After serving as first deputy commissioner with New York City Department of Correction (NYCDOC) since January 2021, Antiguan-born Lynelle Maginley-Liddie has created history by being elevated to commissioner and becoming the second Black woman to assume that role in NYCDOC’s 128-year history.
“Lynelle Maginley-Liddie has spent the better part of a decade at the Department of Correction, and I confident that she is the right person to lead the department going forward,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams in making the announcement at a press conference last Friday.
“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,” he added. “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.
“She is a steady hand, who will continue the good work of now-Assistant Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Louis Molina,” Adams continued. “I thank Lou for everything he did at the Department of Correction and look forward to working with him in this new role.”
New York City Corporation Counsel, Barbadian-born Sylvia O. Hinds-Radix, described Maginley-Liddie as “a dedicated public servant who is committed to building upon the work the administration has done to effectuate the changes needed at Rikers.”
She said Maginley-Liddie is “familiar with every aspect of DOC’s operations and superbly qualified to help the city ensure compliance with the consent decree.
“The Law Department looks forward to working with Commissioner Maginley-Liddie in her new role,” Hinds-Radix added.
Maginley-Liddie thanked Adams for appointing her commissioner, stating that she was honored “to lead and serve this department and the people of this great city.”
“As commissioner, I will work tirelessly to support our staff and create safe and humane conditions for those entrusted in our care,” she said. “I further pledge to follow and set standards for correctional best practices; the people working and living in our jails deserve nothing less.”
During Women’s History Month celebrations in March, Maginley-Liddie, who lives in New York City, told Caribbean Life that the Department of Correction is “an agency that has a rich history of promoting women, particularly women of color, to leadership positions.”
“Forty-three percent of women in this agency are correction officers, and 57 percent of leadership positions are filled by women,” she said. “As a woman of color, I recognize the significance of this role-not only for me but more important for the staff who work at this agency. My representation covers a broad spectrum across our workforce.
“My hope is that, when others see me in my role, they learn from my journey to get here,” Maginley-Liddie added. “I want them to envision themselves in leadership roles and know that they can attain any position of power within the agency to effect real change.
“I am honored to have this responsibility bestowed upon me, and I take it very seriously,” she continued. “Every day, I value that I have the opportunity to impact the lives of those who work at the department, as well as the individuals in custody who we serve.”
Maginley-Liddie has served the City of New York since 2015, when she first joined the department, first, as an agency attorney in the Legal Division, and, subsequently as deputy general counsel in 2018, where she led the department’s General Litigation Unit. There, she provided strategic guidance on complex legal matters, focusing on the impact on the department and its members.
In August 2020, she was promoted to acting senior deputy commissioner and chief diversity officer — a role where she was able to have an even bigger impact on the department’s path to reform – becoming only the third woman to assume the role of first deputy commissioner in the department’s 128th year history.
Prior to joining NYCDOC, Maginley-Liddie was an associate at the law firm of Leader Berkon Colao & Silverstein LLP. She received her juris doctor from Fordham University School of Law, while raising a young family. She began law school while her daughter was only four months old.
She is licensed to practice in New York and New Jersey, and is admitted to the Eastern and Southern District Courts of New York, as well as the United States District Court of New Jersey.
Maginley-Liddie graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in government from John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
Born on the 108-square-mile island of Antigua and a child of a pastor, Maginley-Liddie attributed her accomplishments and noted career to her faith in God and the support of her family.
But she credited her professionalism to “the ethos” of her life: That is, to “always be cognizant of the importance of being impartial, fair, empathetic and humble.”
In view of her diverse background – Caribbean upbringing in a Christian household, strong family ties and the experiences of living in “the melting pot that is the gorgeous mosaic of New York City” – Maginley-Liddie said she “always aims to abide by a healthy moral compass.”
She said she appreciated the lessons her parents taught her: “To be impartial, be just, and approach life (and work) with a sense of compassion.”
In this regard, Maginley-Liddie said she strives to be “open-minded and reasonable within the limits and spirit of the law” when considering the impact of her decisions for NYCDOH.
She said she has supported the department’s mission of “maintaining a safer and more humane environment for all staff and people in custody.”
Maginley-Liddie said she “supports and helps lead this department with a primary focus on investing in staff professional growth and well-being, and understanding the agency’s success will be guided by our diverse and dedicated workforce.”
At the height of the pandemic, she said she “quickly stood up and led the agency’s critical COVID-19 testing and vaccination operation for staff.”
In addition, Maginley-Liddie said she has arranged for health and wellness trucks to be stationed on Rikers Island, “so staff can access preventative health screenings, as they perform one of the most challenging yet rewarding jobs in law enforcement.”
She said she is “deeply committed to public service and supporting the department, as it continues to undergo historical changes.”
Maginley-Liddie said her dedication to public service motivates her to “work tirelessly to support staff and those entrusted in the department’s care — all while fighting to push forward the mission of criminal justice reform.”
She is happily married to her husband for almost 18 years and has two kids.
Ingrid P. Lewis-Martin, chief advisor to Mayor Adams, who traces her roots to Barbados, thanked Louis Molina for “the great work that he has done as our Correction commissioner.
“Under his tenure, our administration and the Department of Correction have made incredible progress reversing dangerous trends and putting our jail system on the right path,” she said. “I am confident that Commissioner Maginley-Liddie will bolster that progress — driving violence further down and ensuring safety for everyone living and working in our system.”
