New York City has appointed Nicholas Deml, a former CIA agent and former commissioner of Vermont's Department of Corrections, as the city's new remediation manager at Rikers Island. The appointment gives Deml significant authority beyond that of the correctional commissioner to push forward reforms at the troubled jail complex.
Deml's background is marked by praise from prisoner advocates in Vermont, who described him as transparent and forthright. However, his name had not been widely circulating within Rikers reform circles before the announcement. The city council member Tiffany Cabán expressed relief that a change was needed to address Rikers' humanitarian crisis, which has persisted for years.
Deml will have 21 days to submit a report outlining his compensation, staffing, and preliminary budget, as per U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain's order. Mayor Zohran Mamdani's office said the mayor is committed to working closely with Deml to improve conditions on Rikers Island.
The appointment comes at a time of uncertainty for Rikers, which was initially slated to be closed and replaced by new borough-based facilities by 2027. However, city leaders have failed to meet this deadline, leading to concerns that the jail complex will miss its target date.
A federal monitor's recent report found that poor operational and security practices at Rikers contributed to a dozen in-custody deaths last year and that reform efforts are progressing slowly. The decision to appoint Deml as remediation manager is Swain's final attempt to force change before stripping the city of control over its jails altogether.
Advocates for prisoner rights expressed mixed views on Deml's appointment, with some praising his record in Vermont and others cautioning that his success will depend on buy-in from the city government. Others noted that Rikers has swallowed reformers before, and that Deml's success will hinge on whether changes outlast his tenure.
Deml's unique powers under Swain's authority could be assets if he uses them to push for meaningful reforms at Rikers. However, it remains to be seen how his experience running Vermont's corrections system will prepare him for taking on the challenge of Rikers.
Deml's background is marked by praise from prisoner advocates in Vermont, who described him as transparent and forthright. However, his name had not been widely circulating within Rikers reform circles before the announcement. The city council member Tiffany Cabán expressed relief that a change was needed to address Rikers' humanitarian crisis, which has persisted for years.
Deml will have 21 days to submit a report outlining his compensation, staffing, and preliminary budget, as per U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain's order. Mayor Zohran Mamdani's office said the mayor is committed to working closely with Deml to improve conditions on Rikers Island.
The appointment comes at a time of uncertainty for Rikers, which was initially slated to be closed and replaced by new borough-based facilities by 2027. However, city leaders have failed to meet this deadline, leading to concerns that the jail complex will miss its target date.
A federal monitor's recent report found that poor operational and security practices at Rikers contributed to a dozen in-custody deaths last year and that reform efforts are progressing slowly. The decision to appoint Deml as remediation manager is Swain's final attempt to force change before stripping the city of control over its jails altogether.
Advocates for prisoner rights expressed mixed views on Deml's appointment, with some praising his record in Vermont and others cautioning that his success will depend on buy-in from the city government. Others noted that Rikers has swallowed reformers before, and that Deml's success will hinge on whether changes outlast his tenure.
Deml's unique powers under Swain's authority could be assets if he uses them to push for meaningful reforms at Rikers. However, it remains to be seen how his experience running Vermont's corrections system will prepare him for taking on the challenge of Rikers.
Deml's appointment is a huge deal, but let's not forget, this is all about the city's reputation and its commitment to reform 
. The fact that they had to wait till now, after years of inaction, is concerning. What's more, we're seeing a bit of power play here - the federal monitor's report and Swain's authority are being used as leverage to force change, while also setting Deml up for success 
. It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out, but one thing's for sure, the city needs to prove it's serious about reforming Rikers before more lives are lost 
.
. I mean, come on, a former CIA agent? That's like throwin' a wild card into the mix, know what I'm sayin'? 
It's like they're just throwin' a bunch of buzzwords at the problem without actually knowin' what they're doin'. 
21 days is gonna fly by, and I'm sure we'll be hearin' about more delays and excuses from the city government in no time... 
and man, it was LIFE.CHANGING. We stayed in a crazy cute Airbnb right by the falls and I swear, the mist was like a magical veil that made everything feel mystical 
. I mean, have you ever seen the way the light reflects off the water at sunset? It's like nature's own personal light show 
! Anyways, back to Rikers... Deml seems like a solid dude, but can he really make a difference? My grandma always said that with great power comes great responsibility 
.
21 days to make a difference 
Can't break free from corruption 
And what does Deml's background in Vermont tell us about his ability to navigate similar challenges on a much larger scale? Is he just another outsider trying to shake things up, or is there something more profound going on here? 
.
, but I gotta say, 21 days might feel like a super short time to turn things around at Rikers 
.
. The federal monitor's report was pretty bleak, and I'm not sure how much longer we can keep putting people's lives at risk at Rikers 
. Deml's background in Vermont is actually kinda reassuring, but like others said, it remains to be seen if he'll be able to get buy-in from the city government 
.
but we'll have to wait and see if he can actually make a difference here. 21 days is like, an eternity for deml to come up with some solid plans 
. fingers crossed deml can bring about real change 
rikers island is still a mess and now we got some new guy comin in tryin to fix it but its hard to be optimistic 
deml's background might be decent but hes goin in with his feet dippin in the water already 
poor operational practices led to 12 deaths last year 
that's not exactly a great start 
and lets be real, reformers been swallowin up before they get outta there too 
i hope deml can make a difference but like you said his success depends on how much buyin from the city government he gets 