r/NYSDOCCS_Talk

Took my medical on July 13th but still haven’t heard anything. Is that normal?

How legit is the direct hiring they are campaigning? Obviously after academy completion but is the direct hire to the prison of your choice real?

So I’m approaching month 9 and still no call no update and thankfully no DQ letter. At this point just applying to other LEO Agencies. The amount of officers who are accepted and quit and here I am trying to be the guy who wants to live at work 🤷🏽‍♂️ all good NYSDOCCS gonna just lose a good candidate once another agency gets me.

I’m just trying to figure out if the health insurance is really that expensive?

I left my job yesterday in corrections (different state) & cheaper state but I only paid $112 for a family plan. From what I’m reading, the empire plan is approximately $356 every 2 weeks which is a little over $700 a month. The other plans is slightly less but basically the same….

At my old job my base salary was 70k and after overtime it was approx 113k . NY will start me with the same base but im losing a lot of $ with all the fees, healthcare etc. and NY is much more expensive than KS.

If a county jail in little ol Kansas can afford to only charge $112 per check for health insurance then why cant NY…..

Am i reading this correctly?!?

So i had my psych evaluation on the 22nd July and i still haven’t heard back anything. How long do you reckon it takes to get a call or a mail?

How long after your investigator reach out to your current job did you guys receive the call to join the academy?

Did anyone get a drug test done in the academy again when they went ?

I had to reschedule my appointment from August 10th to August 24th, and honestly, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about what direction I really want to take.
The truth is, I don’t really want to do corrections for New York State. I would much rather work in law enforcement here in New Jersey—ideally Hudson County, or even Camden County, which is closer to home. The problem is that these agencies seem to take their time, and as a man who just welcomed his second child, I don’t have the luxury of waiting indefinitely. I need financial stability.
I’m currently working two jobs as a mental health worker at two different hospitals, but law enforcement is where my experience and my heart have always been. I was a New York State Trooper and was terminated during probation over administrative paperwork—not misconduct. Years later, in late 2024, Baltimore City Police Department hired me after looking into my NYS history. They actually told me they didn’t understand why NYS had let me go. I ultimately resigned from Baltimore because my wife was having a high-risk pregnancy, and being there wasn’t the right decision for my family at that time.
Since then, I’ve continued trying to find my way back into law enforcement. I applied to several agencies in Connecticut, scored well on written exams and oral boards, and continued pushing forward. One department I really wanted, Milford, ultimately declined to move forward with me because of my “background.”
And that’s where the frustration really starts to set in.
I’m almost 42. I’m in great shape. I have military experience, law enforcement experience, hospital experience, and a lot more life experience than I had when I first entered this profession. But sometimes it feels like the things that should make me a stronger candidate are being overshadowed by things that happened years ago.
I also feel like my options are becoming more limited because of age restrictions. Philadelphia PD has been giving me the runaround, and I’ve applied to agencies that don’t have an age limit because I know I still have something to offer. I know I can do this job. I just need somebody to give me the opportunity.
New York State Corrections would probably take me, but the possibility of being sent anywhere in the state makes it difficult. I have a wife, a newborn, and a family that needs me home. Taking a job that could place me hours away from my family may solve one problem while creating another.
And now the pressure is even more real.
My wife is currently the breadwinner. She has an incredible union job in the film and television industry, making around $200,000 a year, but she begins maternity leave on August 21st. We just had our son, and now I feel the responsibility of making sure I can carry my weight financially while she steps away from work to recover and be with our family.
My Army Reserve contract is also coming up in October. I had planned on reenlisting because of the bonus, but I was told that because I have one “U” for an absence, I have to wait 180 days before I’m eligible for the bonus. I can do a one-year extension, but there’s no bonus attached to it, and financially, that doesn’t really solve the problem either.
So here I am—trying to figure out what comes next.
I’m willing to work. I’m willing to sacrifice. At this point, I’ll take whatever job I need to take if it means creating financial stability for my family. But at the same time, I don’t want to completely abandon the career I’ve spent so much of my life building toward.
I guess this is really just me venting.
I’m trying to figure this thing called life out while still showing up for my wife, my children, my responsibilities, and everyone who depends on me. And somewhere along the way, I’ve gotten used to putting myself last.
Maybe that’s what a lot of men do.
We carry the weight, keep moving, figure it out as we go, and rarely stop to acknowledge how heavy it actually feels.
But lately, I’ve been asking myself when it becomes okay to show up for myself, too.
I don’t have all the answers right now. I just know I’m not giving up. I’m still here, still working, still applying, still training, still trying to find the door that’s actually meant to open for me.
I just hope it opens soon

For anyone who went through the academy, how are you expected to wear your hair as a female? Back in March I cut all my hair off and it is growing back but it’s only 3 inches right now. when I received my offer, the packet stated you cannot have any type of hair extensions so I’m trying to figure out are they going to expect me to look a fool with a small curly fro? Did any females have braids or do you have to wear a bun if you have hair?

I know someone who went through the academy in New Jersey and was told that the females no matter their hair length has to cut their hair to 3 inches or less, which is ridiculous… who do these people think they are

This wait for my interview with psych doc has me so anxious, but in a good way. Seeing a lot of you getting the call up makes me excited. Hope everyone is doing well. If you're like me waiting WE GOT THIS!

How does the academy work ? Do you stay over night or go home everyday? Additionally, did they make you drug test randomly or never did it at all?

Had my 1 on 1 this morning with Dr. Kaufman, felt pretty standard and only lasted for about 13 minutes. The only thing that had to be explained in detail was a sexual harassment claim from a few years back that was unfounded and the employee that made it was subsequently terminated for having sexual relations with a parolee.

Probably should be good? Anybody have a 1 on 1 that seemed extremely quick?

(I currently work for the department in a civilian capacity)

So I recently had a baby on July 19, 2026, and my wife was diagnosed with postpartum preeclampsia ,so her blood pressure is extremely high and it doesn’t help that she isn’t getting an adequate amount of sleep, so I’ve been helping out and I just didn’t feel comfortable leaving her to drive all the way to Cohoes for 7 AM medical/meet with an investigator, so I made the decision on Saturday and sent them an email to reschedule, how quickly do you think they’ll get back to me on a reschedule date?

How hard is the final?! Has anyone ever failed it?!

Does the NYSDOCCS hire drivers to transport inmates, or do they train guards to get their license? I have my Cdl and endorsements.
Otherwise I’m on the fence about applying being 52 and not in great shape. Thanks