New York City
Correction Officer
$ Pay $
'Back in the Day'


Retiree Odell Adams, her Facebook photo below left, recently posted on our 743-member New York Correction History Facebook group page the above image of a 35+-year-old card laying out in table format the NYC DOC CO pay schedule back-in-the-day (that "day" being the mid-70s). Having vested after 15 years, Odell retired in 1988 at the rank of Captain. She accompanied the 1975-6 pay table image with a comment: On this salary, we raised families, brought houes, cars and traveled. Those were truly the good old days.

Permitting our New York Correction History web site to display the back-in-the-day CO pay card image as well, she added at the webmaster's request a brief explanation what the columns, rows and headings in the pay table sought to depict:

In the 70s we were paid an additional $100 a year after 5 years on the job, $400 additional a year after 20 years, which was divided into your bi-weekly pay check. Back then, we were paid for 11 holidays. We were paid for 5 holidays, then six months later for 6 holidays (exp: the last payday in June and the first payday in Dec.). I hope this explanation helps clarify the columns, rows, headings. I also have some police olympic pictures that I plan to post.

The back-in-the-day CO pay table image generated two dozen New York Correction History Facebook group member "Likes." Here are a few of the member comments:

Jacqueline Perry:
Hi, Dell...I had mentioned to someone last week that when I started the job in '74 the pay was $13,000. They didn't believe it...you just posted proof.

Thomas McCarthy:
Great, Dell. Keep the history alive.

Ira Finkelstein:
Bought a house on Long Island and cars.

Jean K. Golding:
When I come in 1980 the starting salary was $16,500 plus a new contract was just negotiated. It rained money, especially with the overtime.

Ronald Brosi:
Captain Adams, I was a rookie in HDM when I think you were the visit Captain?

Odell Adams:
Yes, you're right.

Freddie Lewis
When I started the salary was $6,633.22 a year 9/21/59 And that was [as] a High School Grad!

Jacqueline Perry Dayum
Freddie... I still had my pacifier...lol

BACKGROUND NOTE:

The New York Correction History group on Facebook is a social network activity of the correctionhistory.org web site that hosts the 7,000+ files of NYCHS founded in 1999 to pursue, preserve and promote the history of correctional services in New York - city, county, state, federal. The New York Correction History Facebook group is a way for the men and women who have made and/or are making that history -- the correctional services professionals -- to tell that history themselves.


New York Correction History Facebook group

NYCHS home page.