Senator Fuschillo Informs Residents About Upcoming Correction Officer Trainee Examination

A statewide competitive Civil Service exam for the position of correction officer trainee will be held on April 4, 2009.

There are no minimum requirements for taking this written examination. However, at the time of appointment, you must have passed the written exam, you must be 21 or older, a U.S. citizen and a resident of New York, and possess a high school diploma or GED. Appointees must also have passed medical and psychological screenings, as well as a background investigation. Conviction for a felony automatically disqualifies anyone from becoming a correction officer. Misdemeanor convictions are reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine eligibility. Applications must be postmarked by February 17, 2009.

The starting annual salary for a trainee is $34,329. After completing the eight-week training program, each trainee receives a $200 lump sum payment. After six months, trainees’ salaries increase to $36,111. After the full one-year probationary period, each officer will earn 16 college credits and receive an approximate 20 percent pay increase over the starting salary, to $41,348. In addition to the base salary, appointees will receive a comprehensive health insurance program, retirement benefits, and pre-shift briefing which amount to $1,727 annually.

Officers working at correctional facilities in the New York City area and select Mid-Hudson areas will receive an addition to their salary - $3,029 annually for working in New York City or Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland or Westchester counties, or $1,126 annually for working in Dutchess, Orange or Putnam counties. There are also evening and night shift inconvenience pay programs.

The exam is administered by the New York State Department of Civil Service. Additional information is available here, or by telephone toll-free at (877) 697-5627, option 2.

“Well-trained and dedicated correction officers keep our prisons and our communities safe,” said New York State Department of Correctional Services Commissioner Brian Fischer. “This exam is the starting point for an important career for the men and women of New York.

“In the last 25 years, the rate of inmate-on-staff and inmate-on-inmate assaults has dropped dramatically in our correctional facilities. Governor Paterson is committed to doing all we can to continue to protect our law enforcement officers to ensure public safety.”

Commissioner Fischer noted Governor Paterson’s commitment to diversity in the workforce and is encouraging women and minorities to apply to join New York’s 19,490-member correction officer workforce.

To ensure a successful recruitment for April’s competitive exam, test announcements and applications will be distributed at multiple locations as well as the Department of Civil Service’s website (www.cs.state.ny.us), its Albany location, its regional Civil Service offices, local New York State Employment Offices, and all State correctional facilities.

In addition, announcements and applications can be obtained by contacting Correctional Services at NYSDOCS, Correction Officer Recruitment Unit, Building 2, The Harriman State Campus, 1220 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY, 12226 or by calling us at (518) 457-8131, or via the internet at www.docs.state.ny.us.

Individuals who passed the October 18, 2008 exam (25-103 and 25-104) will remain eligible for appointment.