§ 18. Superintendents of correctional facilities. 1. Each correctional facility shall have a superintendent who shall be appointed by the commissioner. Each such superintendent shall be in the non-competitive-confidential class but shall be appointed from employees of the department who have at least three years of experience in correctional work in the department and (i) who have a permanent civil service appointment of salary grade twenty-seven or higher or who have a salary equivalent to a salary grade of twenty-seven or higher for correctional facilities with an inmate population capacity of four hundred or more inmates, or (ii) who have a permanent civil service appointment of salary grade twenty-three or higher or who have a salary equivalent to a salary grade of twenty-three or higher for correctional facilities with an inmate population capacity of fewer than four hundred inmates; provided that for correctional facilities of either capacity, the employee shall be appointed superintendent at the hiring rate set forth in section nineteen of this article or such other rate as may be appropriate, subject to the approval of the director of the budget; provided that in no event shall the salary upon appointment exceed the job rate. Such superintendents shall serve at the pleasure of the commissioner and shall have such other qualifications as may be prescribed by the commissioner, based on differences in duties, levels of responsibility, size and character of the correctional facility, knowledge, skills and abilities required, and other factors affecting the position.

2. Subject to the rules and statutory powers of the commissioner, or rules approved by him or her, the superintendent of a correctional facility shall have the supervision and management thereof.

3. Subject to the direction of the commissioner, and of the deputy and assistant commissioners in their respective fields of supervision, the superintendent of a correctional facility shall direct the work and define the duties of all officers and subordinates of the facility.