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Rikers Officials Vow To Stop Hiring Criminals As Correction Officers
By
Lauren Evans
Published Jan 16, 2015
Modified Jan 16, 2015
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By
Lauren Evans
Published Jan 16, 2015
Modified Jan 16, 2015
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Rikers officials have promised that they'll put an end to their practice of hiring gang members, career criminals and the mentally unstable as Correction Officers. Why does that sentence even have to be written?
A chagrining DOI report released Wednesday revealed that basically anyone can be a Rikers guard—of 153 recent hires, 10 had racked up more than one arrest, 12 had been rejected from the NYPD—six for psychological reasons— and a stunning 79 had relatives or friends who were current or former inmates.
In response, Correction Commissioner Joseph Ponte has promised to "tighten up" the hiring process, henceforth disqualifying applicants with more than one misdemeanor conviction, a single felony conviction in the past five years or more than two serious summonses in the past two years. He will also "re-investigate" hires with ties to street gangs.
“At Commissioner Ponte’s direction, (the Department of Correction) will review the background checks that were performed on the individuals in question, and will reinvestigate those individuals,” a spokesman told the Daily News.
Ponte became commissioner in March, meaning the hires were all made prior to his arrival.
"In fact, now the screening process is very different than it was even a year ago because of Commissioner Ponte’s reforms,” Mayor de Blasio said. “And we think it’s going to make a big difference. There’s absolutely a sensitivity as to the possibility of anyone (who) might have a connection to, you know, a gang or any other type of negative activity. And there’s a lot more screening being put in place.”
Still, no shortage of malfeasance has occurred on Ponte's watch.
Tagged
correction officers
department of correction
Joseph Ponte
Rikers Island
Lauren Evans
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