New Jersey State Prisons
8 facilities- NJDC - Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center (ADTC)
- NJDC - Bayside State Prison (BSP)
- NJDC - East Jersey State Prison (EJSP)
- NJDC - Edna Mahan Correctional Facility (EMCF)
- NJDC - Mid-State Correctional Facility (MCF)
Federal Facilities in New Jersey
2 facilitiesNew Jersey County Jails
18 facilities- Atlantic County NJ Detention Center
- Bergen County NJ Jail
- Burlington County NJ Detention Center
- Camden County Correctional Facility (CCCF)
- Cape May County Corrections Center
ICE Detention Centers
1 facilityNew Jersey Department of Corrections
New Jersey DOC inmate search allows searches by SBI number or name. New Jersey has a significant ICE detention presence - Essex County, Bergen County, and other county jails hold immigration detainees under federal contracts. The state has undertaken significant criminal justice reform in recent years.
The official inmate search is available at www20.state.nj.us/DOC_Inmate/inmate. FCI Fort Dix and MDC Brooklyn serve New Jersey federal inmates.
Visitation in New Jersey Facilities
NJDOC visitor approval requires a Visitor Registration Form. Processing takes 3 - 4 weeks. Background checks for adult visitors. New Jersey has relatively restrictive visiting policies at maximum-security facilities.
Always confirm visiting schedules directly with the facility before traveling. Find specific visitation rules on each facility's page in our New Jersey prison directory.
Sending Mail to New Jersey Inmates
New Jersey DOC mail requires the SBI number. New Jersey has transitioned to a centralized mail scanning system - physical mail is scanned and delivered electronically. The physical letter is not delivered to the inmate at most facilities.
InmateAid delivers letters and photos, postcards, and magazines to New Jersey facilities. Want to receive letters without sharing your home address? Our Letters From Inmates service scans and delivers inmate mail to your account.
Phone Calls from New Jersey Facilities
New Jersey is not currently among the states that offer free inmate phone calls. Securus Technologies holds the NJDOC contract.
Following the FCC's Martha Wright-Reed Order (effective April 6, 2026), per-minute rates for inmate calls are now federally capped at state and federal facilities. Find current carrier and rate information on each facility's page in our New Jersey prison directory.
Sending Money to New Jersey Inmates
Commissary funds let inmates purchase approved items from the facility store. Primary money transfer options for New Jersey:
- JPay (primary for NJDOC)
- Money orders - check if still accepted given digital mail
- Lobby kiosks at some facilities
See our Send Money guide or navigate to the specific facility page for current provider information.
Reentry Resources in New Jersey
Planning for release is one of the most important things a family can do. These organizations provide support in New Jersey:
- New Jersey DOC Reentry - Official reentry programs and services
- Legal Services of New Jersey - Free civil legal help statewide - strong reentry practice
- New Jersey Reentry Corporation - Statewide reentry support and case management
- Volunteers of America NJ - Reentry housing and services across NJ
Frequently Asked Questions About New Jersey Prisons
What is an SBI number in New Jersey?
SBI stands for State Bureau of Identification - New Jersey's unique inmate identifier assigned to every person in NJDOC custody. It must appear on all mail sent to state facilities or the mail will be returned. Find it through the NJDOC inmate search at nj.gov/corrections. The SBI number is permanent for the duration of the sentence and follows the inmate through any facility transfers within the New Jersey state system. County jail booking numbers are entirely separate from SBI numbers - a county detainee doesn't have a state SBI number until they enter NJDOC custody after sentencing.
Does New Jersey scan prison mail?
Yes - New Jersey DOC has implemented a centralized mail scanning system at most state facilities. Physical mail you send is received at a processing center, opened, scanned, and delivered to the inmate electronically through a tablet. Your original letter, card, or drawing does not reach the inmate as a physical object at most NJDOC facilities. This is a significant and controversial change from traditional mail. Understand this before sending anything - a handwritten letter arrives as a screen image, not a piece of paper your family member can hold. Submit mail digitally through JPay where possible to avoid the scanning delay and preserve content quality.
What is the 'Scared Straight' program?
East Jersey State Prison in Rahway, New Jersey was the site of the original Scared Straight program in the 1970s - a controversial intervention where at-risk youth were brought into the prison for intense confrontations with inmates. The 1978 documentary 'Scared Straight!' won an Academy Award and spawned similar programs across the country. Subsequent research has consistently shown the program not only fails to reduce youth crime but actually increases offending in some studies - likely because it exposes youth to criminal peers and inadvertently glamorizes prison. Many states have discontinued it. East Jersey State Prison remains an active maximum-security facility today.
Does New Jersey have free prison phone calls?
No - New Jersey has not eliminated phone call fees, though legislation has been introduced in recent sessions. Securus Technologies holds the NJDOC contract. The FCC's April 2026 rate caps apply to interstate calls from state facilities, reducing costs from historical highs, but calls are not free. New Jersey has a large and politically active reform community - phone fee elimination has been debated but hasn't passed as of 2026. Set up a Securus prepaid account rather than accepting collect calls, which are significantly more expensive.
What is New Jersey's approach to immigration detention?
Several New Jersey county jails - most notably Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark and Bergen County Jail in Hackensack - operate under Intergovernmental Service Agreements (IGSAs) with ICE to house immigration detainees. These are civil immigration detainees under federal jurisdiction, not people convicted of crimes in most cases. If your family member is an immigration detainee in New Jersey, the applicable law is federal immigration law, not state corrections. Use ICE's online detainee locator at ice.gov to find current facility placement and contact information for immigration detainees.
Can I visit someone at Edna Mahan?
Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Clinton is New Jersey's only women's state prison, in Hunterdon County about 45 miles west of Newark. The facility has been the subject of significant federal investigation related to sexual abuse of inmates by correctional officers - a 2021 investigation led to criminal charges against multiple staff members, and NJDOC has undertaken reforms in response. All visitors must be pre-approved through NJDOC's visitor registration process. Contact EMCFW at 908-730-7501 for visitor application procedures and current visiting hours.