison in the 1970s (2010) and The Greatest Menace: Organized Crime in Cold War America (2002). His research spans prison architecture, Cold War-era crime narratives, and the intersection of literature/prison culture. He taught courses on postwar America, U.S. foreign policy, and prison systems.

His publications include journal articles on Sing Sing Prison, prison food systems, and the cultural impact of figures like George Jackson. Administrative roles include Provost Fellow (2013-2015) and leadership in SUNY New Paltz’s academic governance. No awards are listed, but his work has contributed significantly to prison studies and Cold War historiography.