mayor of new york city Zoran Mamdani A former prison reformer was appointed commissioner of the Department of Corrections on Saturday as his administration pushes for corrections reforms focused on rehabilitation.

Stanley Richards, jailed for robberies in the 1980s, will become the first inmate to be released from prison Serves as Corrections Commissioner.

“Stanley will make history in this position as the first formerly incarcerated person to serve as commissioner,” Mamdani said. “As we work to build a city that puts justice at the heart of our corrections system, I will turn to Stanley for help,” the mayor added.

Richards was reportedly convicted of robbery in the late 1980s and served about two and a half years at Rikers Island and then another four and a half years in state prison. Reporting from Gothamist and New York 1. He was released in 1991.

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Stanley Richards speaks during a press conference hosted by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Saturday, January 31, in Brooklyn. (Office of the Mayor of New York City)

In his first speech as commissioner, Richards aligned himself closely with Mamdani’s vision and rejected what he said was a punishment-focused approach to incarceration.

“Today we turn the page and start a new era Mayor Mamdani,” Richards said.

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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani arrives at the Queens subway station on her way to New York City Hall on Friday, January 2, 2026. (Eduardo Muñoz Alvarez/AP Photo)

Richards also cited his experience within the correctional system, including serving as first deputy commissioner of programs and operations for the Department of Corrections and vice chair of the Board of Corrections Rikers Closure Task Force.

Security fencing surrounds inmate housing at New York State’s Rikers Island Correctional Facility. (AP/Bebeto Matthews)

The appointment comes as New York City’s prison system remains in a state of strengthening federal review. Earlier this week, a federal judge appointed an outside remediation manager to oversee reforms at Rikers Island after years of violence, staffing shortages and a federal court ruling that city leaders failed to improve conditions inside the jail. The initial setting of Rikers is To be demolished before August 2027 Written by former Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Asked if he had spoken to the remediation manager, Mamdani said his government had been in contact and stressed cooperation.

“my management Already, we look forward to working with remediation managers to improve conditions in our city’s jails, both for inmates and correctional officers,” Mamdani said.

The appointment prompted caution from the union representing corrections officers, which warned that safety must take precedence over political ideology.

Benny Bosio, president of the Correctional Officers Benevolent Association, said in a statement that prisons “cannot and will not operate as safely as possible” if the concerns of our members are ignored, adding that Richards must show a commitment “to putting safety ahead of any political ideology.”

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Whether Richards’ reform-focused background will translate into improved safety and order inside New York City’s jails remains an open question as he prepares to take over a troubled system.

Mamdani’s office confirmed to Fox News Digital that Richards’ first day on the job will be February 16.