Week Set Aside to Honor the Work and Sacrifices of Correction Employees
Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins if formally recognizing the Westchester County Department of Correction (DOC) during National Correctional Professionals Week, which runs May 4 through May 10. National Correctional Professionals Week is a time set aside to honor the work and sacrifices of corrections officers and employees, and a chance to acknowledge the often dangerous work they do to ensure the safety of both the public, as well as those in custody. Jenkins presented a proclamation to Correction Commissioner Joseph Spano, and praised the Westchester County Correction employees.
Jenkins said: “Each May, we pause to celebrate correction professionals who exemplify professionalism, integrity and strength in a very challenging work environment. It’s a week when we should take a moment to honor the highly trained and professional uniform, non-uniform and contractual partners at our Correction Department for their commitment to duty, to each other, and to the individuals who are remanded into their custody. On a daily basis, they go “Above and Beyond” to safely facilitate activity at the jail complex, while operating under the best in class custodial and health care standards in the country.”
Spano said: “This is truly a special week to celebrate and bring awareness to the importance and significance of our profession. At our nationally recognized Department, correction professionals should be commended for striving to improve all aspects of our day-to-day operations and quality of life for staff and the individuals in our care. While this week is a time to recognize achievement and advancements made in the complicated field of corrections, it is also a solemn time of remembrance, where we remember those correction professionals who have passed away while in service.”
In 2021, with the support of the County Executive’s office and labor leaders, the Westchester Department of Correction dedicated a monument and memorial bench at their main jail plaza in Valhalla to honor the memory and contributions made by those employees who died while in service. This week a memorial wreath is placed at the monument to the honor the 67 employees who passed while in service during the agency’s 56-year history.
The Westchester County Department of Correction is considered a national leader in the space, recognized for its robust rehabilitation program system and accreditation certifications through the American Correctional Association, the National Commission on Correctional Healthcare and the Prison Rape Elimination Act.