Laura Taylor Swain

Laura Taylor Swain is a federal judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. She has been serving on the bench since her appointment in 2000 and has been involved in significant cases addressing civil rights and institutional reform. Most notably, she has been overseeing the Rikers Island jail complex for nearly a decade, where her role includes ensuring compliance with court orders aimed at improving conditions within the troubled facility. Recently, she found the city in contempt for failing to control violence at Rikers and is considering transferring control of the facility to an outside authority to enhance safety and management.