New York’s new jails boss once served time in a cell block he now oversees
April 27, 2026
In January, Mayor Zohran Mamdani tapped Richards to become the first formerly incarcerated person to oversee the city’s jails.
In January, Mayor Zohran Mamdani tapped Richards to become the first formerly incarcerated person to oversee the city’s jails.
A federal judge has given new overseer Nicholas Deml sweeping powers to reform the jail system, but critics question how long to wait.
Todd Faustin admitted to fabricating on-duty injuries to obtain at least $370,336.79 in benefits from the Workers’ Compensation Board.
A federal monitor says violence, deaths and officer misconduct persist at Rikers, as a judge moves closer to appointing a receiver.
The mayor renewed a Rikers emergency order, pledging to meet jail standards and move toward ending solitary confinement after years of delays.
Judge Swain denied NYC’s request to undo Rikers receivership, keeping the jail under federal oversight to address chronic violence.
The NYC DOC is being sued for illegally confining Rikers inmates, including disabled people, in solitary without proper medical care.
Public defenders say Rikers blocks access to lawyers with long delays, poor conditions and unsafe practices, violating constitutional rights.
Carlos Cruz, 43, became the 12th person to die in NYC jails this year, found unresponsive at Rikers while awaiting transfer to state prison.
Jimmy Avila, 44, died on Rikers after under 24 hours in custody. Advocates call for an immediate, independent investigation into his death.
A terminally ill detainee died in NYCDOC custody a day after his lawyer sought release. He was the 8th death in custody this year.
A judge ordered Rikers into receivership, citing ongoing violence. A federal monitor sees some progress, but deep reforms are still needed.
A judge stripped NYC of control over Rikers, ruling City Hall can’t be trusted to curb the violence plaguing the jail for decades.
A jail expert backs the city’s plan to keep Rikers under Commissioner Maginley-Liddie, opposing full federal receivership.
Detainees on Rikers Island have continued to struggle to get access to the jail complex’s law libraries, a new report found.
Critics say allowing federal immigration agents onto Rikers could violate New York City’s sanctuary city laws.
The city’s jail watchdog board bashed Department of Correction leadership after the agency failed to tell them about a new housing unit.
Attorneys with the City Council said federal Judge Laura Swain should make sure plans to shutter Rikers by 2027 remain in place.
A report issued Friday said a city law banning solitary confinement would “only exacerbate the current dangerous conditions” on Rikers Island.
When the first case of COVID-19 came to Rikers Island nearly five years ago, Marcia Bryson’s son had already been incarcerated.
City Hall late Friday told a federal judge that she should look no further than the current Department of Correction commissioner should she choose to strip the city of its
Brooklyn Defender Services issued a statement on Tuesday that criticized the New York City Department of Correction .
The Legal Aid Society and Brooklyn Defender Services filed a motion in court accusing the NYC DOC of denying inmates access to medical care.
Inmates at New York City’s Rikers Island are suing the city claiming they were trapped in their cells during a jailhouse fire that injured 20 people last year. The lawsuit filed Friday
Community leaders and activists criticized Mayor Eric Adams and the Department of Correction (DOC) for attempting to delay the implementation of Local Law 42, which bans solitary confinement in New
Brooklyn Defender Services, alongside the Bronx Defenders and New York County Defender Services, has filed a class-action lawsuit against the New York City Department of Correction (DOC), alleging unlawful mass
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander released an audit on Wednesday that claims to uncover significant management deficiencies in the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s (DOHMH) Intensive Mobile Treatment
Mayor Eric Adams vetoed a bill proposed by the City Council aimed at reforming solitary confinement practices in city jails on Friday. The veto has ignited a debate over the
A recent fire at Rikers Island’s North Infirmary Command building has brought to light severe management issues within the New York City Department of Correction (DOC), according to a new
Mayor Eric Adams announced on Friday the appointment of Lynelle Maginley-Liddie, an eight-year veteran of the NYC Department of Correction (DOC), as the new commissioner. Maginley-Liddie, who has served as
Citing escalating violence and despair, the Brooklyn Defender Services have joined with a group of local public defenders to confront the deepening crisis within New York City’s jails. Their recent
A New York City Department of Correction (DOC) officer, a 56-year-old man from Staten Island, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with federal program fraud for allegedly stealing over $170,000
The future of the Rikers Island correctional facility continues to remain a contentious issue, and it looks like nothing is going to change until at least November. On Thursday, Federal
With the summer heat making its full force felt across the city, the Department of Correction (DOC) claims that it has been hard at work ensuring the well-being of those
The latest heatwave might have broken, but the summer is not over, which means that concerns over the welfare of those incarcerated at Rikers Island remain. Brooklyn Defender Services, an
An inmate was discovered dead in his cell on Rikers Island early Sunday morning. The death of 44-year-old Curtis Davis marks the seventh inmate fatality at the jail this year