Westchester County Department of Correction
The Westchester County Department of Correction (WCDOC) is headed by Commissioner Joseph K. Spano and located in Valhalla, New York. First established in 1969, it is the largest criminal justice agency in Westchester County. WCDOC operates on a 21-acre Grasslands Campus comprised of three primary facilities: the Jail Division, the Penitentiary Division, and the Women’s Unit. The campus also includes a Department Headquarters building, Training Center, and Maintenance Building. In addition, the Department’s Transportation Unit is stationed at the Westchester County Courthouse in White Plains.
Annually, the Department receives hundreds of justice-involved individuals into custody, including defendants awaiting trial in Westchester County criminal courts, individuals serving sentences of one year or less, parole violators, and federal defendants with pending cases in the Southern District of New York.
Housing assignments are determined through a comprehensive classification system mandated by the New York State Commission of Correction. This system ensures that residents are safely housed by prohibiting the commingling of incompatible security levels and by requiring alternative housing for special populations, including individuals with acute mental illness and those vulnerable to victimization.
The Department houses both male and female residents, age 18 and older. In recent years, the average daily census has declined. This decrease is attributable to multiple factors, including criminal justice reforms, expanded alternatives to incarceration, and the Department’s robust rehabilitation programming and structured community reentry initiatives.
WCDOC maintains the distinction of being the only large local jail in New York State to be dually accredited by the American Correctional Association and the National Commission on Correctional Health Care. The Department was also the first New York State local correctional agency to achieve compliance with the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), meeting and exceeding standards established by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Accreditations through ACA and NCCHC, along with PREA certification, represent more than symbolic achievements. They reflect the Department’s adherence to the most rigorous national standards governing correctional operations and health care services. The integration of these standards into daily operations has strengthened institutional and public safety, improved operational efficiency, and enhanced quality of life and morale for both staff and residents.