NEW YORK CITY COMPTROLLER

SCOTT M. STRINGER

NYC Department of Correction

FYs 2009-19 OPERATING EXPENDITURES, JAIL
POPULATION, COST PER INCARCERATED
PERSON, STAFFING RATIOS, PERFORMANCE
MEASURE OUTCOMES, AND OVERTIME

New York City Comptroller’s Office

Budget Bureau
December 2019
NEW YORK CITY COMPTROLLER SCOTT M. STRINGER Budget Bureau | 1
 Jail Population Continued Steady Decline; Costs Fell Modestly
Department of Correction Budget and Jail Population
Expenditures Average Daily Jail Population (ADP)
14,000
13,362 $1.39B
13,049 $1.36B $1.33B $1.40B
12,790 $1.29B
12,000 12,287 11,827
11,408
$1.15B $1.20B
$1.07B $1.08B $1.10B
$1.04B

DOC Expenditures ($ billions)

10,000 $1.0B $1.01B 10,240 9,790 9,500 $1.0B
8,896
Jail Population

8,000 7,938
$0.80B

6,000
SMALLEST $0.60B
AVERAGE JAIL
4,000 POPULATION $0.40B
SINCE 1980

2,000 $0.20B

0 $0.0B
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Note: In October 2018, New York City transferred 16- and 17-year-olds from DOC facilities to the Horizon Juvenile Detention Center, operated by the Administration for Children’s
Services, as required under the state Raise the Age law. However, DOC provided temporary staffing for the center in FY 2019. For purposes of comparability with previous analyses,
DOC costs related to staffing the youth center have been excluded.
Source: Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports of the Comptroller for FY 2009 - 2019, NYC Financial Management System, Mayor’s Management Reports for FY 2009 through 2019.
NEW YORK CITY COMPTROLLER SCOTT M. STRINGER Budget Bureau | 2
 Full Cost per Incarcerated Person up 85% since FY 2014

Total Annual and Daily Cost per Incarcerated Person, Including Costs Funded Outside
$600,000 $1,000
the Department of Correction Budget
$925
Annual Non-DOC Costs per Incarcerated Person (Fringe Benefits, Pensions, and Medical $900
$500,000 Services) $836
$800
Annual Cost per Incarcerated Person

Annual DOC Cost per Incarcerated Person

Daily Cost per Incarcerated Person

$756
$700
$400,000 Total Daily Cost per Incarcerated Person $670 $337,524
$588 $305,003 $600
$275,986
$300,000 $499 $500
$468 $244,643
$444 $214,788 $169,401 $400
$395 $182,309 $148,228
$354 $371 $170,768 $132,857
$200,000 $162,127
$144,176 $112,623 $300
$129,215 $135,324 $102,123
$79,616 $86,076
$62,881 $74,739 $200
$100,000 $54,693 $58,170
$143,130 $156,775 $168,123
$112,665 $132,019 $100
$74,521 $77,154 $81,295 $87,388 $91,153 $96,232
$0 $0
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019*
*Fringe benefit and pension costs are estimated as of April 2019.
Full cost excludes debt service, judgments and claims, and legal services. DOC costs related to staffing the Horizon Juvenile Detention Center in FY 2019 were also excluded. In FY
2018, debt service added daily costs of $53 per incarcerated person, and tort claim settlements and judgments added $10 per incarcerated person per day. Fringe benefits include
the cost of retiree health insurance.
Source: Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports of the Comptroller for FY 2009 - 2019, NYC Office of Management and Budget Message of the Mayor and Budget Function Analysis
for FY 2010 – FY 2020, NYC Financial Management System, Mayor’s Management Reports for FY 2009 – FY 2019.

NEW YORK CITY COMPTROLLER SCOTT M. STRINGER Budget Bureau | 3

DOC has Employed More Correction Officers than the Average Jail
Population Since FY 2016
Correction Officers to Incarcerated Individuals Ratio
12,000 Uniformed Employee to Incarcerated Individuals Ratio Number of Uniformed Employees 1.40
1.25

Uniformed Employee to Incarcerated Individuals Ratio

10,862
1.20
1.14 1.20
10,000 9,832 10,653
9,931
1.00
Number of Uniformed Employees

9,068 8,991 8,922

8,772 8,540 8,756 1.00
8,456
8,000 0.86
0.76 0.78
DOC 0.80
0.68 0.67 0.70
6,000 0.66 EMPLOYED
1.25 OFFICERS
FOR EVERY 0.60
INCARCERATED
4,000
PERSON IN
0.40
FY19

2,000
0.20

0 0.00
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Note: DOC uniformed employees assigned to the Horizon Juvenile Detention Center in FY 2019 were excluded.
Source: NYC Comptroller’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report FY 2009 – 2019, Mayor’s Management Report for FY 2009 – 2019.

NEW YORK CITY COMPTROLLER SCOTT M. STRINGER Budget Bureau | 4

 Overtime Spending Fell in FY 2019

Agencywide Overtime Cost Relative to Average Jail Population

Agencywide Overtime (OT) Expense OT Expense per Incarcerated Individual
$300 $30,000
$275 $28,045
$266
$28,074
OVERTIME FELL FOR THIRD $24,925

OT Expense per Incarcerated Individual

$250 $25,000
CONSECUTIVE YEAR $222
Overtime ($millions)

$196 $22,339
$200 $20,000
$177
$155 $19,166
$145 $139
$150 $15,000
$114
$99 $97 $13,071
$100 $11,773 $12,189 $10,000

$8,900
$50 $7,398 $7,465 $5,000

$0 $0
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Note: DOC overtime costs related to staffing the Horizon Juvenile Detention Center in FY 2019 were excluded. Overtime per incarcerated individual represents the total overtime
expense divided by the average daily jail population. The average overtime payment earned by uniformed DOC employees was $15,312 in FY19.
Source: Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports of the Comptroller for FY 2009 – 2019, NYC Financial Management System, Mayor’s Management Reports for FY 2009 – 2019.

NEW YORK CITY COMPTROLLER SCOTT M. STRINGER Budget Bureau | 5

 Rate of Fight/Assault Infractions Increased in FY 2019

Fight/Assault Infractions
(per 1,000 Average Daily Population)
1,600
1,513
1,400
1,332 1,354
Fight/Assault Infractions (per 1,000 ADP)

1,200
1,148

1,000
920 FIGHT/
800 ASSAULT
774
INFRACTION
615 644 RATE
600 573 581 INCREASED
501 12% IN FY19
400

200

-
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 FY 2019

Source: Mayor’s Management Reports for FY 2009 – 2019.

NEW YORK CITY COMPTROLLER SCOTT M. STRINGER Budget Bureau | 6

 Rate of Assaults on Staff up 37% in FY 2019

Assaults on Staff
(per 1,000 Average Daily Population)
160.0
151.2
140.0
Assaults on Staff (per 1,000 ADP)

120.0
110.4
100.0 103.2 100.8
94.8 FY19
RATE OF
80.0 ASSAULTS
70.8 ON STAFF
UP 37%
60.0
56.4
48.0
40.0 42.0
38.4
34.8

20.0

-
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Source: Mayor’s Management Reports for FYs 2009 through 2019.

NEW YORK CITY COMPTROLLER SCOTT M. STRINGER Budget Bureau | 7

Rate of Use of Force Incidents & Allegations up 42% in FY 2019

Use of Force by Correction Officers

(Incidents and Allegations per 1,000 Average Daily Population)
1000
Use of Force by Correction Officers (per 1,000 ADP)

900 890

800

700
628
600
538 534
500
471
400 USE OF
370 FORCE
300 RATE UP
289 42% IN
231 FY19
200
164 170 178
100

0
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Source: Mayor’s Management Reports for FY 2009 – 2019.

NEW YORK CITY COMPTROLLER SCOTT M. STRINGER Budget Bureau | 8

 Personal Injury Tort Claims up 2% in FY 2018

Tort Claims Filed for Personal Injury at a City Correction Facility*

4,500

4,000
3,836 3,894
3,662
3,500

3,000
Tort Claims Filed

2,797
2,500
CLAIMS FOR
2,241 PERSONAL
2,000
INJURY AT A
1,595 1,657 CORRECTION
1,500
FACILITY
1,188 1,183 NEARLY
1,000 1,061 1,044
QUADRUPLED
500 FROM FY08
TO FY18
0
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

*Includes claims by incarcerated persons, visitors, or employees of City correction institutions or facilities who were allegedly injured by the actions of City employees or
incarcerated persons.
Source: NYC Comptroller’s Office, Claims Report: Fiscal Year 2018.

NEW YORK CITY COMPTROLLER SCOTT M. STRINGER Budget Bureau | 9