New York City's Rikers Island faces another hurdle in its troubled history as federal Judge Laura Taylor Swain appoints Nicholas Deml, a former CIA agent with corrections experience from Vermont, as the remediation manager. This move grants him significant authority to push reforms, surpassing even that of the city's correction commissioner.
Deml's appointment comes at a time of uncertainty for Rikers, which has been plagued by violence, staff misconduct, and systemic failures. City leaders had initially set a deadline to close the jail complex but now seem unlikely to meet it. Meanwhile, a federal monitor recently reported on poor operational practices that contributed to a dozen in-custody deaths last year.
Swain has given Deml 21 days to deliver a report outlining his compensation, staffing, and preliminary budget. Mayor Zohran Mamdani's office has expressed willingness to collaborate with Deml, but the city's corrections commissioner remains unfilled. Critics caution that Rikers' history shows that reform efforts can fail once court oversight ends.
Deml's background is marked by experience in small systems compared to New York City's large jail population. In Vermont, he oversaw a system far smaller than Rikers while also working as an operations officer at the CIA and serving as an aide to Illinois Senator Richard Durbin. His appointment reflects Swain's efforts to force change within the city's control.
Advocates have praised Deml's record in Vermont, describing him as transparent and willing to tackle problems. However, others note that Rikers has swallowed reformers before, and his success will depend on buy-in from the city government. Deml's independence from City Hall could be an asset if he uses it to push for meaningful change.
Ultimately, Deml's appointment marks a final attempt by Swain to drive progress through the remedy manager role. The success of this initiative will largely hinge on whether Rikers' reform efforts can outlast his tenure and translate into lasting change within the city's jails.
Deml's appointment comes at a time of uncertainty for Rikers, which has been plagued by violence, staff misconduct, and systemic failures. City leaders had initially set a deadline to close the jail complex but now seem unlikely to meet it. Meanwhile, a federal monitor recently reported on poor operational practices that contributed to a dozen in-custody deaths last year.
Swain has given Deml 21 days to deliver a report outlining his compensation, staffing, and preliminary budget. Mayor Zohran Mamdani's office has expressed willingness to collaborate with Deml, but the city's corrections commissioner remains unfilled. Critics caution that Rikers' history shows that reform efforts can fail once court oversight ends.
Deml's background is marked by experience in small systems compared to New York City's large jail population. In Vermont, he oversaw a system far smaller than Rikers while also working as an operations officer at the CIA and serving as an aide to Illinois Senator Richard Durbin. His appointment reflects Swain's efforts to force change within the city's control.
Advocates have praised Deml's record in Vermont, describing him as transparent and willing to tackle problems. However, others note that Rikers has swallowed reformers before, and his success will depend on buy-in from the city government. Deml's independence from City Hall could be an asset if he uses it to push for meaningful change.
Ultimately, Deml's appointment marks a final attempt by Swain to drive progress through the remedy manager role. The success of this initiative will largely hinge on whether Rikers' reform efforts can outlast his tenure and translate into lasting change within the city's jails.
, like he has experience in small systems which is a big difference from rikers but also what if he's too small to tackle the big issues? on one hand, his background with transparency and reform efforts sounds great 
, but on the other hand, hasn't the city done that before just to find out it didn't work out 
? I guess only time will tell if deml can make a real difference 
. But let's be real, city leaders had already said they'd close the place down by now, so I'm not holdin my breath 
. It's gonna take more than just one person to fix this mess, it's a systemic problem that needs systemic changes. Fingers crossed Deml can get some meaningful reform done and not just sweep it under the rug like they've been doin before 
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. He might be decent, but that CIA background is gonna attract some shady folks, no way he's above corruption... and what about the city's resistance? We've seen this before with reformers, they get in, do some patchwork, and then disappear 
. The real question is, who benefits from Deml's appointment - not the inmates or their families, that's for sure 
. hope he can bring some of those small system efficiencies to the table and help get rikers out of its current mess 
I'm so worried about Rikers Island, it's been a nightmare for far too long... 21 days is a good start but we need real, tangible changes, not just a new face on the situation 
... Deml's background looks solid but we'll see how he actually does with the massive correction system in NYC 
... My heart goes out to all those who've suffered or lost loved ones due to Rikers' failures 
... Can't help but think that this might be just the push needed for real reform, fingers crossed 
. But at the same time, Deml's got some sweet experience under his belt, so fingers crossed he can actually make some progress 
. Still, it's gonna be hard for him to succeed if city leaders aren't on board... we'll see how this all plays out 
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it's like they're just trying to sweep everything under the rug and hope nobody notices 
but this new guy, deml, he seems like he might actually know what he's doing 
it's like trying to hold water in your hands - it'll just slip right back out 
and we all know how that ends... but hey, at least deml has a chance to make a difference 
if he can get the city on board and push for real change, maybe rikers won't be a total lost cause after all 
that would be a major bummer.
still, deml seems like a decent pick for remediation manager... his transparency record in vermont is actually pretty inspiring 
. But, you're right, history has shown us that change can be tough to stick to, so fingers crossed he's got the buy-in from City Hall and the community 
, coming in with that CIA background & corrections experience from Vermont. His track record of being transparent & tackling problems in small systems is def inspiring 
, but it's hard not to worry given the history of how reforms have played out there... 
. Deml's background is solid, though - he seems like someone who knows what he's doing 
but at the same time, reform efforts have failed b4 & we dont wanna see history repeat itself 
. Deml needs 2 prove hes willing 2 listen 2 ppl & make actual changes 
, or its just another attempt that ends up being a waste of resources 