Andrew M. Cuomo Governor
| The New York State Department of Corrections and Community
Supervision, guided by the Departmental Mission,
is responsible for the confinement and habilitation of approximately
56,000 offenders held at 60 state facilities
including the 915 bed Willard Drug Treatment Campus. |
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New York State Community, Opportunity, and Re-Investment InitiativeA Solicitation of Interest intended to generate information and interest in place based strategies in 13 selected cities throughout the State may be found on the NYS Department of Health website. This solicitation is intended to result in collection of information and recommendations that will be used to inform future initiatives to collaboratively address the multi-faceted issues and concerns that confront residents of cities throughout New York State. |
DOCCS Commissioner Brian Fischer today (October 2, 2012) issued a public statement in response to a New York Civil Liberties Union report regarding the use of disciplinary segregation in DOCCS facilities.
Commissioner Fischer today announced that updated New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) prison facility visitation regulations, adopted in March 2012, take effect October 1, 2012.
The Greenwich Fire Department accepted a newly refurbished bus from the staff and inmates at the Hudson Correctional Facility (Columbia County) on September 25, 2012. The two year project, which was funded by community sponsors and the Greenwich Fire Department, converted an old school bus into a classroom to teach fire prevention at Greenwich (Washington County) area schools.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has proclaimed September 15 through October 15 as
Hispanic Heritage Month 
. At DOCCS, we recognize the hard work of our entire
statewide Hispanic work force who work tirelessly on maintaining safety inside
our prisons and our communities, while improving communication, program opportunities,
and cultural issues, which are specifically designed for Hispanic offenders
preparing to successfully reintegrate into the community. We thank the members
of our Hispanic work force for their contributions to the agency.
DOCCS Commissioner Fischer joined current and former DOCCS senior staff members, as well as Shock Incarceration
Program staff from across New York State, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the creation of the state's
Shock Incarceration Program. The ceremony was held at the site of the first Shock program, Monterey Shock
Incarceration Facility, and it featured a drill demonstration of a Monterey Shock platoon, remarks from
former and current DOCCS Shock senior staff, Commissioner Fischer and the issuance of an Executive Chamber
Proclamation by Governor Cuomo proclaiming September 12, 2012 as New York State Department of Corrections
and Community Supervision Shock Incarceration Program Day.
Inmates from Orleans’ Civic Duty Initiative Team conveyed a message
about gun violence during the September 7th Rochester Police Department press
conference to announce the city’s September 22nd gun buy-back program.
The program will, in part, be funded by more than $1,000 donated by the Orleans
Civic Duty Initiative
Team. In the press
release , Commissioner Fischer said, “Public Safety remains a critical
component of everyone’s concern. Taking a common-sense approach to facilitate
a gun buyback project will help save lives. With the idea of a few, and the
determination of many, together we can reduce gun violence and make great
strides in our communities. I commend the inmates at the Orleans Correctional
Facility and their Civic Duty Initiative Team for their dedication to this
project.”
Inmate Mark David Chapman (81A3860) was interviewed by videoconference at the maximum security Wende Correctional Facility by the New York State Board of Parole on Wednesday, August 22nd. Chapman, 57, was denied parole.This was Chapman’s seventh appearance before the Parole Board. His next scheduled appearance will be in August 2014.
Commissioner Fischer contributed an op-ed column to the Times Union (Albany, NY), which was published on Monday, August 20, 2012. Commissioner Fischer’s column emphasized the importance of maintaining the safety and security of DOCCS employees and the offenders under custody in the Department’s 60 facilities.
DOCCS today issued information that refutes allegations by NYSCOPBA that DOCCS facilities are understaffed and encountering elevated levels of violence. Please see the press release.
The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision today announced it has extended the validation period of the Standard Offender Identification card that is issued to newly-released offenders from 60-days to 90-days. Details are provided in a press release.
Building on Governor Cuomo’s directive last year to close seven prisons, which will save state taxpayers an estimated $184 million, the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision today announced that its annual review of residential staff housing will include the eventual elimination of staff residences that do not meet the core mission of the agency. Details are provided in a press release.
DOCCS Commissioner Brian Fischer has announced the Department’s annual review of all staff housing and property assets. The Department follows guidelines for housing rental rates based on collective bargaining agreements, which are promulgated in the recently updated NYS Division of Budget’s Budget Policy and Reporting Manual, B-300. Details are provided in a press release.
Updated New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) prison facility visitation regulations have been published in the New York State Register. In accordance with the State Administrative Procedure Act, DOCCS Commissioner Brian Fischer, on March 13th, filed a Notice of Adoption of visitation regulation changes with NYS Department of State. The updated visitation regulations will go into effect on October 1, 2012. Please see the press release and Visiting Program Guidelines.
Commissioner Brian Fischer appeared at the public hearing on the Public Protection portion of the 2012-13 Executive Budget, held by the State Legislature's fiscal committees on January 30, 2012, and presented testimony on the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision's proposed budget for the fiscal year that begins April 1, 2012.
Work-Life Services provides New York State employees with a comprehensive network of resources to address their work, home, and life issues. Detailed information about these negotiated benefits is available at www.worklife.ny.gov and through program-specific telephone numbers and websites.
NYS-Balance, a confidential resource and referral service for NYS employees,
offers monthly webinars
.
A complete 2012 listing is available in two flyers,
January-June and July-December.
Additionally, we are pleased to share “Benefits
of the NYS Peer Employee Assistance EAP” with you. This document
describes the many benefits of the NYS EAP peer model and the wide range of
EAP services available to both employees and agencies.
Employees enrolled in the Flex Spending Account for the 2011 plan year have until March 31, 2012 to send in reimbursement requests for eligible expenses incurred under the Health Care Spending Account and the Dependent Care Advantage Account. For more information, log onto www.flexspend.ny.gov or call 1-800-358-7202.
Work-Life Services has scheduled full-day seminars for executive branch state employees to be held throughout NY. If you are eligible to retire in five years and have not previously attended a Directions: Pre-Retirement Planning Seminar, you are eligible to attend. Please contact your agency Human Resources Office to let your agency liaison know of your interest. You must be registered by your agency and have a confirmation notice in order to attend. Seminars have been planned at the following locations: March 8 in West Harrison, March 14 in Albany, March 22 in Liverpool, March 28 in Buffalo, April 5 in Albany, May 3 in Islandia, May 16 in Fishkill, May 23 in Binghamton, May 31 in Watertown, June 7 in Manhattan, June 11 in Albany, and June 28 in Rochester. For pre-retirement planning information including the Self Help Guide to Pre-Retirement Planning and 22 short videos, visit www.worklife.ny.gov/preretirement.
