Whispers of a behind-the-scenes campaign have emerged, revealing New York City’s quiet lobbying effort to install Correction Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie as the head of Rikers Island and it’s troubled jail system. This push comes amidst a looming possibility that a federal judge could appoint a receiver to take control, a dramatic move prompted by the ongoing crisis within the facility.
Skeptics argue that such a move would fundamentally undermine the vrey purpose of transferring control away from the city’s political apparatus. Yonah zeitz, Advocacy Director at the Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice, posits, “Receivers are intended to bring in fresh leadership, free from political pressures and bureaucratic red tape. Placing the current commissioner would simply perpetuate the status quo, leading to further tragedies and violence.”
Within the Department of Correction (DOC), insiders have dubbed this covert operation “Operation Lynelle.” While Maginley-Liddie is perceived as more adept at navigating the complex political landscape than her predecessor, Louis Molina, her decade-long tenure coincided with the period of mismanagement highlighted by numerous reports from the federal monitoring team. This team has been closely tracking violence and use-of-force incidents within the jails.
On November 27, U.S.District Judge Laura Taylor Swain, who oversees the Nunez class action lawsuit that led to the creation of the monitoring team in 2015, expressed her dissatisfaction with the city’s failure to comply with court orders. Judge Swain’s scathing rebuke concluded she was inclined to appoint a receiver, stating, “The rate of use-of-force incidents and other benchmarks of violence, self-harm, and deaths in custody are demonstrably worse as the consent Judgment took effect in 2015.”
“Worse still,” she asserted, ” the deeply troubling and unsafe habitat within the jails, characterized by unprecedented rates of use-of-force and violence, has become normalized despite being clearly abnormal and unacceptable.”
Observers contend that selecting a sitting commissioner would directly undermine the necesary independence of a receiver. The monitoring team has repeatedly flagged long-standing DOC and union practices that have actively thwarted reform efforts.
“This appears to be a last-ditch attempt by Mayor Adams to retain control, a move that would completely negate the purpose of receivership,” Zeitz declared.
Echoing these concerns is lawyer David Rankin, who has overseen numerous lawsuits involving devasting breakdowns within correctional facilities. “Only the City of new York would have the audacity to propose that an appropriate receiver hails from the very group responsible for decades of mismanagement within one of the worst jails in the country,” Rankin stated. “It’s far from a serious proposal and further demonstrates this mayor’s lack of commitment to improving conditions on Rikers island.” Rankin represents Nicholas Feliciano, a detainee who suffered permanent brain damage in 2019 while attempting suicide in plain view of DOC staff. Feliciano’s injuries will have a lifelong impact. Almost eight minutes elapsed before officers intervened. A captain and three officers faced charges for official misconduct, and the lawsuit resulted in a $28.7 million settlement.
Maginley-Liddie joined the DOC as an agency attorney in September 2015, just three months after the Rikers monitor was appointed. She steadily climbed the ranks,becoming deputy general counsel in 2018,then senior deputy commissioner in 2020. In 2021 she was appointed first deputy commissioner before being named commissioner in December 2023 by Mayor Adams.
A receiver could theoretically be a lawyer, a former elected official, or an advocate, but the selection would most likely involve someone with at least some prior experience managing a complex correctional system, according to sources familiar with the case. the discussion of potential candidates might potentially be premature, considering the long road ahead before Judge Swain actually appoints a receiver. The prospect of litigation from the powerful correction officers’ union further delays this process.
Maginley-Liddie has received comparatively favorable media coverage compared to Molina’s tumultuous tenure. the monitoring team even offered some qualified support, noting her “robust and steady leadership” and praising her appointment of a “well-qualified leadership team.”
Yet, some critics within the department have raised concerns about certain of her actions, including the controversial rehiring of Ned McCormick as associate commissioner after a detainee was left paralyzed at a jail under McCormick’s watch.
McCormick, commuting from Connecticut in a city-owned electric vehicle, faces a pending complaint alleging inappropriate behavior towards a female assistant deputy warden.
On October 18, a decision by Maginley-Liddie to promote three Black deputy wardens to warden, bypassing three veteran officers of other ethnicities, created turmoil among mid-level managers. Adding to their frustration, the agency’s shift towards employing more civilians in top positions was perceived as limiting promotional opportunities for uniformed supervisors.
another appointee, Courtney Rothwell, had overseen the Robert N. Davoren Center during a period marked by a surge in slashings and assaults. In 2017, Rothwell was found to have struck a detainee in the head while the inmate was subdued. Rothwell then made false statements about the incident, according to an administrative decision. In 2018,then-Commissioner Cynthia Brann deemed the force “unjustified” and confiscated 49 vacation days from Rothwell.
The jail population has steadily increased from an average of 5,559 in 2022 to 6,530 last month. The number of seriously mentally ill detainees has risen from 853 in January 2022 to over 1,200 to date. While the number of officers calling in sick has declined, the total number of officers within the system has also decreased due to challenging recruitment efforts. The number of assaults has steadily risen each month, climbing from 280 in February 2023 to 649 in September.While deaths have declined from 19 in 2022 to five so far in 2024, the average length of stay remains near 100 days, one of the longest in the nation.
what are the main goals of “Operation Lynelle” concerning Rikers Island and its leadership?
Time.news Editor (TNE): Thank you for joining us today, Yonah Zeitz, Advocacy Director at the Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice. There’s been a lot of chatter regarding the potential appointment of Correction Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie to head Rikers Island. Can you start by shedding some light on what “Operation Lynelle” is all about?
Yonah Zeitz (YZ): Thank you for having me. “Operation Lynelle” refers to this covert lobbying effort within New York City to install lynelle Maginley-Liddie as the lead over Rikers Island and its troubled jail system. This push is occurring alongside concerns that a federal judge may appoint a receiver to regain control of the facility. The aim seems to be to keep the leadership local rather than moving toward an independent oversight that a receiver would bring.
TNE: It seems controversial, particularly since many skeptics believe it would undermine the very intention of the federal receivership. What are your thoughts on that?
YZ: Absolutely. The point of appointing a receiver is to bring in fresh leadership free from political pressures and bureaucratic entanglements. If a sitting commissioner who has been part of the problematic system is appointed, it simply perpetuates the status quo, which has lead us to crises in the past. We can expect only more tragedies and violence, as the underlying issues will not be addressed.
TNE: Judge laura Taylor Swain has expressed her dissatisfaction with the city’s handling of the situation, notably citing an increase in violence and serious incidents within the facility. how does this situation reflect broader issues within the Department of Correction?
YZ: judge Swain’s comments underscore a critical failure by the city to meet its court-mandated obligations. The monitoring team has highlighted persistent issues of violence and use-of-force incidents, demonstrating that conditions have not improved since the consent judgment was put in place back in 2015. The normalization of such risky conditions is alarming and indicates a systemic problem deeply rooted in the culture and practices of the Department of Correction.
TNE: There are indications that this push for Maginley-Liddie might be more about retaining political control rather than genuinely seeking reform. Can you elaborate?
YZ: Yes, what we’re witnessing appears to be a last-ditch attempt by mayor Adams to maintain control over a situation that clearly calls for external oversight. The idea of placing a current commissioner at the helm of a receiver’s operations contradicts the entire premise of bringing in independent oversight and accountability. This move could very well negate any genuine reform efforts that are desperately needed.
TNE: David Rankin, a lawyer with experience in lawsuits against correctional facilities, also criticized this proposal. What did he have to say about it?
YZ: Rankin’s perspective is quite significant. He suggested that it’s audacious for the city to propose someone from the very system that has perpetuated mismanagement as an appropriate choice for a receiver. This proposal does not reflect a serious commitment to reform; it reveals a troubling unwillingness to confront and address the realities of the situation.
TNE: With such a critical juncture ahead, what steps do you believe need to be taken to ensure real reform at Rikers Island?
YZ: First and foremost, a truly independent receiver is crucial. We need leadership that is beholden to no one within the city’s political framework. Additionally, active community engagement and input are vital to ensure transparency and accountability. The voices of those directly affected by these systems must be part of the reform conversation. Only with genuine commitment to change can we hope to improve conditions and outcomes for the individuals incarcerated there.
TNE: Thank you, Yonah, for your insights. the situation at Rikers Island is undoubtedly complex and requires serious attention and reform. We appreciate your time today.
YZ: Thank you for having me. Looking forward to seeing transformative changes in the system.