EAST ELMHURST, N.Y. – New York City Department of Correction (DOC) Commissioner Joseph Ponte has appointed Dina Simon as First Deputy Commissioner (FDC), effective January 5, 2016. As FDC, Ms. Simon will serve as a senior advisor to Commissioner Ponte on all aspects of administration and planning, and directly supervise Administration, Budget and Planning, Human Resources, Information Technology, Facilities Planning and Support Services, and Labor Relations.

Ms. Simon joined DOC in 2014 as the Deputy Commissioner of Human Resources. Prior to coming to DOC, she served as Director of Human Resources for the Office of the New York City Comptroller. In October 2015, Simon was named Acting First Deputy Commissioner of DOC.
“Ms. Simon’s invaluable experience in City government and management is an important asset to our Department and our 14 Point Reform Agenda, which is helping produce a culture of safety that protects both officers and inmates,” Commissioner Ponte said.

“I am truly honored to have been selected for this role and continue serving the Department and the City of New York,” Ms. Simon said. “I look forward to working with Commissioner Ponte and the entire DOC staff in improving our operations and lifting our Department to its rightful place as the leading correction department in the nation.”

In addition to her work experience with the City of New York, Ms. Simon has a wealth of experience in human resources and labor relations, including positions with the New York State Education Department, New York State Office of Developmental Disabilities, Norfolk State University, and the Navy Exchange Service Command Center.

She holds a Master’s in Public Administration from Long Island University, C.W. Post and a Bachelor’s of Science from the State University of New York at Brockport.

Ms. Simon succeeds James E. Dzurenda, who resigned in October 2015.

About the New York City Department of Correction

The New York City Department of Correction manages the jail system for New York City. It operates Rikers Island, which houses 10 individual facilities; four borough-based jails and two hospital prison wards, as well as court pens in all five boroughs.

During Fiscal Year 2015, the Department handled over 67,000 admissions and managed an average daily inmate population of approximately 10,240 individuals, over 80 percent of whom are housed on Rikers Island. Most of the inmates in DOC custody are being detained pending the resolution of charges against them; approximately 15 percent are city-sentenced inmates who are serving sentences of one year or less.