Stanley Richards, a former criminal who served a prison sentence for robbery in 1991, has been appointed as the Department of Correction (DOC) commissioner in New York City. Richards, who was previously a counselor at Fortune Society, rose from a position to president and CEO by 2024 and served a senior DOC role under former Mayor Bill de Blasio. His work in the criminal reform movement earned him recognition from the White House's "Champions of Change" program under former President Barack Obama. Critics fear that this approach could encourage lawlessness and encourage more criminals to pay their debts to society without being locked up. Fortune Society continues to fight against harsh crime-related policies, receiving taxpayer funding for ostensibly charitable services.