Mayor Announces New Commitment to Connect Every Young Person on Probation With a Credible Messenger Mentor
Today, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced the reappointment of Ana M. Bermúdez, Esq. as commissioner of the Department of Probation (DOP) and the appointment of Deanna Logan, Esq. as director of the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ).
“The prerequisite to prosperity is safety and justice —and the two go hand in hand,” said Mayor Adams. “If we are going to make our city safer and more just for all New Yorkers, we need to lead with evidence-based policies and upstream solutions. Commissioner Bermúdez and Deanna Logan are proven reformers who share my vision for the criminal justice system, and I look forward to working with them to ‘Get Stuff Done.’”
“Mayor Adams has put forward a bold agenda to make our city safer and more just, and he is assembling a stellar team to carry out that mission and deliver for all New Yorkers,” said Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phil Banks. “Commissioner Bermúdez and Director Logan will be critical partners in that effort, building on their impressive records of using community-based solutions to reduce recidivism and help people leaving the justice system lead more productive, fulfilling lives. I look forward to working with both of them to fulfill the mayor’s vision, and congratulate them on their appointments.”
In her role as commissioner, Bermúdez will continue to lead the department and oversee the critical work of New York City probation officers, who are instrumental in providing resources and support to help people exit the justice system and thrive. Before becoming commissioner in 2014, she served as deputy commissioner for juvenile operations at DOP.
Bermúdez will also build on what is already working to further advance public safety and community justice, including DOP’s evidence-based credible messenger mentoring programs and DOP’s Neighborhood Opportunity Network (NeON), a unique and trusted resource that provides a range of services to people on probation and other community members in seven New York City communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the justice system for decades.
As director of MOCJ, Logan will work tirelessly to deliver on Mayor Adams’ vision of a city that invests in the entire ecosystem of public safety. Under her leadership, the city will look to expand the work and reach of the Crisis Management System, deploying more violence interrupter organizations to areas experiencing high rates of gun violence. MOCJ will also advance programs and policies aimed at reorienting the criminal justice system around a more holistic and rehabilitative model.
“I am honored to be given the opportunity to continue working with the tremendously dedicated probation officers who serve this city — the agents of change of the justice system,” said DOP Commissioner Bermúdez. “Our idea of public safety is that the greatest power to shape someone’s future is found in the very communities in which they live, and neighbors, helping each other, become powerful allies of our officers in the important work of this department. I look forward to broadening and deepening this work alongside Mayor Adams and the rest of my public safety colleagues as we ensure that New York is safe for all those who live, work, play in, and visit our vibrant city.”
“I am humbled and excited at the honor to lead the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice during such a critical time,” said MOCJ Director Logan. “My career is dedicated to fighting for justice and accountability for everyone. I share deeply Mayor Adams’ urgency in confronting the public safety challenges we face as New Yorkers. I look forward to continuing to work closely with our justice system partners to find equitable, innovative, and resourceful solutions to keep all our communities safe.”
Mayor Adams also announced the city’s new commitment to connect every young person on probation aged 21 and under with a credible messenger mentor — someone with experience in the justice system who is committed to preventing others from following in their footsteps. This work will build on and expand DOP’s success with probation officers working in partnership with credible messenger mentors, which has had a transformative impact and significantly improved outcomes for young people on probation.
Further amplifying this important work, the Credible Messenger Justice Center — an interdisciplinary national training and research center co-founded by the Department of Probation under Bermúdez’s leadership — also released new research on transformative mentoring today. “A Gathering Movement” highlights the work of jurisdictions from across the country that have participated in DOP credible messenger program learning immersions in New York City and are actively building community-based mentoring programs as part of their own efforts to similarly prevent crime and further advance community justice.
“Congratulations to Ana Bermúdez on her reappointment as commissioner of the Department of Probation and Deanna Logan on her appointment as director of the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice,” said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson. “At a time in which public safety is a number one concern for our residents, it is imperative that we have partners at City Hall that have the experience necessary to tackle these issues with a strong focus on equity, fairness, justice, and rehabilitation. I look forward to working collaboratively with the mayor, Commissioner Bermúdez, Director Logan, our credible messengers, and local leaders to identify the underlying issues in our communities that cause young adults to be justice involved and to find creative ways to empower and support our borough.”
About Ana M. Bermúdez, Esq.
Ana M. Bermúdez is the New York City Department of Probation’s first openly LGBTQ+, first Latina, and second woman to serve as commissioner. Commissioner Bermúdez began her professional career representing children in family court cases at the Legal Aid Society. For 30 years, she has been a tireless advocate for teenagers and young adults involved in the justice system through the development of strengths-based interventions, the application of restorative and youth development practices, and the designing of programs that ensure readiness for a successful future.
Under Commissioner Bermúdez’s leadership, the Department of Probation has been at the forefront of innovations in the juvenile and criminal justice systems, working together with the communities that most people on probation call home through the NeONs, and establishing impactful and novel public-private ventures, such as the award-winning NeON Arts and the NeON Nutrition Kitchens. Through the latter initiative, DOP’s NeON Nutrition kitchens have provided food for more than 500,000 New Yorkers.
Prior to her appointment as commissioner in March 2014, she served as DOP’s deputy commissioner for juvenile operations for four years, during which she led reform initiatives to infuse greater racial equity and evidence-based practices into the juvenile justice system.
Before joining DOP in 2010, she was the director of juvenile justice programs at the Children’s Aid Society and Case Management at the Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services’ (CASES) Court Employment Project, an alternative-to-incarceration program for adolescent convicted of felonies. At CASES, Bermúdez held progressively responsible positions: director of training and technical assistance; co-director of Community Prep High School, a transitional school for court-involved students; and deputy director for court services and case management.
Bermúdez is a graduate of Brown University and Yale Law School.
Bermúdez will report to Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phil Banks.
About Deanna Logan, Esq.
Deanna Logan, Esq. serves as director of MOCJ. She previously served as acting director.
Deanna Logan joined MOCJ in July 2019, most recently serving as general counsel and deputy director of crime strategies. Prior to that, she spent three years at the Office of the Bronx District Attorney as a bureau chief. She worked with DA Darcel Clark to design, establish, and supervise the Rikers Island Prosecution Bureau. Prior to her work in the Bronx, Logan served as assistant commissioner at DOC, where she worked to reform and strengthen internal discipline. The first eight years of Logan’s career were spent in public service as an assistant district attorney in the Office of the New York County District Attorney. There, she investigated and prosecuted felony cases involving narcotics violations, domestic violence, sexual assaults, and child abuse. After leaving the Office of the New York County District Attorney, she joined The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) as a litigator addressing misconduct issues. She eventually became the managing director of rule development at NYSE, responsible for enforcing the rules that govern the markets and impact the industry while representing NYSE before the Securities and Exchange Commission. After NYSE, she spent a short time at Barclays Capital Market Makers, working as the director of compliance on the trading floor. Logan returned to public service when she joined DOC.
Logan holds a B.A. in political science from Boston University and earned her J.D. at New York University School of Law.
Logan will report to Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phil Banks.
