The statement from Damian Williams was a major shift and could help persuade a judge to strip Mayor Eric Adams of his power over the troubled jails complex.
The federal court appointee will likely try to force Louis A. Molina, head of the Department of Correction, to increase openness about the Rikers jail complex.
Louis A. Molina, the jails commissioner, has failed to stop rampant violence, and officials have shut down avenues of information about what happens behind bars, according to a report filed in federal court.