Freeholder Board Approves Two-year Pact with Hudson County for Correctional Services

Trenton – The Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders recently approved a two-year contract with Hudson County for correctional services. This approved contract will save Mercer County taxpayers $12 million annually while also ensuring the employment of all current correction officers.

The agreement, which goes into effect January 1, 2020, calls for Mercer County to pay Hudson County $11,169,000 annually for up to 300 inmates, with a flat rate of $102 per inmate per day for any inmate above 300 per calendar year.

“As with any decision of this magnitude the members of the board deliberated, discussed, and asked for answers to specific questions before making their decision. In 2016 the County Executive brought a consolidation plan before this board and after crunching the numbers and speaking to both sides, we rejected it,” said Freeholder Chair John A. Cimino. “After three years of working with the County Executive and his administration, while also remaining in contact and meeting with representatives for the correctional staff I am now confident that this agreement is the correct move for Mercer County and its inmates.”

Under the agreement, all current correctional officers will be assured employment whether it be at the Mercer County Correction Center or Hudson County Correction center.

“Saving the jobs of our Corrections Officers was paramount to the Freeholders, which is why we fought so hard for a plan that would not only save the taxpayer but provide our officers with a promise of employment,” said Cimino.

In January 2017, the New Jersey Criminal Justice Reform Act (Bail Reform) came into effect. By essentially eliminating money bail in our state, the number of inmates and their length of stay has dramatically decreased which has led to a massive spike in cost per-inmate at the Mercer County Facility.

“Bail reform is working. We are keeping low-level offenders out of our jails. In the past four years our prison population has dropped by nearly 450 inmates per year,” added Cimino. “As the inmate population continues to dwindle this was the right time to consolidate services with a facility that offers far superior services then our current facility while also providing the taxpayers significant savings.”

The Mercer County Correction Center is by the far the oldest facility in the State of New Jersey. The facility is unable to provide inmates with the necessities other facilities can provide. Hudson County can provide Mercer County inmates with expanded visitation days and hours, including contact visits, video conferencing, and the use of modern technology that will allow inmates the ability to contact both legal representation and visitors.

Also, Hudson County can provide medical services that Mercer is unable to provide. They have a detox wing, negatively pressurized rooms for tuberculosis treatment, acute suicide cells, and a drug and alcohol rehabilitation unit with 120 beds.

“A major plus to this specific agreement was the vastly superior and modernized services Hudson County could offer our inmates. Whether it be the added visitation hours, ability to contact their family via email or video chat, or drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities, Hudson provides our inmates with tools to rehabilitate themselves, which in the end is the goal of the County Correctional system,” concluded Cimino.