NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – Mayor Eric Adams announced Friday that he appointed Lynelle Maginley-Liddie as the new Department of Correction Commissioner, promoting her from her positions of First Deputy Commissioner and Chief Diversity Officer.
“Lynelle has played a significant role in the progress we have made over the last 23 months at DOC, supporting this administration’s efforts to reverse decades of mismanagement and neglect on Rikers Island, and she is prepared to take the reins of this department at such a pivotal moment,” Adams said.
This announcement comes amid growing tension regarding the management of Rikers Island, with Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor, Damian Williams, joining litigation in mid-November that is attempting to strip the Adams administration of control over the complex and usher in a federal takeover.
The new commissioner is replacing Louis Molina, who left the role to become the Assistant Deputy Mayor for Public Safety.
Maginley-Liddie has been with the DOC for eight years, and has served in the capacity of First Deputy Commissioner and Chief Diversity Officer since March 2021.
In these roles, the mayor’s office said that Maginley-Liddie’s responsibilities included providing counsel on matters related to DOC operations, policy improvements and initiatives related to the department’s “turnaround.” These duties are attributed to helping maintain the DOC mission of creating a safe and humane environment for corrections officers and detainees.
As Chief Diversity Officer, Maginley-Liddie also helped develop policy and strategy implementation for the DOC minority- and women-owned business enterprise programs, the mayor’s office said.
Maginley-Liddie will be the second Black woman to hold this position in its 128-year history.
“Public safety and justice are the prerequisites to prosperity, and under the leadership of Commissioner Maginley-Liddie, our administration will continue to ensure dignity, safety, and care for the hard-working staff in our correction facilities and all detainees in our care,” Adams said.