Head of troubled NYC jails department will leave post for new job in City Hall

The commissioner of the beleaguered city jails department is leaving his post for a new job in City Hall, Mayor Eric Adams announced late Tuesday.

Department of Correction Commissioner Louis Molina has been appointed as the new assistant deputy mayor for public safety, the mayor said in a press release. He will report to Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks, according to the release.

In the release, Adams called the move a “promotion,” and attributed it to Molina’s “exceptional leadership and dedication.”

“Lou has brought this organization back from the brink of collapse,” Adams said in the release.

But a series of reports from a federal monitor have said the opposite – that conditions on Rikers Island are getting worse. A judge has agreed to hear arguments this winter over whether a federal receiver should take control of the city’s jails, including Rikers.

Last week, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams revived an Independent Rikers Commission to get a plan to close Rikers Island by 2027 back on course, stating the jail facility “continues to undermine public safety in our city.”

Molina is expected to start the role in mid-November. His replacement will be announced in the coming weeks, a City Hall spokesperson said.

Molina’s new role will involve coordinating with all city agencies on public safety matters, according to the press release.