New York State of Opportunity

Correction Officer Trainee

Written Test To Be Held
February 02, 2019
Applications Must Be Submitted or Postmarked By
December 12, 2018

 

Exams Included on This Announcement
Exam Number Exam Title Salary Salary Grade Non−Refundable Processing Fee (Waivers available)
26-647 Correction Officer Trainee * NS $35
26-648 Correction Officer Trainee (Spanish Language) * NS
Hiring Rate6-month Rate*Salary
$40,590$42,695$48,889

IMPORTANT: Unless waived, you must pay the non-refundable processing fee. For information on fee waivers, visit https://www.cs.ny.gov/examannouncements/types/oc/appinfo.cfm##Fee. It is important that you verify that you entered the correct examination number and title on your online or paper application prior to submitting. If you apply online, you should immediately review your email confirmation notice to verify that you applied for the correct examination. If you do not receive a confirmation number after submitting your online application, your application was NOT received by the Department of Civil Service. No late applications will be accepted after the filing deadline has passed.

Appointees who work in the five boroughs of New York City or in Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, or Westchester Counties will receive an additional $3,026 annual downstate adjustment.

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Minimum Qualifications

At the time of appointment, you must meet the following requirements:

  1. You must be at least 21 years of age.
  2. You must be a high school graduate or have a high school equivalency diploma (issued by an appropriate State education authority). The diploma issued to the high school graduate must be from an accredited public or private school recognized by the New York State Education Department. Diplomas issued through a home study course and not by an appropriate educational authority are not acceptable.
  3. By New York State law, a Correction Officer is a peace officer and must be qualified to hold such office and must be a United States citizen.
  4. Correction Officers are Public Officers. Therefore, although New York State residency is not required to take the written test, New York State residency is required to accept and continue employment.

Notes

  1. All appointees will be employed as Trainees.
  2. If you pass the examination for No. 26-648 Correction Officer Trainee (Spanish Language), you will be required to demonstrate your Spanish language proficiency at a level that will ensure your ability to properly perform the duties of the position. Only enough candidates to fill the current vacancies will be called to the proficiency test.
  3. If you submit an application for No. 26-648, Correction Officer Trainee (Spanish Language), an application will automatically be submitted for you for No. 26-647, Correction Officer Trainee at no additional cost.
  4. Physical/Medical Requirements: Your physical and medical condition will be evaluated to ensure that you are able to satisfactorily perform the duties of this position with or without reasonable accommodation. The physical/medical standards include a fitness test, a medical standards evaluation, and a substance abuse screening. A complete statement of the physical and medical standards is available at:https://www.cs.ny.gov/ehs/forms.cfm. A medical examination will be required prior to appointment, and you are responsible for payment of the clinical laboratory test fee. Appointees to this position may be required to undergo periodic medical examinations to reassess their ability to perform the essential duties of the position.
  5. Drug Testing: Prior to appointment, you will be required to participate in a drug screening test and are responsible for the clinical laboratory fee. Failure to meet the standards may result in your disqualification.
  6. Psychological Evaluation: Prior to appointment, you will be required to participate in a psychological evaluation to determine your fitness to perform the essential duties of the position. Failure to meet the standards may result in disqualification.

The Positions:

Correction Officer positions are located throughout New York State in various facilities of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.

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Duties

As a Correction Officer, under the direct supervision of a higher-ranking officer, you would be responsible for the custody and security, as well as the safety and well-being, of criminal offenders in New York State Correctional Facilities. You would supervise the movement and activities of inmates, make periodic rounds of assigned areas, conduct searches for contraband, maintain order within the facility, and prepare reports as necessary. You would advise inmates of the rules and regulations governing the operation of the facility and assist them in resolving problems. You would have a high degree of responsibility for your actions and decisions. You would play a large role in the rehabilitative process related to the incarcerated population. You may also be required to carry firearms in the performance of certain duties and to perform other related work as required.

Background Investigation: You will undergo a thorough background investigation to determine your suitability for appointment as a Correction Officer. Conviction of a felony will bar appointment. Conviction of misdemeanors or violations of law may bar appointment. A person adjudicated as a youthful offender may be disqualified from appointment. Failure to meet the standards for the background investigation will result in disqualification. Fingerprinting is required and you will be responsible for paying the fee.

Character and Fitness: Each potential appointee will be the subject of a thorough investigation to help determine character and fitness, and also to verify information provided by the applicant. Applicants must authorize access to educational, financial, military, employment, criminal history, and mental health records. Information contained in such records will be reviewed and evaluated and, if found to be inconsistent with the qualifications for appointment, will result in disqualification. Candidates who receive a satisfactory evaluation on the background investigation and meet all other administrative requirements, will be considered for appointment.

Traineeship: As a Correction Officer Trainee, you will be required to participate in and satisfactorily complete all requirements of a 12-month traineeship program before you can advance to Correction Officer. Upon initial appointment, you must attend the DOCCS Training Academy, which is a paid training program structured in a paramilitary environment. You must reside at the Training Academy Sunday evenings through Friday afternoons for a period of 8 weeks. The Training Academy program will include academic courses in emergency response procedures and concepts and issues in corrections. You will also receive physical training to develop fitness, strength, and stamina. Failure to maintain the required academic standing, demonstrate proficiency (qualify) with department issued firearms, demonstrate proficiency in department approved defensive tactic techniques, obtain certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), or meet the physical standards will result in your employment being terminated. Upon graduation from the Training Academy Program, you will be a New York State Peace Officer and receive field training for 4 weeks; then be assigned to full duty at a Correctional Facility based upon the staffing needs of the department.

Probation: All appointees will be required to serve and satisfactorily complete a probationary period of up to 52 weeks which begins at the time of permanent appointment. During probation, performance will be periodically reviewed and carefully evaluated. A probationer who fails to meet the performance standards may be terminated at any time.

Advancement: Upon successful completion of the probationary period, Trainees will be appointed to Correction Officer (G-14).

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Subject of Examination

There will be a written test which you must pass in order to be considered for appointment. The written test is designed to test for knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in such areas as:

  1. Observing and recalling facts and information - These questions test for the ability to observe and recall information presented. You will be presented with information describing or depicting prison scenes or other facts. You will have a short time to observe and memorize the information before it is collected by the monitor. You will then be asked to recall specific details about the information presented.
  2. Applying written information in a correctional services setting - These questions test for the ability to read, interpret, and apply rules, regulations, directives, written narratives and other related material. You will be required to read a set of information, and to appropriately apply the information to situations similar to those typically experienced in a correctional services setting. All the information needed to answer the questions asked concerning the situations presented is contained in the rules, regulations, etc., which are cited.
  3. Understanding and interpreting written material - These questions test for the ability to understand and interpret written material. You will be presented with brief reading passages and will be asked questions about the passages. You should base your answers to the questions only on what is presented in the passages and not on what you may happen to know about the topic.
  4. Preparing written material ? These questions test for the ability to present information clearly and accurately, and to organize paragraphs logically and comprehensibly. For some questions, you will be given information in two or three sentences followed by four restatements of the information. You must then choose the best version. For other questions, you will be given paragraphs with their sentences out of order. You must then choose, from four suggestions, the best order for the sentences.

Your final score must be 70 or higher in order to pass. Rank on the eligible list will be determined after adding any wartime Veterans' and Civil Service Law Section 85-a credits to your final passing score.

Test Guide

A Guide to the Written Test for the Entry-Level Correction Officer Series is available on the Department website at http://www.cs.ny.gov/testing/testguides.cfm.

Important: The Department of Civil Service and other state agencies may communicate with you through email correspondence. This may include the notification of your examination results and canvassing you for interest in appointment. It will be important for you to keep your email address, phone number and mailing address current by logging into https://www.cs.ny.gov/home/myaccount.

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How To Apply

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Additional Information

New York State is an Equal Opportunity Employer

It is the policy of the State of New York to provide for and promote equal opportunity employment, compensation, and other terms and conditions of employment without unlawful discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, disability, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, veteran or military service member status, marital status, domestic violence victim status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, arrest and/or criminal conviction record, or any other category protected by law, unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification or other exception.

Appointment to many positions in State government require candidates to undergo an investigative screening. This may include a thorough character investigation, a Federal Bureau of Investigation Criminal Record History Check, a Child Abuse Registry clearance, or other similar procedures. Candidates may be fingerprinted and may be required to pay any necessary fees for that procedure. Depending on the nature of the job, the criminal convictions discovered, or any falsified or omitted information revealed, the investigative findings may bar appointment or result in removal after appointment.

Eligibility for Employment

You must be legally eligible to work in the United States at the time of appointment and throughout your employment with New York State. If appointed, you must produce documents that establish your identity and eligibility to work in the United States, as required by the federal Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, and the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Religious Accommodation

Most written tests are held on Saturdays. If you cannot take the test on the announced test date, due to a conflict with a religious observance or practice, check the box under “Religious Accommodation.” We will make arrangements for you to take the test on a different date (usually the following day).

Reasonable Accommodations in Testing

It is the policy of the Department of Civil Service, in accordance with the New York State Human Rights Law and the Americans with Disabilities Act, to provide qualified persons with disabilities equal employment opportunity and equal opportunity to participate in and receive the benefits, services, programs, and activities of the Department. It is the policy of the Department to provide such persons reasonable accommodations and reasonable modifications as are necessary to provide equal opportunity. Persons with disabilities who require an accommodation to participate in an examination must note this on their application. Further information is available from the Test Administration Unit of the Department of Civil Service. In the Albany area, call 518-457-2487. Outside of the Albany area, call toll free at 1-877-697-5627. For TDD services, call NY Relay at 711 (requires a fee) or 1-800-662-1220.

Admission to Examination

Notice to appear for the test may be conditional as review of applications may not be made until after the test. If you have not received your notice to appear for the written test three days before the date of the test, email us at AdmissionNotices@cs.ny.gov. Please provide your first and last name, address, and the last four digits of your social security number, and we will provide you with the information you need to attend your written test. If you have an issue other than not receiving your admission notice, please contact our office at (518) 474-6470 in the Albany area or toll free at 1-877-697-5627. Please leave a clear concise message and provide your first and last name, last four digits of your social security number and a daytime phone number.

Taking State and Local Examinations Scheduled for the Same Day

If you have applied to take a written test announced by either one or several local jurisdictions (county, town, city) scheduled to be held on the same test date as this written test, you must notify each of the local jurisdictions no later than two weeks before the test date to make arrangements for taking all tests at one test site. All tests will be held at the state examination center. For your convenience, contact information for all local civil service agencies is available on our website at: https://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/local.cfm.

Cell Phones or Electronic/Communication Devices at the Test Site

Do not bring cell phones, beepers, headphones, or any electronic or other communication devices to the test site. The use of such devices at the test site in the test room, hallways, restrooms, building, grounds, or other areas could result in your disqualification.

S2/TC2 MLK-dah
Issued: 10/12/2018

This announcement is subject to amendment or cancellation without notice. Do not copy it, or post it to any other site, but link to it instead.

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