Judge Laura Taylor Swain has appointed Nicholas Deml as Remediation Manager over Rikers Island— marking a critical step forward in ending the egregious constitutional violations that incarcerated New Yorkers have endured for years.

Last year, after decades of litigation and advocacy The Legal Aid Society’s Prisoners’ Rights Project won a historic ruling in the class action case Nunez v. City of New York, when the Court ordered the New York City jail system be placed under independent oversight.

“This decision reflects the court’s recognition that incremental measures and past promises have failed to deliver the systemic change necessary to protect basic rights and human dignity,” reads a statement from Mary Lynne Werlwas, Director of the Prisoners’ Rights Project and Debbie Greenberger, Partner at Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP.

“The people who spoke with us about Mr. Deml described him as a leader with fortitude, compassion, and political acumen — someone who can bring a steady hand and fresh ideas to a crisis,” the statement continues. “Most importantly to us, Mr. Deml demonstrated in our conversations with him that he understands people in custody need real solutions to the dangerous dysfunction harming them — even, and especially, when those solutions require a break from the status quo.”

“This appointment represents a crossroads: a genuine and extraordinary opportunity to address the dangerous and unlawful conditions the City has failed to remedy across multiple administrations, multiple commissioners, and multiple court orders,” the statement concludes. “We urge the Mamdani Administration to embrace this moment and work collaboratively with all parties to ensure that lasting, meaningful reforms are finally implemented.”