Stanley Richards named Deputy Chief Executive Officer

The Fortune Society announced that Stanley Richards, who recently served as First Deputy Commissioner of Programs and Operations at the New York City Department of Correction (DOC), has returned to Fortune in a new role as the organization’s first-ever Deputy Chief Executive Officer.

In this position, Richards will support the organization’s longtime mission to support successful reentry from prison and promote alternatives to incarceration, and jointly oversee management of its programs, operations, and work closely with Fortune Society President and CEO JoAnne Page on advocacy initiatives under the organization’s David Rothenberg Center for Public Policy.

“We are extremely fortunate to have Stanley Richards return to Fortune Society at a time when criminal justice issues are of paramount concern,” said JoAnne Page, President and CEO of The Fortune Society. “For more than 30 years, he has been an indomitable force. His work at The Fortune Society led us with vision, compassion and strength. He helped to develop effective programs, smart policies and progressive legislation that has saved the lives of countless thousands of justice-involved people. Through word and example, he has shown everyone who comes through our doors that a kid from the Bronx can overcome a troubled past and achieve great things.”

“I am excited to continue my criminal justice work with The Fortune Society, an organization that exemplifies excellence and a commitment and vision to change lives and improve our society. Fortune centers its work and advocacy on the humanity of all people impacted by the criminal legal system, and I am proud to carry this mission forward,” Deputy Chief Executive Officer Stanley Richards said. “We are at a moment where we have witnessed a reduction in mass incarceration while maintaining safe communities, and we need to continue that trend. This is an opportunity for our new City administration to take the lessons that have been learned and balance safety with second chances to rebuild lives and communities.”

Richards is a formerly incarcerated man of color with decades of experience in the criminal justice field. His professional experience with Fortune began more than 30 years ago, when he joined Fortune as a Counselor, helping other people reenter society. Later, from 1997 to 2001, he served as the Deputy Director of Client Intervention at Hunter College Center on AIDS, Drugs and Community Health, where he managed a multimillion-dollar randomized study of jail and community-based discharge planning and community follow-up funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

After returning to Fortune and receiving a series of promotions, Richards became the second-highest executive with responsibilities in the overall management of Fortune and oversight of all direct service programs. He also represented Fortune’s fundraising and advocacy work, having taken on a leadership role in its David Rothenberg Center for Public Policy.

In 2014, Richards was recognized by the Obama administration as a Champion of Change for his commitment to helping individuals impacted by the justice system. He also became the first formerly incarcerated person to be appointed by the New York City Council Speaker and served as Vice-Chair to the New York City Board of Correction, a regulatory oversight body for setting minimum standards of care, custody and control of people incarcerated in New York City jails.

In June 2020, Richards was appointed to lead the Working Group to End Punitive Segregation. The workgroup developed the Risk Management and Accountability System to end Punitive Segregation. In addition, in February 2021, he was appointed as a member of the Commission on Community Reinvestment and the Closure of Riker’s Island.

In 2021, DOC recruited Richards to serve as First Deputy Commissioner of Programs and Operations at DOC. His appointment to one of the top posts in the department marked a true watershed moment in not only the history of the agency but in the evolution of correctional practices. While there, he supervised DOC Programs and contracted providers for incarcerated persons, including day-to-day operations, the Borough Based Jails initiative, the Correction Assistance Response for Employees and Wellness services (C.A.R.E.), the Office of Constituent and Grievance Services including 311, the Academy and Training Division, and the project to build the DOC Training Academy. He also supervised Health Affairs Division and was responsible for managing and overseeing the health-related services, including HIV/AIDS, mental health, suicide watch and assessment and reporting, suicide prevention training, health screening at intake, and inter-departmental collaboration with Correctional Health Services.

Richards is a graduate of Medaille College, Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business: Institute for Not-For-Profit Management Executive Level Program, and the Robert Wood Johnson Fellowship Program.