Occ. Code 8700400
CORRECTION CAPTAIN, M-1
New York State Department of Civil Service
Classification Standard
Positions of Correction Captain are the second highest level uniformed officer in most correctional facilities of the Department of Correctional Services. Under the direction of the Deputy Superintendent for Security Services or a facility Superintendent, the position directs the security staff to ensure the security and safety of all persons and property at a correctional facility. The Correction Captain normally works the day or evening shift, relieves the Deputy Superintendent in his or her absence and may serve as administrative head of the facility at certain times. In addition, they may serve on various boards and committees.
A limited number of Correction Captain positions are assigned to the Main Office Command Center and other offices to provide an operational interface between Central Office units and the correctional facilities.
A position of Correction Captain also exists at the Departments Training Academy with responsibility for administering the Department training program for Correction Officer Trainees and for commanding the Correctional Emergency Response Team.
Positions of Correction Captain exist in most of the Department's correctional facilities, serving as executive officer with responsibility for directing the security staff to provide an adequate security program for the facility. Except for the positions at the Training Academy, work release facilities and some minimum security level facilities where the Captain also assumes certain administrative responsibilities, Correction Captains are supervised by a Deputy Superintendent for Security Services and, in turn, the Captains directly supervise Correction Lieutenants, who function as shift supervisors.
The direct responsibility for the maintenance of security and order within the facility combined with the periodic anti‑social behavior of some inmates presents a potential for immediate physical harm to a uniformed officer either in the form of a direct assault or in their quelling of disruptive behavior or disturbances among inmates. In emergency situations, such as attempted or actual escapes, disruption of facility operations, and riotous inmate behavior, the Correction Captain at a facility may be required to use firearms, chemical agents and other safety and emergency equipment.
Positions of Correction Captain are also assigned to various Main Office bureaus to serve as liaisons between the Departments executive staff and the correctional facilities in the implementation and administration of agency policies, procedures and directives. They provide technical assistance to correctional facility staff and Main Office personnel with regard to a variety of securityrelated matters, as well as maintain ongoing communications between Department executive staff and the correctional facilities for emergency response measures.
The Correction Captain position at the Departments Training Academy is not typical of the class. This position is supervised by the Director Correctional Services Training Academy and supervises the Lieutenants assigned to this facility.
ILLUSTRATIVE DUTIES
Executes Department policy and directives and implements the commands of the Deputy Superintendent and higher ranking authorities.
- Issues orders and disseminates required information to the subordinate security staff.
- Assigns Lieutenants to specific areas and/or tasks and establishes controls to determine compliance with directives.
- Ensures compliance with all agency standards regarding staffing and overtime utilization.
- Ensures compliance with American Correctional Association standards applied at a facility.
Observes and supervises subordinate staff in the performance of their duties, making frequent rounds of the facility.
- Provides subordinates with information regarding their assignments and with constructive criticism and guidance concerning their work performance.
- Performs annual and probationary evaluations of the Correction Lieutenants under their supervision.
- Reviews all marginal and unsatisfactory employee evaluations.
- Counsels employees found to have unsatisfactory evaluations in an effort to improve performance, as required.
Prepares and maintains appropriate and required reports and surveys.
- Participates with Main Office specialists and the Division of the Budget in the delineation and description of posts.
- Through the Watch Commander, ensures that daily coverage is provided for all critical posts.
Develops, with Deputy Superintendent for Security Services, the security plan for the facility.
- Supervises, through custodial staff, the control of inmate movement within the facility and coordinates custodial activities with other facility programs.
- Personally controls the issuance and use of keys, locks, weapons and other equipment from the arsenal key room area to authorized personnel.
- Orders Correction Officers to take master counts of inmates at designated times and assigns the responsibility to the Watch Commanders, or other subordinate employees, to verify accuracy.
Responsible for the control of contraband.
- Issues memoranda identifying types of contraband.
- Orders routine searches of inmate living quarters for detection of contraband.
- Supervises specific searches of facility areas to identify contraband.
Participates in labor-relations activities.
- Implements union contracts in relation to job assignments, days off, etc.
- Trains and advises subordinate supervisors on how to handle grievances.
- Responds to grievances and attends grievance hearings where applicable.
Adapts existing practices and develops new ones for security custody and control in response to changing situations in the facility.
- Evaluates problem areas through on‑site inspection and consultation with employees and other persons.
- Develops alternative solutions and decides on appropriate courses of action.
Assists in the preparation of the facility budget requests for the security program.
- Projects staff and equipment needs for upcoming budget periods.
- Justifies budget requests verbally and in writing to the Deputy Superintendent for Security Services or the Superintendent of the facility.
Develops procedures to deal with escapes and other emergencies.
- Assigns supervisors to continually evaluate and maintain escape and emergency procedures.
- Reviews escape and emergency procedures with responsible supervisors.
- Oversees employee training in the use of weapons, chemical agents and other safety and emergency equipment.
- Oversees the accuracy and updating of the facilitys Ready Emergency Data Book.
Conducts Superintendent's proceedings (Tier III) for severe inmate disciplinary cases in accordance with Chapters 5 and 6 of the posted regulations of the Department.
-Acts in judicial capacity in weighing all evidence and statements pertaining to charges against the inmate, makes decisions sustaining or dismissing the charges and, if sustained, establishes penalties within the purview of established Department procedure.
-Reviews the proceedings and determinations made at lower level Tier proceedings to ensure compliance with rules and regulations governing such proceedings.
Periodically assumes administrative responsibilities within the facility.
- Relieves the Deputy Superintendent for Security Services when he/she is absent.
- Serves as administrative head of the facility on certain weekends and holidays.
- Shares Officer-of-the-Day duties for designated periods.
Acts as a liaison between Central Office administration and the facilities, as assigned.
- Reviews and disseminates information regarding incident reports from facilities to the appropriate Executive Staff personnel.
- Maintains all logs and other books in the Departments Command Control Center.
- Designs, implements and monitors security staffing at various facilities.
- Participates in the development of staffing standards, operational procedures and systems of staff deployment at the Departments facilities.
The Captain works under the general direction of the Deputy Superintendent for Security Services and will relieve the Deputy Superintendent when he or she is absent. On certain weekends and holidays, the Captain will serve as the administrative head of the facility with responsibility for all operations. As with other uniformed custodial positions, Correction Captains work under policy guidelines, rules and regulations of the Department of Correctional Services and the New York State Correction Law.
Relationships with uniformed and civilian personnel are generally restricted to the communication of verbal and written orders and contacts made during the frequent spot checks on the security staff during each of the three shifts. The closest working relationships are with the Deputy Superintendent for Security Services, Correction Lieutenants, and with program directors in the facility to ensure adequate security coverage for their program areas. Generally, relationships among the uniformed security staff are clearly defined, being similar to those normally associated with a para-military organization. In some instances, a Correction Captain may work directly under a Superintendent or a Director of a Main Office unit to which they are assigned.
The requirement to serve on various committees and boards in the facility may call for the Captain to conduct fact-gathering interviews with inmates. The Captain also conducts portions of inmate orientation dealing with the safety and security of the institution operations, behavioral expectations and the explanation of rules, regulations and procedures dealing with daily institutional life. Beyond this type of activity, relationships with inmates are generally limited.
Participation in labor-relations activities requires the Captain to sit in as the designee of the Superintendent in conferences with labor representatives and aggrieved custodial employees and to attend labor/management meetings.
The Captain may conduct tours of the facility for the general public and the media and, on occasion, meet with the families of inmates to answer questions, explain the operation, organization and objectives of the facility, as well as the laws, rules and regulations governing its operation.
Periodically, the Correction Captain will assume administrative responsibility, relieving the Deputy Superintendent for Security Services in his or her absence and serving as administrative head of the facility on certain weekends and holidays. At these times, the Captain is responsible for the administrative direction of all custodial personnel and operations of the facility and will have frequent contact with Main Office personnel.
The Correction Captain, as the second highest-ranking uniformed officer in a correctional facility, directs the security program of the facility and is responsible for assigning and supervising the uniformed custodial staff. The size of staff varies depending upon the shift, security level and size of the facility. However, during the day shift, there may be as many as three Correction Lieutenants, ten Correction Sergeants and fifty or more Correction Officers.
Promotion: one year of permanent service as a Correction Lieutenant.
Revised: 7/03
NOTE: Classification Standards illustrate the nature, extent and scope of duties and responsibilities of the classes they describe. Standards cannot and do not include all of the work that might be appropriately performed by a class. The minimum qualifications above are those which were required for appointment at the time the Classification Standard was written. Please contact the Division of Staffing Services for current information on minimum qualification requirements for appointment or examination.