Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Correction Commissioner Martin F. Horn today presided over a graduation ceremony for 344 new Probationary Correction Officers.  The Mayor and Commissioner Horn were joined Norman Seabrook, President of the Correction Officers Benevolent Association.  Today's ceremony was held at Brooklyn College.

"I welcome all of you to the ranks of New York's Boldest," Mayor Bloomberg told the new officers, "and I thank you for the brave work you are about to do.  You will be maintaining order in our jails, but you will also be maintaining the safety of our city's streets and giving inmates the chance to become productive members of our society."

Commissioner Horn also praised the new officers on their graduation.  "You have volunteered to work on the front lines of our efforts to keep New York City the safest big city in the nation and our jails the safest large city jails.  Correction Officer work continues to be a great career opportunity for New Yorkers from all backgrounds, as many of you know from the tradition of correction work in your families."  He noted that more than half of the new Probationary Correction Officers are women, that African Americans and Latinos comprise about 85% of the graduating class, and 40 new officers have family members either retired or currently working in the Department of Correction.

Among the graduating class, 25 new Probationary Correction Officers have served in the military, 71 possess associate's degrees, 58 have BAs and three have earned master's degrees.  Sixty-eight of the officers have prior service in another city agency.

All of the probationary Correction Officers have completed a 15-week training curriculum at the Training Academy in Middle Village, Queens, which includes training in security, use of necessary force techniques and chemical agents, constitutional law, physical training, communication skills, investigative procedures, first aid, health, and two weeks working in the city jails.  Graduates are immediately assigned to various Rikers Island facilities.