Essex County Makes Deal To Hold Inmates From Union County Jail

NEWARK, NJ — Essex County has agreed to house hundreds of inmates from Union County at a rate of $104 per day, announced Thursday evening.

Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. and the Union County Board of Commissioners announced plans to enter into a memorandum of agreement in which the Essex County Correctional Facility on Doremus Avenue in Newark will house Union County inmates.

The agreement will potentially provide Essex County with about $11.3 million in annual revenue, officials said.

Here are the terms of the deal, according to Essex County officials:

“Under the terms of the agreement, Essex County would house an average daily population of 300 inmates from Union County. Union County would pay Essex a daily rate of $104 per inmate per day that is housed at the ECCF. Essex County will provide video conferencing booths for Union County to conduct remote hearings and interviews with Union County inmates. Union County would be responsible for transporting Union County inmates to the Union County Courthouse for in-person hearings and for transporting Union County inmates back to Union County when they are released. The agreement would be for five years with an opportunity to extend the partnership.”

Corrections officers who currently work for the Union County Jail will have the opportunity to interview with Essex County or the New Jersey State Department of Corrections through the inter-governmental transfer program.

Essex County has similar agreements to house Gloucester County inmates and U.S. Marshals inmates at the Essex County Correctional Facility. It has similar partnerships to house juvenile detention residents from Passaic County, Union County and Hudson County at the Essex County Juvenile Detention Center, also located in Newark.

Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. released a statement about the agreement:

“All levels of government are facing tremendous fiscal pressures and it’s imperative that we all look for ways to pool resources, reduce expenses and generate new revenue while providing the same high quality of service to our constituents. I want to thank Governor Phil Murphy for supporting this bi-county agreement and our partners from Union County who worked with us to reach an agreement that truly benefits the taxpayers of both of our counties. The bail reform policies enacted by New Jersey before the pandemic resulted in fewer people being held at county correctional facilities. This partnership is a great opportunity for Union County to find an alternative way to house their inmates without having to operate a costly facility and for Essex County to maximize the capacity of our accredited complex and generate additional revenue.”

Essex County Commissioner President Wayne Richardson also offered a statement about the deal with Union County:

“The plan to enter into this memorandum of agreement with Union County, which would add revenue for Essex County and allow appropriate use of Essex County’s most modern facility, is one that I support. As changing conditions result in a smaller population of inmates, it only makes sense for counties to work together to ensure both fiscal and social responsibility. The proposed agreement will assist both counties financially and allow Union County’s inmates a facility in a neighboring county where the hardship to visiting families will be minimized and access to attorneys will not be compromised.”

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