Call the DMV, An Inmate May Answer

Around 10 days ago, The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) and the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) announced the opening of new Call Center at the Greene Correctional Facility in Greene County, a partnership which "meets Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s call to state agencies to seek more cost effective ways to deliver services to the public effectively and efficiently, saving taxpayers approximately $3.5 million annually.

According to the press release, the Greene’s call center accepts calls from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. It will employ up to 45 offenders when fully operational, including full-time, part-time customer service agents, trainees, six DMV employee team leaders and two trainers."

"'Deputy Secretary for Public Safety Elizabeth Glazer said: “The opening of the Department of Motor Vehicles Call Center at the Greene Correctional Facility is an example of the innovative work our Public Safety agencies do to meet Governor Cuomo’s goal of delivering services to the public more efficiently,
while lessening the burden on the taxpayers.  We also know that operating successful prison industries
programs is an investment in our state’s overall safety. When we help offenders build the workforce skills
necessary to find viable employment after incarceration, we lessen the chances they will reoffend and end
up back in the state’s prison system.”

The center at the medium security Greene facility replaces DOCCS’ DMV call center at the Arthur Kill
Correctional Facility, which closed on December 1, 2011.

Greene's call center, along with the  the DMV Call Center at the women’s Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in Westchester County, is expected to answer more than one million calls per year.