Ahead of a federal court hearing on Tuesday, the Department of Correction is shaking up its top uniformed staff.
Correction Commissioner Louis Molina said Monday Chief of Department Kenneth Stukes and Bureau Chief of Facility Operations Ada Pressley will be retiring in June and July, respectively.
It comes a week after the department released a new transformation plan which would create new deputy commissioner positions which have the responsibilities of the top uniformed posts.
“Both are beloved members of this department and they will be dearly missed. Chief Stukes has served this agency for 35 years. He has always been a straightforward and outspoken individual who holds people to the highest standards, which he has always embodied,” Molina said in a statement. “Chief Pressley has served for 26 years and she has always gone above and beyond. She successfully presided over the transition of juveniles to ACS custody under Raise the Age, a historic achievement. Their leadership and support were very helpful during the change of administrations and I wish them both the very best."
Wardens will now report directly to Molina, sources tell NY1.
The department is currently in the midst of a staffing crisis, where hundreds of uniformed staff call out sick every day and hundreds more are on modified duty.
The department has promised to crack down on sick leave abuse as part of its plan to fix Rikers.
The city will be back in court on Tuesday to try to convince a federal judge to adopt their new plan and avert a federal takeover.
Kenneth Stukes was appointed chief of department in July 2021. Ada Pressley served as bureau chief of facility operations since August 2021.