| New York City Department of Correction | |
| Abbreviation | NYC DOC |
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| Patch of the New York City Department of Correction. | |
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| Shield of the New York City Department of Correction. | |
| Motto | NY's Boldest |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1895 |
| Employees | 14,000 |
| Legal personality | Governmental: Government agency |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction* | City of New York in the state of New York, USA |
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| Map of New York City Department of Correction's jurisdiction. | |
| Legal jurisdiction | New York City |
| General nature |
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| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Jackson Heights, Queens |
| Correction Officers | 9,500 |
| Commissioner responsible | Dora Schriro |
| Agency executive | Carolyn Thomas, Chief |
| Website | |
| Official Site | |
| Footnotes | |
| * Divisional agency: Division of the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction. | |
The New York City Department of Correction is responsible for New York City's (currently there are about 13,000) inmates, housing the majority of them on Riker's Island and Roosevelt Island.[1] It employs 9,500 uniformed officers and 1,400 civilian staff, has 543 vehicles,[2] and processes over 100,000 new inmates every year,[3] retaining a population of inmates of between 13,000 and 18,000.[2] Its nickname is New York's Boldest.[3] Previously located in Manhattan, the Department of Correction headquarters has now moved to the Bulova building in the northern section of Jackson Heights, Queens, minutes from Rikers Island.
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History
The New York City Department of Correction was first founded as a separate entity in New York City in 1895 after a split from the Department of Public Charities and Correction.[1] Roosevelt Island, then called Blackwell's Island, was the main penal institution under the jurisdiction of the DOC until the 1930s when it was closed down and the penal institutions moved to Riker's Island for $180,000, where 10 prisons and 17,000 inmates are now held.[1]
In 1995, the prison system in New York City had over 1,000 stabbings, and in 2002 new safety initiatives were undertaken to improve security.[3] By 2007 the number of stabbings was reduced to 19, making that year the Department of Correction's safest on record.[3]
In 2009, former commissioner of both the Missouri and Arizona prison systems Dora Schriro was selected to head the department, with some citing a need in the department for a boost in morale.[4]
Power and Authority of Correction Officers
NYC Correction officers are New York State peace officers authorized to make warrantless arrests, carry and use a firearm, and use physical and deadly force. Officers have peace officer powers both on and off duty.
Ranks
There are ten titles (referred to as ranks) in the New York City Department of Correction. Their images refer to the uniform ranks. However, there are also equivalent level civilian titles as well whom also have equivalent power and responsibility and are saluted due to following uniform customs and courtesies. From highest to lowest rank, they are:
| Title | Insignia |
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| Commissioner of Department |
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| Chief of Department / Senior Deputy Commissioner |
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| Bureau Chief / Junior Deputy Commissioner |
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| Assistant Chief |
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| Warden / Assistant Commissioner |
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| Deputy Warden in Command |
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| Deputy Warden / Director |
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| Assistant Deputy Warden |
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| Captain / Deputy Director |
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| Correction Officer |
Tour of Duty
In the New York City Department of Correction, one day is divided into three 8-hour and 31-minute shifts: 11:00 PM to 7:31 AM (called a 2300hrs to 0731hrs), 7:00 AM to 3:31 PM (called an 0700hrs to 1531hrs), and 3:00 PM to 11:31 PM (called a 1500hrs to 2331hrs). Officers work 4 of these shifts per week based upon a rotating squad chart (ie. 4 working days, 2 days off then another 4 working days and 2 days off). There is also a 5 and 2 squad (Monday - Friday, with Saturday and Sundays off) for special units (ie. Emergency Service Unit, Intelligence Unit, Academy and Firearms Training Units, etc.)
Equipment and Vehicles
Correction officers are equipped with a firearm, celayaton baton, canister of chemical agent, handcuffs, flashlight, bullet resistant vest, and a radio that is directly linked to the Central Dispatcher and other Corrections officers.
Although all correction officers are trained and authorized to carry firearms, only correction officers at certain post assignments carry a firearm due to the potential threat of prisoners overpowering an officer and seizing their firearm. Any officer in areas of the prison where they may have contact with prisoners are unarmed. Officers assigned to prisoner transport units, hospitals, court buildings, exterior patrol posts, and guard towers carry firearms. All correction officers can carry a firearm off duty.
The department uses numerous vehicles including Chevrolet Impalas, Ford vans, transport buses, firetrucks, and riot vehicles. [5][6]
Service Pistol
NYC Correction officers are authorized to carry on duty the Smith & Wesson 5946. Senior officers hired before 1993 are still authorized to carry the Smith & Wesson .38 revolver model's 64 and 10 (2", 3", or 4" barrel). Off duty weapons are all of the above plus the Beretta 92FS and the Sig Sauer P226.
See also
- List of law enforcement agencies in New York
- New York City Department of Probation
- New York State Department of Correctional Services
- Corrections
References
- ^ a b c History of the DOC New York City Department of Correction, retrieved March 13 2008
- ^ a b Facilities Overview New York City Department of Correction, retrieved March 13 2008
- ^ a b c d Press Release - January 6, 2008 New York City Department of Corrections, available here retrieved March 13 2008
- ^ City Jails Get a New Commissioner [1] The Village Voice
- ^ NYC Corrections Chevy Impala
- ^ NYC Corrections Vehicles
External links
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
