Family Rights and Advocacy in New Jersey

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Internal links (5): New Jersey inmate search, send money to New Jersey inmates, New Jersey reentry resources, Staying Connected hub, how prison works hub

Voice: Formerly-incarcerated narrator. Plain, direct, honest. Written to the family member on the outside.

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Family Rights and Advocacy in New Jersey | InmateAid

New Jersey families have two things most states in this series do not. First, cheap phone calls: effective May 1, 2025, the New Jersey Department of Corrections (NJDOC) and ViaPath cut the rate to **$0.034 per minute** -- 3.4 cents -- a 22 percent reduction. Second, an independent watchdog with real power: the **Office of the Corrections Ombudsperson (OCO)**, strengthened by the 2020 Dignity Act, has what advocates call "golden-key access" to every state prison facility, every incarcerated person, and every record. Communications with the OCO are confidential and privileged, like talking to a lawyer.

New Jersey is also in the middle of a major reform period. Governor Murphy ordered the troubled Edna Mahan women's prison closed after a 2021 officer-assault scandal, and a new $310 million women's facility broke ground in October 2025 in a more central, family-accessible location. Murphy launched a sweeping clemency initiative in 2024 that granted clemency to more than 129 people by April 2025. And the Legislature has been advancing an Incarcerated Women's Protection Act to codify gender-responsive protections.

If your loved one is in NJDOC, this guide covers the communication system (now transitioning from JPay to ViaPath), the ombudsperson who can investigate on your behalf, and the survivor- and family-led organizations driving change.

NJDOC: Whittlesey Road, PO Box 863, Trenton, NJ 08625 | **(609) 292-4036** | nj.gov/corrections

What Families Are Facing in New Jersey

New Jersey is a small, dense state with about 13,000 people in 9 state prisons. Unlike the vast-distance states in this series, most NJDOC facilities are within about 90 minutes of the major population centers. Major facilities:

- **New Jersey State Prison (NJSP)** -- Trenton (maximum security; the state's oldest)

- **East Jersey State Prison** -- Rahway, Union County

- **Northern State Prison** -- Newark, Essex County

- **South Woods State Prison** -- Bridgeton, Cumberland County (the largest facility; southern NJ)

- **Bayside State Prison** -- Leesburg, Cumberland County

- **Garden State Youth Correctional Facility** -- Yardville, Mercer County (young men)

- **Mid-State and Southern State Correctional Facilities** -- central and southern NJ

- **Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women** -- currently Clinton (Hunterdon County); relocating to a new $310 million facility in Chesterfield (Burlington County)

**The Edna Mahan transition**: New Jersey's only women's prison, Edna Mahan in Clinton, is being closed and replaced. After more than a dozen correctional officers were arrested in 2021 for brutally assaulting incarcerated women during forced cell extractions, Governor Murphy ordered the 112-year-old facility shut. A new 420-bed, $310 million women's prison broke ground in October 2025 in Chesterfield, Burlington County -- chosen partly because its central location makes it more accessible for families who want to visit. The state describes the new facility as a trauma-informed, "normative" environment. If your loved one is at Edna Mahan, contact NJDOC or the Ombudsperson to understand the relocation timeline.

On phone: ViaPath at $0.034/minute (since May 1, 2025). Calls are outbound only -- incarcerated people cannot receive incoming non-legal calls except in a verified emergency.

On the JPay-to-ViaPath transition: NJDOC began moving services from JPay to ViaPath in March 2025. **JPay was discontinued July 31, 2025.** New ViaPath tablets (DOC property, loaned free) provide educational resources, legal materials, and video visitation. Money-send fees dropped about 37 percent under ViaPath. Stay updated at njdoc.gov/pages/viapath.html.

On mail: all incoming mail is opened and inspected. Books and magazines must come directly from a publisher or approved vendor. As of 2025, NJDOC temporarily suspended acceptance of used publications. Address mail with the incarcerated person's name, SBI number, and housing unit.

On video visits: Video Connect -- 30-minute sessions, scheduled at least 3 days ahead, one per week, available at all facilities except Northern State Prison and the Special Treatment Unit, between 8:00 AM-3:00 PM and 5:50-8:00 PM. All video is monitored and recorded.

Your Rights as a Family Member in New Jersey

Visitation rights

NJDOC facilities have specific visiting hours and rules; you must register and schedule in advance through the NJDOC Visitation Scheduler. Visitors must be on the incarcerated person's approved visit list.

The NJDOC also runs a supervised parent-child visitation program (the NJDOC VISIT Program) through the Office of Transitional Services, recognizing that the parent-child relationship is vital to family stability and successful reentry. Certain infant items are allowed into the facility for these visits. For questions about supervised parent-child visitation, contact the Office of Transitional Services.

Note on bereavement: incarcerated people in Close Custody status are not eligible for bereavement contact visits but may be considered for a bereavement window visit.

Communication rights

Phone: ViaPath at $0.034/minute. The called party should contact ViaPath to set up an AdvancePay account, resolve a block, or fund calls. To request a statewide block on calls from a facility: NJDOC Telecommunications Office at **609-292-4036, ext. 5665**.

Calls are recorded and monitored, with exceptions for attorney/client calls, the Office of the Corrections Ombudsperson, the Hyacinth Foundation, and the Special Investigations Division.

If you are receiving calls from someone subject to a no-contact or restraining order, or someone harassing, threatening, or intimidating a witness: contact your local police and the NJDOC Special Investigations Division immediately at **(800) 523-3829**.

Video: Video Connect (transitioning to ViaPath). Register, get matched to an approved visitor on the visit list, and schedule 3+ days ahead.

Notification rights

NJDOC is not required to notify family of transfers. Use the NJDOC Inmate Finder at nj.gov/corrections (search by name or SBI number). NJDOC notifies next of kin for serious medical emergencies and deaths.

Grievance rights

Internal NJDOC grievances (the Inmate Remedy System) must be filed by the incarcerated person. Family members cannot file internal grievances directly.

But New Jersey gives families something powerful: the **Office of the Corrections Ombudsperson**, an independent agency families can contact directly (see below).

External pathways for families:

- **Office of the Corrections Ombudsperson**: 1-888-909-3244 (general public) | 609-633-2596 | nj.gov/correctionsombudsperson

- NJDOC main: (609) 292-4036 | nj.gov/corrections

- ACLU of New Jersey / NJ Prison Justice Watch: aclu-nj.org

- Your New Jersey state legislators at njleg.gov

The Office of the Corrections Ombudsperson: New Jersey's Independent Watchdog

Office of the Corrections Ombudsperson (OCO)

nj.gov/correctionsombudsperson

General public: **1-888-909-3244** | Main office: 609-633-2596

Residential Community Release Programs (toll-free): 1-800-305-1811

This is one of the strongest external resources for families in any state in this series. The OCO is an independent agency (housed in the Department of the Treasury, not NJDOC), with an Ombudsperson appointed by the Governor to a five-year term. The Dignity Act, signed in 2020, strengthened the office and created a citizens' advisory board.

What the OCO can do:

- Investigate complaints about conditions and treatment in New Jersey prisons

- Conduct scheduled and unannounced inspections of facilities

- Access -- by statute -- all facilities, all incarcerated people, and all records ("golden-key access")

- Privately interview staff and incarcerated people, and subpoena witnesses and documents

- Escalate significant issues to the Governor and Legislature

- Provide information to incarcerated people, families, and advocates, and support self-advocacy

Communications with the OCO are confidential and privileged. The office receives roughly 250 contacts per week. It publishes facility inspection reports (for example, an October 2024 report on Northern State Prison documented flooding, sewage spillage, temperature problems, drug use, and delayed access to medications and health care) and special issue reports on topics like extreme heat and cold, medical care, visitation, and the denial of phone calls as punishment.

For families: if your loved one's safety, medical care, or access to you is being compromised, the OCO is the independent body with the legal authority to investigate. Note that the OCO is not a first responder agency -- for emergencies during non-working hours, contact the DOC facility directly.

New Jersey Family Advocacy Organizations

New Jersey Prison Justice Watch (NJPJW)

aclu-nj.org/new-jersey-prison-justice-watch

NJPJW is a coalition of survivors, families, advocates, and faith-based communities calling for an end to torture and inhumane treatment in New Jersey prisons. It is led largely by survivors of New Jersey prisons and their families. The ACLU of New Jersey is a member and partner.

NJPJW's work has produced some of the most significant reforms in the nation: survivor testimonies through NJPJW were a driving force behind New Jersey's landmark restrictions on solitary confinement and the Public Health Emergency Credits law that saved lives during COVID-19. For families who want to turn their experience into advocacy -- and connect with others who have survived the same system -- NJPJW is the coalition.

ACLU of New Jersey

aclu-nj.org

P.O. Box 32159, Newark, NJ 07102

Phone: 973-642-2084

The ACLU of New Jersey is a leading legal and advocacy organization on prisoner rights, a member of NJPJW, and a backer of the Incarcerated Women's Protection Act. For systemic conditions issues, constitutional violations, or documented patterns of abuse. Does not take individual grievance cases routinely.

Salvation and Social Justice (SandSJ)

sandsj.org

A New Jersey faith-rooted policy and advocacy organization that backed the Incarcerated Women's Protection Act and works on criminal justice reform centered on Black and marginalized communities. For families who want to engage in faith-based criminal justice advocacy.

New Jersey Parents' Caucus (NJPC)

njpc.org

NJPC provides free legal advice and representation to parents and youth (by qualified attorneys), peer support programs for parents, family members, and youth, leadership opportunities through the NJ Youth Coalition, and education on rights and self-advocacy in child-serving systems. Confirmed active August 2025. For families navigating the juvenile or youth justice system, NJPC is a direct resource.

NJDOC Office of Transitional Services / Office of Programming and Supportive Services

nj.gov/corrections/pages/opss.html

NJDOC's own family-facing office publishes "Understanding the NJDOC Prison System: A Resource Guide for Family Members of the Incarcerated" and "What About Me? When a Parent Goes to Prison" (a guide for discussing incarceration with children). It also runs the supervised parent-child VISIT Program and the P.R.E.P.A.R.E. reentry program connecting releasing individuals to County Boards of Social Services for SNAP, Work First NJ, Medicaid, and emergency assistance.

Prisoner Rights Organizations Families Can Contact on Their Loved One's Behalf

Office of the Corrections Ombudsperson

nj.gov/correctionsombudsperson | 1-888-909-3244

The independent watchdog. For conditions, safety, medical care, and access-to-family complaints. Confidential and privileged. The strongest external complaint mechanism for New Jersey families.

ACLU of New Jersey

aclu-nj.org | 973-642-2084

Civil rights litigation including prisoner rights. For systemic conditions, constitutional violations, or documented abuse.

New Jersey Parents' Caucus

njpc.org

Free legal advice and representation for parents and youth in child-serving systems. Confirmed active August 2025.

NJ-STEP (New Jersey Scholarship and Transformative Education in Prisons)

njstep.org

A consortium providing higher education to incarcerated people and supporting their transition to college after release. For families whose loved one wants to pursue education inside and continue it on release.

Human Rights Defense Center (HRDC)

humanrightsdefensecenter.org

Phone (for family members): 561-360-2523

HRDC advocates on prison communication costs, mail policies, and publications access. NJDOC's transition to ViaPath and its suspension of used-publication acceptance are the kinds of policies HRDC monitors nationally. Family members can contact directly.

The Reform Moment: What New Jersey Families Should Know

New Jersey is in an unusually active reform period, and several developments directly affect families:

**Clemency**: On June 19, 2024, Governor Murphy signed an executive order creating an advisory board to review clemency applications. By April 2025, the administration had granted clemency to more than 129 people -- a dramatic increase over prior decades. The initiative was announced to the incarcerated population directly. Some categories of applicants are expedited. If your loved one may qualify, prisoner legal services and the clemency advisory board process are the avenues -- contact the Office of the Public Defender or prisoner legal services for help with an application.

**Incarcerated Women's Protection Act**: Advancing through the Legislature as of late 2025, this bill would codify gender-responsive policies from entry through reentry, mandate annual gender-specialized training for officers supervising women, and establish a special victims unit to investigate sexual assault and misconduct. It builds on the 2020 Dignity Act. Verify its current status at njleg.gov.

**Edna Mahan closure and replacement**: The new women's facility in Chesterfield (Burlington County) is more central and family-accessible than the closing Clinton facility. Construction began October 2025.

**Solitary confinement restrictions**: New Jersey's Isolated Confinement Restriction Act (driven in part by NJPJW survivor testimony) limits the use of solitary confinement. If your loved one is being held in isolation in violation of these limits, the OCO and ACLU-NJ are the contacts.

How to File a Complaint on Your Loved One's Behalf

Step 1: Document everything specific

Date, facility, staff name if known, what happened. For medical or safety issues: document what was requested, when, the response, and any deterioration.

Step 2: Office of the Corrections Ombudsperson

1-888-909-3244 | nj.gov/correctionsombudsperson. The independent watchdog with full access and confidential, privileged communications. This is the most powerful external complaint channel for New Jersey families.

Step 3: NJDOC

(609) 292-4036 | nj.gov/corrections. For issues that may be resolved within the department. For sexual abuse/harassment: PREA reporting through NJDOC.

Step 4: Contact the facility

For facility-level issues, contact the administration of the specific facility.

Step 5: Contact your New Jersey state legislators

At njleg.gov. New Jersey's Legislature has been actively engaged on prison reform (the Dignity Act, solitary restrictions, the Incarcerated Women's Protection Act) -- constituent contact amplifies that work.

Step 6: Contact advocacy organizations

ACLU of New Jersey (973-642-2084), NJ Prison Justice Watch, or Salvation and Social Justice for guidance on systemic issues.

Step 7: Federal escalation

DOJ Civil Rights Division (justice.gov/crt) -- which intervened at Edna Mahan in 2021. For federal facilities in New Jersey: BOP Northeast Region.

What families cannot compel: You cannot file an internal NJDOC grievance for your loved one. You cannot override classification, medical, or parole decisions (the State Parole Board is autonomous). External organizations can investigate and litigate but cannot guarantee outcomes.

Staying Connected: The Practical Guide for New Jersey Families

Phone

ViaPath at **$0.034 per minute** (since May 1, 2025). Set up an AdvancePay account through ViaPath. The incarcerated person calls you (outbound only). All calls recorded except attorney/client, OCO, Hyacinth Foundation, and Special Investigations Division calls.

- Statewide block requests: NJDOC Telecommunications Office, 609-292-4036 ext. 5665

- No-contact-order / harassment issues: Special Investigations Division, (800) 523-3829

Tablets and messaging

Transitioning from JPay to ViaPath (JPay discontinued July 31, 2025). New ViaPath tablets (loaned free) provide educational resources, legal materials, messaging, and video visitation. Set up your ViaPath account; updates at njdoc.gov/pages/viapath.html.

Video visits

Video Connect: 30-minute sessions, scheduled 3+ days in advance, one per week. Available at all facilities except Northern State Prison and the Special Treatment Unit, 8 AM-3 PM and 5:50-8 PM. You must be an approved visitor on the visit list. Monitored and recorded.

Mail

All incoming mail opened and inspected. Books and magazines from publisher or approved vendor only; used publications acceptance temporarily suspended (2025). Address mail with the incarcerated person's name, SBI number, and housing unit. Confirm current rules at nj.gov/corrections.

Sending money

ViaPath (mobile app, web, or phone) -- fees reduced about 37 percent. For money orders, use the ViaPath Trust Account Money Order Payments deposit slip. Verify current options at njdoc.gov/pages/viapath.html or the InmateAid New Jersey send money page.

In-person visits

Register and schedule in advance through the NJDOC Visitation Scheduler. Be on the approved visit list. Supervised parent-child visits through the Office of Transitional Services (NJDOC VISIT Program).

Locating your loved one

NJDOC Inmate Finder: nj.gov/corrections (search by name or SBI number)

InmateAid New Jersey inmate search: [internal link]

Supporting Yourself While Supporting Them

New Jersey has built more family-facing infrastructure than most states: cheap calls, an independent ombudsperson with full access, a published family resource guide, a supervised parent-child visit program, and an active reform movement led by survivors and families themselves.

If something is wrong inside -- your loved one's safety, their medical care, their access to you -- the Office of the Corrections Ombudsperson (1-888-909-3244) is the independent body with the legal power to investigate, and your communication with them is confidential. Use it.

New Jersey Prison Justice Watch (through aclu-nj.org) is where families turn their experience into the kind of advocacy that has already changed New Jersey law on solitary confinement and emergency release. If you want to be part of that, NJPJW is led by people who have been where you are.

If your loved one may qualify for clemency under Governor Murphy's initiative, contact prisoner legal services or the Office of the Public Defender for help with an application -- the climate has shifted dramatically.

Worth Rises (worthrises.org) tracks ViaPath costs nationally. New Jersey's 3.4-cent rate is among the lowest in the country, but if fees creep back up, Worth Rises is watching.

Dial **211** for local community resource referrals across New Jersey.