Formerly incarcerated individual appointed head of NYC Department of Correction

NEW YORK (PIX11) – New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani appointed Stanelly Richards as the first formerly incarcerated individual to lead the Department of Correction on Saturday.

“I am deeply honored and grateful to Mayor Mamdani for this appointment,” said DOC Commissioner Richards. “ This role represents the culmination of my lifelong commitment to criminal justice reform, drawing directly from my own experience of incarceration on Rikers, which fueled my decades of work at The Fortune Society and with the Department of Correction, helping thousands rebuild their lives through reentry programs, leadership roles, and advocacy.”

Mayor Mamdani also appointed four other individuals to head other key city agencies. 

“New York City is built on the often unseen work of public servants who show up every day to care for our neighbors, support our young people, and make government work for the people who rely on it most. Today, we are entrusting five dedicated leaders with the responsibility to carry that work forward,” said Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani. “I hope New Yorkers see the impact of their leadership in young people growing into happy and healthy adults, in justice that is administered fairly across our city, and in a government that listens, responds, and treats every person with dignity.”

The appointments

• New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner – Dr. Alister Martin
• New York City Department of Veterans’ Services Commissioner – Yesenia Mata
• New York City Department of Youth and Community Development Commissioner – Sandra Escamilla-Davies
• New York City Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings Commissioner – Vilda Vera Mayuga
• New York City Department of Correction Commissioner – Stanley Richards

For more information and background on the new commissioners, click here.