Center for Employment Opportunities Celebrates Leadership That Puts Justice-Impacted Voices at the Helm of Criminal Justice Reform
Contact:
Claire Gross, Sr. Manager of Public Relations
cgross@ceoworks.org | 646) 370-8292
NEW YORK, NY — February 2, 2026 — On January 31st, Mayor Zohran Mamdani appointed Stanley Richards, who most recently served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Fortune Society, and longtime partner of the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO), to Commissioner of New York City Department of Corrections. The following is a statement from the Center for Employment Opportunities’ Executive Vice President Christopher Watler:
“The appointment of my friend and colleague, Stanley Richards, as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Corrections marks the beginning of a long-overdue new era. For the first time, a leader with lived experience of incarceration is directing the agency charged with the care and safety of thousands of incarcerated individuals. There is no one better prepared to take on this responsibility than Stanley.
A genuine commitment to ending mass incarceration demands leadership from the people who have been directly impacted by the criminal legal system. As a reentry organization, CEO knows that meaningful change only happens when justice-impacted leaders shape policy, culture, and practice. Mayor Mamdani’s appointment of Stanley is exactly the kind of bold and necessary step required to confront and, finally move beyond, the shameful legacy of abuse and mistreatment that has characterized Rikers Island for far too long.
Through our longstanding partnership with the Fortune Society as members of the Alternative to Incarceration Reentry Coalition, CEO has worked along Stanley for years to advance a shared vision of decarceration, dignity, and community-led solutions for New Yorkers returning home from incarceration. The Coalition has successfully worked to advance policies and cost-effective investments in programs that provide employment services, housing and other critical services that have made New York City safer while reducing incarceration.
Throughout his leadership at the Fortune Society, Stanley has demonstrated compassion, resolve, and moral clarity in his work to create stability and true opportunity for people returning from incarceration. I am confident that those same qualities will drive real transformation at the Department of Corrections and set people up for stability and success upon their release. CEO looks forward to continuing our collaborative relationship with Commissioner Richards to ensure that everyone returning home from incarceration has the tools and support necessary to rebuild and pursue a thriving future.”
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About the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO)
The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) provides immediate, effective and comprehensive employment services exclusively to people recently released from incarceration. CEO currently operates in more than 30 cities across 12 states and is dedicated to ensuring that justice-impacted individuals have opportunities to achieve socioeconomic mobility. For more information, visit ceoworks.org.