New York City Department of Correction
Encyclopedia
The New York City Department of Correction is responsible for New York City's
inmates, housing the majority of them on Rikers Island
. It employs 9,500 uniformed officers and 1,400 civilian staff, has 543 vehicles, and processes over 100,000 new inmates every year, retaining a population of inmates of between 13,000 and 18,000. Its nickname is New York's Boldest. 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
.
, then called Blackwell's Island, was the main penal institution under the jurisdiction of the DOC until the 1930s when it was closed. The penal institutions moved to Rikers Island, which the city purchased for $180,000, where 10 prisons and 17,000 inmates are now held.
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. By 2007, the number of stabbings was reduced to 19, making that year the Department of Correction's safest on record.
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. Schriro was named in several federal court cases such as Schriro v. Smith and Schriro v. Summerlin
. Schriro served with the United States Department of Homeland Security
prior to coming to the Department.
s authorized to make warrantless
arrest
s, carry and use a firearm
, and use physical and deadly force. Officers have peace officer powers both on and off duty.
, 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.
models 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. Glock Model 17,19,26.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
inmates, housing the majority of them on Rikers Island
Rikers Island
Rikers Island is New York City's main jail complex, as well as the name of the island on which it sits, in the East River between Queens and the mainland Bronx, adjacent to the runways of LaGuardia Airport. The island itself is part of the borough of the Bronx, though it is included as part of...
. It employs 9,500 uniformed officers and 1,400 civilian staff, has 543 vehicles, and processes over 100,000 new inmates every year, retaining a population of inmates of between 13,000 and 18,000. Its nickname is New York's Boldest. Previously located in Manhattan, the Department of Correction headquarters has now moved to the Bulova
Bulova
Bulova is a corporation making luxury watches and clocks. It has its headquarters in Woodside, Queens, New York City.Bulova was founded and incorporated as the J. Bulova Company in 1875 by Joseph Bulova , an immigrant from Bohemia...
building in the northern section of Jackson Heights, Queens
Jackson Heights, Queens
Jackson Heights is a neighborhood in the Northwestern portion of the borough of Queens in New York, New York, United States. The neighborhood is part of Queens Community Board 3...
, minutes from Rikers Island
Rikers Island
Rikers Island is New York City's main jail complex, as well as the name of the island on which it sits, in the East River between Queens and the mainland Bronx, adjacent to the runways of LaGuardia Airport. The island itself is part of the borough of the Bronx, though it is included as part of...
.
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. Roosevelt IslandRoosevelt Island
Roosevelt Island, known as Welfare Island from 1921 to 1973, and before that Blackwell's Island, is a narrow island in the East River of New York City. It lies between the island of Manhattan to its west and the borough of Queens to its east...
, then called Blackwell's Island, was the main penal institution under the jurisdiction of the DOC until the 1930s when it was closed. The penal institutions moved to Rikers Island, which the city purchased for $180,000, where 10 prisons and 17,000 inmates are now held.
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. By 2007, the number of stabbings was reduced to 19, making that year the Department of Correction's safest on record.
In 2009, former commissioner of both the Missouri and Arizona prison systems
Arizona Department of Corrections
The Arizona Department of Corrections is in charge of the incarceration of inmates in 10 prisons in the U.S. state of Arizona. As of April 2009, the ADC manages over 40,191 imprisoned inmates and over 7,216 inmates who have been paroled or that are statutorily released. ADC is also in involved in...
Dora Schriro was selected to head the department, with some citing a need in the department for a boost in morale. Schriro was named in several federal court cases such as Schriro v. Smith and Schriro v. Summerlin
Schriro v. Summerlin
Schriro v. Summerlin, 542 U.S. 348 , was a case in which the United States Supreme Court held that a requirement that a different Supreme Court decision requiring the jury rather than the judge to find aggravating factors would not be applied retroactively.-Facts:In April 1981, Warren Wesley...
. Schriro served with the United States Department of Homeland Security
United States Department of Homeland Security
The United States Department of Homeland Security is a cabinet department of the United States federal government, created in response to the September 11 attacks, and with the primary responsibilities of protecting the territory of the United States and protectorates from and responding to...
prior to coming to the Department.
Power and Authority of Correction Officers
NYC Correction officers are New York State peace officerPeace officer
A law enforcement officer , in North America, is any public-sector employee or agent whose duties involve the enforcement of laws. The phrase can include police officers, prison officers, customs officers, immigration officers, bailiffs, probation officers, parole officers, auxiliary officers, and...
s authorized to make warrantless
Warrant (law)
Most often, the term warrant refers to a specific type of authorization; a writ issued by a competent officer, usually a judge or magistrate, which permits an otherwise illegal act that would violate individual rights and affords the person executing the writ protection from damages if the act is...
arrest
Arrest
An arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others...
s, carry and use a firearm
Firearm
A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
, 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 rank insignia. 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 |
|---|---|
| Commissioner of Department |  |
| Chief of Department / First Deputy Commissioner |  |
| Deputy Chief / Deputy Commissioner |  |
| Supervising Warden / Associate Commissioner |  |
| Warden / Assistant Commissioner |  |
| Deputy Warden in Command |  |
| Deputy Warden / Chaplain | |
| Assistant Deputy Warden |  |
| Correction Captain | |
| 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, Investigation Division, Intelligence Unit, Academy and Firearms Training Units, etc.)Equipment and Vehicles
Correction officers are equipped with a firearm, celayaton batonBaton (law enforcement)
A truncheon or baton is essentially a club of less than arm's length made of wood, plastic, or metal...
, canister of chemical agent, handcuffs
Handcuffs
Handcuffs are restraint devices designed to secure an individual's wrists close together. They comprise two parts, linked together by a chain, a hinge, or rigid bar. Each half has a rotating arm which engages with a ratchet that prevents it from being opened once closed around a person's wrist...
, flashlight
Flashlight
A flashlight is a hand-held electric-powered light source. Usually the light source is a small incandescent lightbulb or light-emitting diode...
, 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.
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.38 Special
The .38 Smith & Wesson Special is a rimmed, centerfire cartridge designed by Smith & Wesson. It is most commonly used in revolvers, although some semi-automatic pistols and carbines also use this round...
models 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. Glock Model 17,19,26.
Fallen officers
Since the establishment of the New York City Department of Correction, 9 officers have died in the line of duty.| Officer | Date of Death | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Deputy Keeper Hugh McGovern | |
Assault |
| Keeper Jeremiah Murphy | |
Gunfire |
| Warden Peter J. Mallon | |
Gunfire |
| Deputy Warden William J. McConnell | |
Gunfire |
| Correction Officer George Motchan | |
Gunfire |
| Captain Stanley Delano Rhem | |
Gunfire |
| Corrections Officer Arturo M. Meyers | |
Gunfire |
| Corrections Officer Bruce Mayo | |
Gunfire |
| Correction Officer Kenny Michael Duncan | |
Gunfire |
Notable People Working at NYC DOC
Over the years, several notable people have come through the ranks of DOC:- Mickey MarcusMickey MarcusDavid Daniel "Mickey" Marcus was a United States Army colonel who assisted Israel during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and who became Israel's first general . He was killed by friendly fire, when he was mistaken for an enemy infiltrator while returning to Israeli positions at night.Marcus is the best...
, Commissioner in 1940- Would go on to serve in World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
with the United States ArmyUnited States ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and later join the Israeli Defense Force and be instrumental in leading their forces during that country's independence movement. - Bernard KerikBernard KerikBernard Bailey "Bernie" Kerik is a former New York City Police Commissioner, Secretary of Homeland Security nominee, and now a federal felon. Kerik was New York City Police Commissioner from 2000 to 2001, under Mayor Rudy Giuliani. In December 2004, President George W. Bush nominated Kerik as...
, Commissioner in 1994-Would eventually become Commissioner of NYPD and later be nominated for Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, which eventually brought up corruption and ethics violations after an investigation into his background.
See also
- List of law enforcement agencies in New York
- New York City Department of ProbationNew York City Department of ProbationThe New York City Department of Probation is a department of the government of New York City responsible for providing supervision for adults and juveniles placed on probation by judges in the Supreme, Criminal, and Family courts...
- New York State Department of Correctional ServicesNew York State Department of Correctional ServicesThe New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision or NYSDOCCS is the agency of New York State responsible for the care, confinement, and rehabilitation of approximately 63,000 inmates at 71 correctional facilities funded by the State of New York. The department employs...
- CorrectionsCorrectionsIn criminal justice, particularly in North America, correction, corrections, and correctional, are umbrella terms describing a variety of functions typically carried out by government agencies and involving the punishment, treatment, and supervision of persons who have been convicted of crimes....