Watler Brings Decades of Leadership and Advocacy in Reentry, Criminal Justice Reform, and Workforce Development to New Role
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Claire Gross, Sr. Manager of Public Relations
cgross@ceoworks.org | (646) 370-8292
New York, NY–October 6, 2026–The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) is excited to announce that Executive Vice President Christopher Watler has been appointed as chair of the New York City Board of Correction (BOC). As chair, Watler will lead a nine-person, non-judicial committee that carries out independent oversight and enacts regulations to support safer, fairer, smaller, and more humane New York City jails.
“Christopher Watler has spent his career helping New Yorkers navigate a criminal legal system that too often fails to treat them with the dignity and respect they deserve. He understands that community safety and justice go hand in hand, and that means improving conditions for people in custody, supporting the staff who care for them and finally closing Rikers Island. I am confident he will lead the Board of Correction with integrity and an unwavering commitment to that work,” said Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani. “I also want to thank Felipe Franco for his leadership during this period of transition. Because of his service, the Board continued its essential work without interruption.”
“We have set this agency on a course to improve conditions for all who live and work in our jails and the Board of Correction is a vital partner in fulfilling that mission,” said New York City Correction Commissioner Stanley Richards. “Chair Watler brings a wealth of experience that makes him exceptionally well-suited for this role, and we look forward to working with him.”
“I am honored by this appointment and deeply grateful to the Mayor for entrusting me with this position,” said Chistopher Watler, Executive Vice President of the Center for Employment Opportunities. “For too long, the people under care in our prisons and jails have been denied the dignity, safety and justice that the law promises and our conscience demands. This great city is my home and the people incarcerated in our prisons and jails are our neighbors, sons and daughters. Like every New Yorker, they deserve the same access to justice, health care, jobs and housing that we all want. In this position, I look forward to working with my colleagues on the board, the dedicated BOC staff, NYC DOCs leadership, union leaders, advocates, City Council, the Correctional Health Services Team, Remediation Manager, Federal Monitor and other partners to ensure the safety and humane treatment of the people held in the city’s care and the safety of our staff and partners working in the jails.”
Chris is an extraordinary leader and a visionary for how the justice system can build truly safer communities. Having had the privilege of working with Chris for more than a decade, I know he will bring integrity, dignity, and a deep commitment to public service to New York City,” said Sam Schaeffer, Chief Executive Officer of the Center for Employment Opportunities. “Chris’ storied leadership across New York City, extending well beyond his work at CEO, reflects his unwavering dedication to ending mass incarceration and expanding meaningful economic opportunity for justice-impacted New Yorkers. With this appointment, the administration is taking another meaningful step toward fulfilling the commitment to close Rikers Island.”
Demonstrating a consistent human-centered approach, Watler brings not only a wealth of experience to the BOC, but also a deeply grounded responsibility for the people who are currently in and returning from prison. When criminal justice reform and the call to end mass incarceration were seen as radical ideas, Watler’s voice challenged the mainstream and discriminatory narrative perpetuating the stigma facing justice-impacted New Yorkers.
Prior to joining CEO, Chris worked for the Center for Justice Innovation in several key roles. He served as the project director for the Harlem Community Justice Center, where he developed nationally-recognized, evidence-based reentry programs for youth and adults, diversion programs for juveniles, and eviction-prevention programs for housing court litigants. Watler also served as the deputy director of National Technical Assistance, providing information and assistance to justice systems nationally and internationally. He was instrumental in the launch of both the Red Hook Community Justice Center and Crown Heights Community Mediation Center.
At the beginning of Watler’s decade-long tenure at CEO, he oversaw CEO’s operations across New York State while advocating for significant investment in reentry services. Since then, Watler’s advocacy in the philanthropic sector has strengthened CEO’s services and expanded its reach. From creating CEO’s inclusive hiring consultancy in which CEO advises private employers on fair chance hiring to garnering funding from private and philanthropic partners that built pathways to quality careers for CEO’s participants, Watler’s leadership has touched the lives of thousands of people who have walked through CEO’s doors.
Originally chartered in 1957, the BOC is one of the earliest independent oversight Boards of custodial and detention settings in the United States. In 1977 the Board’s role expanded with their own budget and staff, making New York City’s BOC one of the most unique corrections boards in the country.
"Chris’ appointment signals an opportunity to strengthen accountability, protect human dignity, and give communities most affected by incarceration a meaningful role in shaping the future of correction in New York City. His willingness to listen, build relationships, and work alongside community organizations is essential to earning trust and advancing change," said Andre Ward, Executive Director Institute for Justice and Opportunity, John Jay College. “At John Jay’s Institute for Justice and Opportunity, we know that safer communities require access to education, meaningful employment, housing, and support. At this moment, the Board of Correction needs leadership that can bring people together while remaining firm about the rights and safety of people held at Rikers. Chris brings the collaborative approach this work demands, and we look forward to working with him to turn those shared priorities into tangible improvements for justice impacted New Yorkers.”
"I'm pleased to see the appointment of Chris Watler as Chair of the NYC Board of Correction,” said Jonathan McLean, Chief Executive Officer of CASES. “Chris is a leader in work to shrink our criminal legal system and ensure accountability for all system actors. His skill at building partnerships and leading collaboratively makes him a strong choice for this role."
“The Interfaith Center of New York welcomes the appointment of Chris Watler as Chair of the NYC Board of Correction. It is good news for all New Yorkers: for the faith-based and community organizers who have labored for decades to support returning citizens; for the tireless advocates who have sought a safer, more equitable city that includes the closing of Rikers Island and opening of Borough Based Jails and mental health facilities; and for the justice-impacted individuals and their families for whom successful reentry into the community has been far too difficult,” said Rev. Dr. Chloe Breyer Executive Director, The Interfaith Center of New York. “His whole career, Chris has fought for meaningful employment, training, and wraparound supports for people returning home from incarceration His appointment as Chair of the Board of Correction is a hopeful sign for a more transparent, humane, and fair corrections system and a new day in the City of New York.”
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About the Center for Employment Opportunities
The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) provides immediate, effective, and comprehensive employment services exclusively to people recently released from incarceration. CEO currently operates in 30 cities in 12 states and is dedicated to ensuring justice-impacted people have opportunities to achieve socioeconomic mobility. For more information, visit ceoworks.org.