New York City’s troubled jail system on Rikers Island will soon have a new leader, Lynelle Maginley-Liddie, according to two government sources. The appointment — which hasn’t been formally announced — comes more than a month after Department of Correction Commissioner Louis Molina announced his transition to a new role as an assistant deputy mayor […]
Jails
Posted inDepartment of Correction
Oversight Board Questions ‘Emergency Orders’ at City Jails
Multiple members of the city’s jail oversight board this week urged Mayor Eric Adams to stop relying on emergency executive orders to circumvent rules to ensure the safe housing of people behind bars. In November 2021, then-mayor Bill de Blasio first signed executive orders suspending multiple Board of Correction regulations, citing chaos brought on by […]
Posted inRikers Island
Hundreds of Women File Rape Lawsuits Against City Jails
Inette Baez has held the secret of what happened to her on Rikers Island for nearly 20 years. She was serving an eight month-jail sentence inside the Rose M. Singer Center in 2004 when, she says, a correction officer repeatedly lured her into a massive freezer and forced her to perform oral sex and raped […]
Posted inJails
Jails Commish Molina Transferred to City Hall as Rikers Receivership Looms
Just days before a federal judge begins to hear arguments in favor of appointing a third party to run the beleaguered city jail system, the head of the Department of Correction is leaving to take a position in City Hall. Commissioner Louis Molina will step down from his role in charge of Rikers Island and […]
Posted inJails
More than 15,000 Rikers Jail Video Visits Canceled Since 2020
The city Department of Correction has canceled 15,129 jail detainee video visits since its online system launched department-wide in 2020, straining relationships among loved ones, according to records obtained by THE CITY. The remote option for people to connect with those behind bars was launched during the pandemic, when in-person visits were blocked to prevent […]
Posted inDepartment of Correction
Federal Monitor Chides City Jails Brass for Increased Violence, Lies
As pressure mounts for the city to turn things around at Rikers Island, Department of Correction Commissioner Louis Molina and his staff tried to hide multiple assaults as jail conditions “have only worsened,” according to the latest report by a judge-appointed watchdog. “The jails remain dangerous and unsafe, characterized by a pervasive, imminent risk of […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Brooklyn Conviction Review Unit Wants to ‘Correct Mistakes’ Quicker — But Still Silencing Cases
While the Kings County squad has been hailed as a model, critics — and its leader — say the CRU can do better.
Posted inRikers Island
New Council Bill Would Shine Light on Jail Deaths
The push for increased transparency behind bars comes months after the Department of Correction suddenly stopped notifying the media about fatal incidents in city jails.
Posted inJails
Eight Rikers Detainees Slashed While Shackled to ‘Restraint Desks’
Chaining people to desks for educational programs behind bars — in lieu of adequate staffing or training — actually leads to more violence, jail reform advocates say.
Posted inHealth and Hospitals
Legal Aid Sues to See Canceled Jail Medical Visits Info
The city’s Correctional Health Services is covering up for the Department of Correction’s “incompetence,” the public defenders say.