Department of Correction

Correction


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 22, 2017

CONTACT: pressoffice@doc.nyc.gov, (718) 546-0631

Correction Department to Get New Academy
Largest-Ever Class of 902 Recruits Shows Agency’s Strength

MANHATTAN—The de Blasio administration has allocated $100 million in its capital budget for a new Correction Academy, it was announced today at the graduation ceremony of 902 new officers.

“In our more than 120-year history, we have never had a state of the art training facility, and we look forward to this new chapter,” Acting First Deputy Commissioner Cynthia Brann said at the ceremony, held at The Theater at Madison Square Garden.

She also praised the Correction Academy staff for the great accomplishment of training the new officers, the Department’s largest class ever. The 902-member class follows recent classes of 711 and 622 in 2016, themselves records.

The 14-Point Anti-Violence Reform Agenda has guided Department for the three years. The reforms have scored an array of accomplishments, including the launching of model facilities, the creation of effective person in custody educational opportunities and services, comprehensive security camera coverage, and the reduction of the most serious violence.

Acting First Deputy Commissioner Brann told the crowd of several thousand that for the past three years, the Department had put in place some of the changes necessary to return DOC to its rightful place as America’s leading correctional agency. “We have come a long way with steady improvement, but we have much more hard work ahead of us,” she said.

About the Graduating Class

The graduating class of 611 men and 291 women comes from a wide range of backgrounds. This diverse class possesses the combined educational expertise of 15 master’s degrees, 254 bachelor’s degrees, and 158 associate’s degree. The class has 90 members with a military background.

The Department of Correction is often regarded as a family and is known for employing multiple generations of family members. This recruit class is no different, with 127 recruits having family members who are currently on the job. These relatives include 21 cousins, 10 sisters, 28 brothers, 18 fathers, 3 uncles, 10 aunts, 3 husbands, 1 wife, 1 daughter, and 1 grandmother.

The class includes recruit officers from every borough with Brooklyn – at 217 – contributing the largest number, and 179 from Queens, 166 from the Bronx, 63 from Manhattan, and 54 from Staten Island. In addition, there are 95 from Nassau County, 80 from Suffolk County, 26 from Westchester, 11 from Orange County, 10 from Rockland County, and 1 from Putnam County. The class valedictorian is Officer Malgorzata Hernandez. The salutatorian is Officer George Kalemkeridis.

About the New York City Department of Correction

The New York City Department of Correction (DOC) provides for the care, custody, and control of persons accused of crimes or convicted and sentenced to one year or less of jail time. The Department manages 12 person in custody facilities, 9 of which are located on Rikers Island. In addition, the Department operates two hospital Prison Wards (Bellevue and Elmhurst hospitals) and court holding facilities in each borough. During Fiscal Year 2016, the Department handled over 63,000 admissions.