Audit Report on Potential Savings From Civilianizing Positions in Non-Incarceration Units of the New York City Department of Correction

AUDIT REPORT IN BRIEF

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.

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.

• 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.

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.