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DOC Testimonies

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 10, 2025

CONTACT: pressoffice@doc.nyc.gov

NYC DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION OPENS A NEW STAFF WELLNESS CENTER ON RIKERS ISLAND

EAST ELMHURST, NY − The New York City Department of Correction opened a new wellness center today inside a jail on Rikers Island, the first of many to come. The center at Otis Bantum Correctional Center features a gym, a serenity room, and a business center.

“Our staff are our greatest resource. Investing in them is investing in safe jails," said NYC Department of Correction Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie. “Having these resources available to them on-island will better support our staff's physical and emotional health and ensure they have increased opportunities to receive valuable training. I am proud to have these resources to show our staff that — for all they do to protect the wellbeing of others — their health matters to us.”

The gym features a full-service range of exercise equipment including elliptical machines, box jumps, kettle bells, resistance bands, jump ropes, dumbbell racks and weights for legs, arms, back and abs. The exercise gym is also equipped with televisions.

The business center comes with computers that will help officers — many of whom are not able to log onto the internet during work hours — perform required trainings.

The serenity room offers a quiet space to decompress after stressful events.

Around 800 uniformed staff are employed at the Otis Bantum Correctional Center.

The Department plans to open additional health centers at other facilities on Rikers Island in the months ahead.

This work builds on Commissioner Maginley-Liddie’s focus on staff wellness and retention. In 2024, the agency hosted two health conferences for the staff with additional conferences planned for 2025. In addition, with support from New York State, the Department’s Correction Assistance Response for Employees (C.A.R.E.) unit is working to create organizational culture change to support mental health at work, reduce the impact of workplace trauma and stress, promote acceptance of mental health care and wellness, increase access to peer programs and other social supports, introduce access and decrease barriers to wellness options at work and provide opportunities to learn about resilience, life skills, and healthy coping strategies.

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The New York City Department of Correction (DOC) is dedicated to creating a safe and supportive environment while providing individuals in our care with a path to successfully re-enter their communities.