03.02.2026 00:43
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani appointed a highly controversial figure to the position of Commissioner of the Department of Corrections. Mamdani tasked Stanley Richards, who was convicted of robbery and spent 7 years incarcerated in the city's jails, with reforming New York's prison system.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani appointed an unprecedented figure to head the city's troubled prison system. Mamdani appointed Stanley Richards as the Commissioner of the Department of Corrections to manage the prisons where he had previously been incarcerated as a convict. It was noted that Richards had served a long sentence for robbery in New York prisons.
A FIRST IN CITY HISTORY
New York's new Mayor Zohran Mamdani chose a controversial figure as the Commissioner of the Department of Corrections (DOC) to improve the city's prison system, which is associated with crime. Mamdani assigned the role to Stanley Richards, who had served time for robbery in New York prisons.
Stanley Richards, who was incarcerated in the cold walls of Rikers Island in the 1980s, is now the highest-ranking official overseeing thousands of staff and inmates behind those walls. This appointment is seen not just as a personnel change, but as a high-level endorsement of the concepts of improvement and redemption in the American justice system.
7 YEARS IN PRISON
The life story of the new commissioner Stanley Richards is quite interesting. Convicted of robbery at the end of the 1980s, Richards spent a total of 7 years in prison, with part of that time spent in Rikers Island, the most controversial prison in New York.
After being released in 1991, Richards dedicated his life to criminal justice reform and rose to the position of CEO at the renowned nonprofit organization Fortune Society, which works to reintegrate former convicts into society. Having previously served as the vice president in the same department (DOC), Richards is one of the rare individuals who knows the system both as a convict and as an administrator.
MAMDANI: NOT A SYMBOLIC APPOINTMENT
Mayor Mamdani emphasized that he did not see the appointment as merely a symbolic choice. Mamdani stated, "Stanley's life story is proof that a person should not be judged by their worst mistake. His experience from the inside will be our greatest weapon to improve the structural issues that have remained unresolved for years."
As he took over the role, Richards said, "We are starting a period that centers hope instead of fear, and rehabilitation instead of punishment."
RIKERS ISLAND AND THE PRISON REFORM DEADLOCK
This appointment came at a critical time when New York prisons are under federal oversight due to staff shortages, incidents of violence, and infrastructure issues. Richards' biggest challenge will be to manage the closure process of Rikers Island, which is legally required to be closed by 2027 but has been slow in its progress.
REACTIONS WERE IMMEDIATE
This appointment received backlash, particularly from conservative circles. The assignment, seen by civil society organizations and advocates of justice reform as a "realistic opportunity for change," faced criticism from conservative groups and guard unions. The Correction Officers' Benevolent Association (COBA) reminded that security should not be overshadowed by political ideologies, questioning whether the new commissioner would prioritize staff safety.