The New York State Department of Corrections is responsible for the incarceration and subsequent rehabilitation of more than 53,550 inmates across 54 state facilities. These men and women are supervised by 28,441 correctional officers who are sworn to foster an environment where offenders, staff, and the community feel secure while implementing treatment plans to support each inmate on their journey back to freedom. Additionally, the county jail system, consisting of facilities like Allegany County Jail and Broome County Public Safety Facility uses state funding and resources. Finally there are four federal penitentiaries in New York that also require funding and support from the state. With the evolving needs of the corrections industry, it is no surprise that the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts an upward trend in job creation throughout the state. Total roles for front line correctional officers are expected to exceed 29,863 in total by 2022. Between this forecast and vacancies due to retirement, attrition, and promotion, the state of New York has mounted an active campaign for recruits. To learn more about corrections in New York, read on.
Top Schools Supporting Careers in Criminal Justice & Corrections
The following rankings are based on student data, published surveys, and other school and career data collected from several sources which include the following government agencies:
Data Sources
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)
By obtaining our base data set from the above data sources, schools were ranked using the criteria below:
- Schools with less than 10 total graduates per year were omitted in order to maintain statistical integrity
- Schools must have at least 1 graduate in the field of criminal justice
- Only 4-year, 2-year, and technical public and private non-profit schools were included
Schools were sorted in order of the highest percentage of total students graduating with a degree in the field of criminal justice (CIPCODES: 43.0102, 43.0110, 43.0113, 43.0103, 43.0104, 43.0107, 43.0109, 43.0111, 43.0112, 43.0199).
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice ranks 1st in our rankings with a thousand students completing programs in security and loss prevention services and securities services administration and management out of a total 5,976 graduates.
Ranking Details
- Percent of Graduates: 24.36%
- Program Graduates: 1,456
- Total Graduates: 5,976
- Programs:
- Corrections
- Law Enforcement Administration
- Police Science
- Security And Loss Prevention Services
- Securities Services Administration and management
- Corrections Administration
Hilbert College
Hilbert College ranks 2nd in our latest rankings with 101 students graduating from programs in law enforcement administration, criminal justice, and criminal justice out of a total 522 students from the 2012-2013 school year.
SUNY College of Technology at Canton
SUNY College of Technology at Canton ranks 3rd in our rankings with 175 students graduating from programs in law enforcement administration, criminal justice, and corrections out of a total a thousand graduates from the 2012-2013 school year.
Cayuga County Community College
An essential educational resource for the Auburn, New York area, Cayuga County Community College is an affiliate of the State University of New York (SUNY) Network. With foundational values of diversity and affordability, CCCC strives to create engaged citizens who are career-ready. To this end, the college has an array of programs for students interested in Criminal Justice associate's and bachelor's degrees. Use of instructors who are veterans of their field as well as smaller class sizes ensures students enter the field prepared for its challenges.
Ulster County Community College
Ulster County Community College ranks 5th in our latest rankings with 74 students graduating from programs in law enforcement administration and criminal justice out of a total a thousand students.
Keuka College
Keuka College ranks 6th in our rankings with eighty-eight students graduating from programs in law enforcement administration out of a total 1,278 students from the 2012-2013 school year.
Herkimer County Community College
Herkimer County Community College ranks seventh in our latest rankings with 67 students graduating from programs in law enforcement administration, criminal justice, and corrections out of a total a thousand students in the 2012-2013 school year.
Jamestown Community College
Jamestown Community College ranks 8th in our rankings with 81 students completing programs in corrections, criminal justice, and law enforcement administration out of a total a thousand graduates.
Adirondack Community College
Located in Queensbury, New York, Adirondack Community College is part of the SUNY college network, serving students throughout the New York state. A public 2-year facility with over 2,500 full-time, on-campus students, ACC specializes in offering affordable and accessible certificate and associate's programs to the area. Students interested in pursuing a career in corrections are encouraged to apply to ACC's associate degree program for Criminal Justice - Police Science whose program facilitates entry into the enforcement field.
Jefferson Community College
Jefferson Community College ranks 10th in our rankings with sixty-six students graduating from programs in law enforcement administration out of a total 1,236 graduates in the 2012-2013 school year.
Schenectady County Community College
Schenectady County Community College ranks 11th in our rankings with 60 students graduating from programs in law enforcement administration out of a total a thousand graduates in the 2012-2013 school year.
St Thomas Aquinas College
St Thomas Aquinas College ranks 12th in our latest rankings with 33 students completing programs in law enforcement administration out of a total 672 students.
Clinton Community College
Clinton Community College ranks 13th in our latest rankings with 38 students completing programs in criminal justice out of a total 780 graduates.
Erie Community College
Erie Community College ranks 14th in our latest rankings with 232 students completing programs in law enforcement administration and criminal justice out of a total 4,934 students.
Columbia-Greene Community College
Columbia-Greene Community College ranks fifteenth in our latest rankings with 33 students completing programs in criminal justice and law enforcement administration out of a total 706 graduates.
LIU Brentwood
LIU Brentwood ranks 16th in our rankings with fifteen students completing programs in law enforcement administration out of a total 322 students in the 2012-2013 school year.
North Country Community College
North Country Community College ranks 17th in our latest rankings with twenty-five students graduating from programs in law enforcement administration out of a total 560 students from the 2012-2013 school year.
Orange County Community College
Orange County Community College ranks 18th in our rankings with seventy students completing programs in law enforcement administration and criminal justice out of a total a thousand graduates in the 2012-2013 school year.
Onondaga Community College
Onondaga Community College ranks 19th in our latest rankings with 104 students graduating from programs in criminal justice and law enforcement administration out of a total 2,590 graduates.
Genesee Community College
Genesee Community College ranks 20th in our rankings with seventy students graduating from programs in law enforcement administration out of a total 1,746 students.
Continued List of All Criminal Jusitice Programs in New York
Program | Website |
---|---|
Hudson Valley Community College 80 Vandenburgh Ave, Troy, NY 12180 Phone: (518) 629-4822 | hvcc.edu |
Fulton-Montgomery Community College 2805 State Hwy 67, Johnstown, NY 12095-3790 Phone: (518) 762-3622 | fmcc.edu |
Dutchess Community College 53 Pendell Rd, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601-1595 Phone: (845) 431-8000 | sunydutchess.edu |
Mohawk Valley Community College 1101 Sherman Dr, Utica, NY 13501-5394 Phone: (315) 792-5400 | mvcc.edu |
Sullivan County Community College 112 College Road, Loch Sheldrake, NY 12759-5151 Phone: (845) 434-5750 | sunysullivan.edu |
Niagara County Community College 3111 Saunders Settlement Rd, Sanborn, NY 14132 Phone: (716) 614-6222 | catalog.niagaracc.suny.edu |
Tompkins Cortland Community College 170 North St, Dryden, NY 13053-0139 Phone: (607) 844-8211 | tc3.edu |
Rockland Community College 145 College Rd, Suffern, NY 10901-3699 Phone: (845) 574-4000 | sunyrockland.edu |
SUNY College at Plattsburgh 101 Broad Street, Plattsburgh, NY 12901-2681 Phone: (518) 564-2000 | plattsburgh.edu |
Suffolk County Community College 533 College Rd, Selden, NY 11784-2899 Phone: (631) 451-4110 | depthome.sunysuffolk.edu |
SUNY Westchester Community College 75 Grasslands Road, Valhalla, NY 10595 Phone: (914) 606-6600 | catalog.sunywcc.edu |
Utica College 1600 Burrstone Rd, Utica, NY 13502-4892 Phone: (315) 792-3111 | utica.edu |
Nassau Community College One Education Dr, Garden City, NY 11530-6793 Phone: (516) 572-7501 | ncc.edu |
SUNY College at Brockport 350 New Campus Dr, Brockport, NY 14420-2919 Phone: (585) 395-2361 | brockport.edu |
Finger Lakes Community College 3325 Marvin Sands Drive, Canandaigua, NY 14424-8395 Phone: (585) 394-3500 | flcc.edu |
Molloy College 1000 Hempstead Ave, Rockville Centre, NY 11571-5002 Phone: (516) 323-3000 | molloy.edu |
Niagara University Lewiston Road, Niagara University, NY 14109 Phone: (716) 285-1212 | niagara.edu |
Buffalo State SUNY 1300 Elmwood Ave, Buffalo, NY 14222 Phone: (716) 878-4000 | criminaljustice.buffalostate.edu |
Cazenovia College 22 Sullivan St, Cazenovia, NY 13035 Phone: (800) 654-3210 | cazenovia.edu |
SUNY Oneonta Ravine Parkway, Oneonta, NY 13820-4015 Phone: (607) 436-3500 | oneonta.edu |
SUNY College at Oswego 7060 State Route 104, Oswego, NY 13126 Phone: (315) 312-2500 | oswego.edu |
SUNY Broome Community College 907 Upper Front St, Binghamton, NY 13905 Phone: (607) 778-5000 | sunybroome.edu |
Corning Community College 1 Academic Dr, Corning, NY 14830 Phone: (607) 962-9011 | corning-cc.edu |
Morrisville State College Whipple Administration Building, Route 20, Morrisville, NY 13408 Phone: (315) 684-6000 | morrisville.edu |
Monroe Community College 1000 E Henrietta Rd, Rochester, NY 14623 Phone: (585) 292-2000 | monroecc.edu |
St John's University-New York 8000 Utopia Pky, Queens, NY 11439 Phone: (718) 990-6161 | stjohns.edu |
St Francis College 180 Remsen St, Brooklyn Heights, NY 11201-9902 Phone: (718) 522-2300 | sfc.edu |
Farmingdale State College 2350 Broadhollow Road, Farmingdale, NY 11735-1021 Phone: (516) 420-2000 | farmingdale.edu |
Marist College 3399 North Rd, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 Phone: (845) 575-3000 | marist.edu |
SUNY at Albany 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222 Phone: (518) 442-3300 | albany.edu |
Iona College 715 North Ave, New Rochelle, NY 10801-1890 Phone: (914) 633-2000 | iona.edu |
Medaille College 18 Agassiz Circle, Buffalo, NY 14214-2695 Phone: (716) 880-2000 | medaille.edu |
SUNY at Fredonia 280 Central Ave, Fredonia, NY 14063-1136 Phone: (716) 673-3111 | fredonia.edu |
Saint Joseph's College-New York 245 Clinton Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11205-3688 Phone: (718) 940-5300 | sjcny.edu |
Excelsior College 7 Columbia Cir, Albany, NY 12203-5159 Phone: (518) 464-8500 | excelsior.edu |
SUNY College at Potsdam 44 Pierrepont Ave, Potsdam, NY 13676-2294 Phone: (315) 267-2000 | potsdam.edu |
Mercy College 555 Broadway, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522 Phone: (800) 637-2969 | mercy.edu |
Alfred University One Saxon Drive, Alfred, NY 14802-1205 Phone: (607) 871-2111 | las.alfred.edu |
Pace University-New York 1 Pace Plaza, New York, NY 10038-1598 Phone: (212) 346-1200 | pace.edu |
Elmira College One Park Place, Elmira, NY 14901 Phone: (607) 735-1800 | elmira.edu |
Roberts Wesleyan College 2301 Westside Dr, Rochester, NY 14624 Phone: (585) 594-6000 | roberts.edu |
The College of Saint Rose 432 Western Ave, Albany, NY 12203-1490 Phone: (518) 454-5111 | strose.edu |
Adelphi University South Ave, Garden City, NY 11530-0701 Phone: (516) 877-3000 | sociology.adelphi.edu |
Rochester Institute of Technology 1 Lomb Memorial Dr, Rochester, NY 14623-5603 Phone: (585) 475-2411 | rit.edu |
Nyack College 1 South Blvd, Nyack, NY 10960-3698 Phone: (845) 675-4400 | nyack.edu |
SUNY College of Technology at Delhi 2 Main Street, Delhi, NY 13753-1100 Phone: (607) 746-4000 | delhi.edu |
New York Institute of Technology Northern Blvd, Old Westbury, NY 11568-8000 Phone: (516) 686-7516 | nyit.edu |
What Correctional Officer Training Can’t Prepare You For
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New York Correctional Officer Certification Requirements
New York State's Department of Corrections has a policy of continual recruitment for career-minded men and women who wish to become correctional officers in the state's penitentiaries and country jails. The role is challenging; the Department of Corrections has committed to ensuring that only those candidates who meet or exceed all the job requirements will be considered for employment. In order to ensure this process is effective, the state has a multi-stage hiring process that begins with basic eligibility criteria. Applicants must first have proof of the following to submit with their complete and accurate application:
- Proof of age and U.S. citizenship
- Valid New York driver's license
- No felony charges
- Possess a high school diploma or GED, or higher
- Veterans to have proof of DD-214 "Honorable Discharge"
- Proof of negative drug test
Candidates who meet the eligibility requirements will then be contacted to pursue additional assessments. The assessments are as follows:
- Fitness assessment
- Physical assessment by medical doctor
- Written test of knowledge
- Extensive personal and professional background check
- Fingerprinting
Candidates who pass the assessment portion of the hiring process will be contacted for an in-person interview. After a successful interview, applicants will be enrolled in basic training to take place at a state facility. The focus of training for new hires is on practical measures and tactics for the corrections officer role. Employment will be finalized upon successful completion of the final phase of training.
New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision
1220 Washington Ave
Albany, NY 12226-2050
Phone: (518) 457-8126
http://www.doccs.ny.gov/
New York Correctional Officer Employment & Outlook
Correctional Officer Salary: New York vs National Salary Comparison
Source: BLS State Cross-Industry Estimates 2011
The Department of Corrections in New York state encourages civic-minded citizens to look toward the corrections field for lucrative career opportunities. At this time, the median income for correctional officers throughout the state is higher than the national average at $63,600, with the national median income at $39,800, however according to occupational data for the state, available at http://www.careerinfonet.org/occ_rep.asp?next=occ_rep&Level=&optstatus=011000000&jobfam=33&id=1&nodeid=2&soccode=333012&menuMode=&stfips=36&x=24&y=18 and published by CareerInfoNet.org, state trends will experience a -1% decline in growth from now until 2022. This projection translates into 1,020 openings from existing positions annually.
Occupational Employment Statistics for Correctional Officers (http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes333012.htm)
New York Correctional Officer Salaries By Area
The table below lists career information retrieved from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for correctional officers in New York. The table is sorted by total employment, with the largest metropolitan areas listed first.
Area | Total Employment | Average Hourly Wage | Average Annual Salary |
---|---|---|---|
New York, White Plains, Wayne | 11,340 | $35.67 | $74,200 |
Poughkeepsie, Newburgh, Middletown | 2,590 | $28.21 | $58,670 |
Rochester | 1,920 | $29.26 | $60,850 |
Nassau, Suffolk | 1,670 | $36.48 | $75,880 |
Buffalo, Niagara Falls | 1,590 | $30.21 | $62,830 |
Utica, Rome | 1,440 | $29.80 | $61,990 |
Albany, Schenectady, Troy | 1,110 | $24.40 | $50,750 |
Glens Falls | 870 | $27.76 | $57,750 |
Syracuse | 440 | $23.68 | $49,250 |