The City of New York Office of the Comptroller Bureau of Management Audit
Audit Report on Potential Savings From Civilianizing Positions in Non-Incarceration Units of the New York City Department of Correction
MG03-079A
May 21, 2003
AUDIT REPORT IN BRIEF
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This audit of the New York City Department of
Correction (DOC) reviewed opportunities for savings from civilianizing
positions in non-incarceration units at the department. The New
York City Department of Correction’s mission is to provide
custody, control, and care of inmates sentenced to less than one
year of incarceration, detainees awaiting trial or sentence, newly
sentenced felons awaiting transportation to State correctional
facilities, alleged parole violators awaiting revocation hearings,
and State prisoners with court appearances in New York City. DOC
provides professional services to inmates, including medical care
and mental health services, educational instruction, vocational
training, substance abuse counseling, and opportunities for religious
observance. DOC manages an average daily inmate population of between
14,000 to 19,000 individuals. DOC has about 10,500 uniformed officers
and about 1,600 civilian employees.
Audit Findings and Conclusions
The Department of Correction does not have an
ongoing systematic effort to identify uniformed positions for civilianization.
Also, DOC has not conducted a comprehensive civilianization review.
Over the years, the DOC has identified certain uniformed positions
for civilianization; however, these efforts have not been the result
of a regular systematic or comprehensive review of civilianization
opportunities in the department.
Based on our review of the 12 largest non-incarceration
units in the Department of Correction, we determined that 167 out
of the 1,235 uniformed positions in these units should be civilianized
for an annual savings of over $4.7 million. These savings could
be achieved over a period of time. As uniformed personnel resign,
retire, or otherwise leave the department, lower cost civilian
personnel should be hired or transferred to these units to begin
to assume some of the civilian-type functions currently being performed
by uniformed officers.
Audit Recommendations
- The Department of Correction should review and civilianize
the 167 positions identified in this report that are civilian
in nature and held by uniformed officers in 12 non-incarceration
units.
- The Department of Correction should conduct a comprehensive
review of all of its non-incarceration units to identify additional
civilianizable positions that would generate cost savings.
Department of Correction
Response
The matters covered in this report were discussed
with DOC officials during and at the conclusion of this audit.
A preliminary draft report was sent to DOC officials on March 10,
2003, and was discussed at an exit conference on April 2, 2003.
On April 11, 2003, we submitted a draft report to DOC officials
with a request for comments. We received a written response from
DOC officials on April 25, 2003. The Department of Correction generally
agreed with our findings and recommendations.
