Correction officer sentenced to probation for falsifying training records during Rikers suicide surge.

A correction officer convicted of falsifying suicide prevention training records during a significant surge in jail suicides has been spared jail time, despite a prosecutor’s recommendation for a one-year sentence. Vinette Tucker-Frederick, a 43-year-old veteran of the New York City Correction Department, will remain suspended without pay following her conviction on multiple counts, including 75 charges related to tampering with public records, identity theft, and official misconduct.

In 2021, as suicide rates in city jails reached alarming levels, Tucker-Frederick, who served in a control room capacity, was tasked with overseeing officer training related to suicide prevention. During this critical period, she directed several officers to complete training for 74 colleagues, who were absent at the time. This action, taken under significant pressure to improve the training compliance rate, ultimately allowed those officers to evade a vital training that instructs personnel on identifying detainees at risk of self-harm.

District Attorney Darcel Clark noted that Tucker-Frederick’s actions represented a “callous disregard for correction officers’ duty to care for those in custody.” The Commissioner of the Department of Investigation, Jocelyn Strauber, underscored the severity of Tucker-Frederick’s misconduct, emphasizing that her actions compromised the integrity of critical training designed to save lives.

Tucker-Frederick was indicted by a Bronx Grand Jury on June 23, 2023, and after a trial concluded on May 15, convicted by a jury for her role in the deception. Sentencing, overseen by Judge Timothy Lewis, did not align with the prosecution’s recommendation for incarceration. As a result, she continues her suspension from the Correction Department.

In the spring of 2021, amid a troubling rise in jail suicides—with recorded incidents totaling six during that year—it was found that only 5% of correction officers had undergone the necessary refresher training. In response to this alarming statistic, Tucker-Frederick allegedly facilitated a scheme to falsely indicate that numerous officers had completed the requisite training, effectively manipulating the Department’s electronic training records.

Tucker-Frederick’s case highlights ongoing concerns regarding the care and treatment of inmates within the correctional system, particularly in the context of mental health and safety. As her legal proceedings unfold, the implications of her actions continue to reverberate within the Correction Department and beyond.