A conversation with the new correction commissioner
The new New York City correction commissioner, Stanley Richards, steps into his role with a perspective few in the history of the department have possessed: He has seen the system from both sides of the bars. Having cycled through Rikers Island in the mid-1980s before finding a path to leadership through advocacy and service, Richards brings that understanding of the jails’ environment to the top job — at a time when they are about to be largely taken over by a federal receiver.
In this conversation with Vital City founder Elizabeth Glazer, Richards reflects on how his personal journey informs his approach to one of the city’s most entrenched challenges. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Elizabeth Glazer: Commissioner, thanks so much for sitting down with me and congratulations on your position. You literally know the jail system inside out. I’m wondering if you’d describe how you first came into the system, what Rikers was like then, and how that has perhaps shaped your vision for the system going forward.
Stanley Richards: Thank you for this opportunity to speak with you and the readers of Vital City. My journey started years ago in Soundview Houses in the South Bronx, where I got involved early on in gang activities that escalated to drug use and drug sales. I found myself cycling in and out of jail. For a long part of my life, I believed that was the reality of my experience, and I learned to live in that system. I learned to survive on the streets and on Rikers.
When I was here, there were many more people — about 18,000 to 20,000. [Editors’ note: In the early 1990s, the jail complexes on Rikers Island held more than 20,000 individuals. Jail population fell to 3,800 in 2020. Today, the population hovers around 6,800.] The way you operated was to basically forget about everything in the community once you went over that bridge [which separates Rikers Island from the rest of the city] and focus on surviving in here. Survival was about movement and access to food and the right jobs.
My last incarceration happened in 1986, and I stayed here until 1988 fighting my case. Even though the jails were chaotic, we had steady officers. There was free movement. If you had a visit or a meal, they weren’t feeding you in the housing area; you went to the mess hall. If you needed the clinic, commissary or medical, they would call your housing area and you would get a pass. It was a way of managing the facility because everyone knew that if you got an infraction, you would lose that free movement. It was a way of saying, “We’re trusting you, and if you violate that trust, we’re going to take that from you.”
When I went upstate, I worked in pre-release and realized I didn’t have to live that life. I wanted to give back so others would know they didn’t have to live it either. When I was released, I went to The Fortune Society. While other organizations talked about reentry, Fortune was the organization that really walked the talk. That started my journey of trying to provide people with hope that life could be different.
Elizabeth Glazer: That philosophy seems to be what you’re taking into your current job. Over many decades, violence has been the problem. We’re now way above the levels of violence that the court found unconstitutional in 2015. Why is this such a hard problem, and what is your approach?
Stanley Richards: When I look at how Rikers has operated over decades, I think we have a situation where hurt people hurt people. We have created a system structured in a way that increases isolation, devalues the people who work here and the people in our care, and diminishes hope. When you factor in violence and trauma, everyone ends up in a situation of “survival of the fittest.”
I’ve worked with an organizational psychologist who says the health or pathology of those in authority will be manifested in those with lesser authority. Our correction officers feel devalued, isolated, unseen and unheard. As a city, we have asked them to care for people who also feel that way. It is hard for members of service to extend care and comfort when they don’t feel it themselves.
Part of my work is the belief that a rising tide lifts all boats. I’ve told the unions and the members of service: I see you, I hear you and I value you. At the same time, we need to let the people in our care know they are valued. We are not the judge and jury. Our job is to care for you while you get your case adjudicated.
This isn’t a speedboat moment where I turn the ship around 180 degrees instantly. This is a cruise ship or battleship moment where it’s going to take critical inch progress to turn around decades of neglect and harm.
Elizabeth Glazer: How do you see the role of the union in improving conditions? How do you get on the same side of the table?
Stanley Richards: The union is not my enemy; I need them in partnership. My goal of making sure we have safe jails is the same goal the union wants. I don’t want members doing 16-hour double tours. We may not all agree on strategy, but if we agree on our North Star, we can have conversations. Historically, they have been brought to the table only when implementation is happening. My strategy is bringing them to the table in the early stages.
We are looking at how we allocate officers. I want steady posts and a process that is fair and transparent. For example, during the recent major snowstorm, we experienced significant staff shortages. We came up with a strategy to provide incentives for officers to come in. Before rolling it out, I called the union heads at 8:00 PM to get their feedback. They were so appreciative that they sent out alerts on all their social media and chat rooms to support officers coming in.
Elizabeth Glazer: One flashpoint with the union has been over solitary confinement. What is the approach for someone who has repeatedly hurt others in custody?
Stanley Richards: We have to hold people accountable using the tools available, including prosecution through the District Attorney’s office. We also remove the person from the situation, but it is then our obligation to engage them to reduce the likelihood of them infracting again. Perpetual isolation does not reduce violence. If it did, it would have worked by now.
We are reaching out to experts around the country, including San Francisco, Connecticut, looking at models like Little Scandinavia in the Pennsylvania prison system and at the European system, anything that significantly reduces violence.
Elizabeth Glazer: The jails are affected by many parties not under your control — DAs, defenders, judges. What role will you play in reducing lengths of stay?
Stanley Richards: We are looking at what levers we have to focus on population reduction. This includes working with the Office of Court Administration and DAs to move long-stay cases forward. I am also going to be using 6A [Editors’ note: This refers to a section of state law that gives the correction commissioner the authority to “extend” a sentenced individual’s confinement to outside of jail when that person is enrolled in a work program or other program designated by the statute] to make sure people who can be safely managed in the community get access to services so they don’t come back. Right now, we have about 520 people in the city-sentence pool.
We also have over 200 people who are state-ready [meaning: awaiting transfer to state prison to start serving their term]. Those folks should not be in our system. During COVID, the population dropped from 5,000 to 3,800 in six weeks because everyone — judges, DAs, corrections and City Hall — pulled in the same direction. We can use that experience as a live demonstration that we can bring down the population safely without a crisis.
Elizabeth Glazer: The federal courts have appointed a remediation manager with very broad powers. How do you anticipate working together?
Stanley Richards: Nick [Deml] and I have met a couple of times. Our role is to be in partnership to achieve safety and compliance with the Nunez contempt orders. He is going to be out here on Rikers Island with me. This isn’t about territory, ego or positional authority; it is about getting to safety.
My vision and model right now is people first. If we put the people who work in this department and the people in our care first, we can create the conditions that reduce violence.
My approach is to nail one corner of the blanket down at a time. The tendency is to try to nail them all down, but to do it in a way that is manageable, digestible and achievable, you nail one corner at a time.
Elizabeth Glazer: From your lips to God’s ears. Thank you, Stanley.
