Mayor Bill de Blasio Appoints Gerard Bryant to the Board of Correction

January 11, 2016

NEW YORK—Mayor Bill de Blasio today appointed Gerard Bryant to the Board of Correction, where he will join eight other members who oversee the Department of Correction and advance reforms to improve the quality of life for inmates and employees.

As a member of the Board, Bryant is tasked with establishing and ensuring compliance with minimum standards regulating conditions of confinement, correctional health and mental health care in all City correctional facilities. Gerard Bryant is a joint appointment with the Presiding Justices of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, First and Second Judicial Departments.

Gerard Bryant is a psychologist and consultant in his own independent practice in New York City. Between 2012 and 2014, Bryant was an Associate Warden and Acting Warden for the U.S. Department of Justice at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York. He has experience working as a Regional Psychology Services Administrator with the U.S. Department of Justice's Federal Bureau of Prisons in Philadelphia, and has also worked as an adjunct professor since 1984 at Brooklyn College, the Bank Street College of Education, the Borough of Manhattan Community College, and most currently, the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

The Board of Correction consists of nine members, three of whom are appointed directly by the Mayor, three by the Mayor in conjunction with the presiding justices of the first and second department, and three by the City Council.

About the Board of Correction
The Board of Correction establishes and ensures compliance with minimum standards regulating conditions of confinement, correctional health and mental health care in all City correctional facilities. The Board monitors conditions in the City's jails, investigates serious incidents, evaluates the performance of the Department of Correction, reviews inmate and employee grievances, and makes recommendations in critical areas of correctional planning.

About Gerard Bryant

Dr. Gerard W. Bryant is currently the Director of the Counseling Services Center at John Jay College. He began this position in August 2014 after working for 22 years for the Federal Bureau of Prisons. He started his career in corrections at the United States Penitentiary in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania as a Staff Psychologist and was subsequently promoted to Chief Psychologist at two institutions, Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York and USP Lewisburg. He then served as the Northeast Regional Psychology Services Administrator for 17 years. In this position he supervised over 200 mental health professionals, including doctoral level psychologists and master level therapists, providing psychological services in 18 federal prisons. Between 2012 and 2014, Bryant was an Associate Warden and Acting Warden for the U.S. Department of Justice at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York before retiring in January 2014.

Dr. Bryant has presented at many conferences and conducted workshops and trainings on topics including correctional management, crisis management, substance abuse, suicide prevention, sexual assault and prevention, crisis support, work place violence, hostage negotiations and stress management. He has over thirty years of experience as a psychologist in a wide variety of clinical settings, including the non-profit, government and private sectors, working with children, adolescents and adults. In these settings he has provided individual and group therapy, crisis intervention and psychological assessment services. He has an extensive background in forensic psychology and the supervision of psychological professionals working in forensic settings.

In addition, Bryant has also worked as an adjunct professor since 1984 at Brooklyn College, the Bank Street College of Education, the Borough of Manhattan Community College, and most currently, the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He has been an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department at John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY) since January 2005.

Dr. Bryant has a lengthy academic record having received his BA from Bradley University, his MS from Brooklyn College and his PhD from NYU. He has also been a professional member of the American Psychological Association, the New York State Psychological Association, the American Correctional Association, the New York Society for Ethical Culture Social Service Board and the McBurney YMCA.