New Jersey's Department of Corrections (NJDOC) operates 13 state correctional institutions and provides mental health care through Inpatient Mental Health Units (IMHUs) within those facilities, as well as referrals to the Ann Klein Forensic Center -- the state's only forensic psychiatric hospital -- for those requiring the highest security level of psychiatric care.
New Jersey also passed major legislation in 2025: the NJ Senate and Assembly both approved legislation creating a Mental Health Diversion Program for pre-trial detainees with serious mental illness, directing them away from prison and toward specialized hearings focused on treatment and rehabilitation.
Mental health clinical services at NJDOC facilities are delivered through contracted providers under the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) within the NJ Department of Human Services (DHS).
New Jersey does not have active federal court oversight specifically of NJDOC prison mental health care.
What New Jersey Prisoners Are Entitled To
Under Estelle v. Gamble (1976) and NJDOC policies:
- Mental health screening at intake.
- Access to Inpatient Mental Health Units within NJDOC facilities when needed.
- Referral to Ann Klein Forensic Center for acute inpatient psychiatric care requiring maximum security.
- Individualized treatment planning.
- Access to NJDOC behavioral health programs.
- Reentry mental health planning and connection to community services upon release.
Mental Health Screening at Intake
NJDOC conducts mental health screening for all incoming prisoners at intake. The screening identifies mental health history, current diagnoses, and active psychiatric medications. Results drive mental health classification and, when needed, referral to appropriate specialized housing including Inpatient Mental Health Units.
If your person has a psychiatric history, provide documentation at intake -- prior hospitalizations, diagnoses, and active medications -- to support accurate initial assessment and medication continuity.
NJDOC Inpatient Mental Health Units
NJDOC's FY 2024-25 budget documents confirm that Inpatient Mental Health Units (IMHUs) are among the "specialized housing" types operated within New Jersey state correctional facilities. IMHUs provide hospital-level inpatient psychiatric care within the prison environment for prisoners whose mental health needs exceed what general population mental health services can address.
Specialized housing in NJDOC also includes Close Custody Units, Infirmaries, Substance Abuse Disorder Treatment programs, Veterans' Housing, and Vulnerable Housing -- reflecting the range of specialized needs NJDOC manages within its facilities.
The IMHUs provide a level of intensive mental health care within the corrections system before a referral to Ann Klein Forensic Center becomes necessary.
The Ann Klein Forensic Center
Ann Klein Forensic Center (1609 Stuyvesant Avenue, West Trenton, NJ 08628; phone 609-633-0892) is New Jersey's only forensic psychiatric hospital. It is a 200-bed facility (175 men, 25 women) physically divided into 8 units. It is Joint Commission accredited. It operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays, with a doctor and nurses always on duty.
Ann Klein serves a unique population: individuals with mental illness who are within the legal system and require the highest level of security and treatment. It is the only fully secured center in the NJ Division of Behavioral Health Services system.
Who Ann Klein serves:
The center receives admissions from:
- All 13 NJDOC state correctional institutions.
- All 21 county jails.
- Numerous municipal police departments.
- Courts directly admit by court order.
Admissions include individuals:
- Ordered for competency evaluations (fitness to stand trial).
- Ordered for sanity evaluations (criminal responsibility).
- Found not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI).
- Found unfit to stand trial and requiring inpatient treatment.
- Others admitted by court order due to mental illness and dangerousness.
Qualifying charges and convictions for NGRI patients include: murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, sexual assault, criminal sexual contact, robbery (1st degree), aggravated assault, aggravated arson, and kidnapping. All patients must be at least 18 years old.
Treatment at Ann Klein: Care plans are developed by interdisciplinary treatment teams addressing specific patient problems, prioritizing barriers to discharge and goals identified by the patient. The treatment team works with a medical security officer assigned to each client.
Mailing: The facility address is 1609 Stuyvesant Avenue, West Trenton, NJ 08628.
New Jersey's State Psychiatric Hospitals
Beyond Ann Klein Forensic Center, New Jersey operates four additional state psychiatric hospitals through the NJ Department of Health's Division of Behavioral Health Services (and formerly the Department of Human Services):
Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital (Morris Plains, Morris County): Adult inpatient psychiatric care.
Trenton Psychiatric Hospital (Trenton, Mercer County): One of the state's oldest psychiatric hospitals; adult inpatient psychiatric care.
Ancora Psychiatric Hospital (Hammonton, Atlantic County): 515-bed facility. In January 2025, NJ Department of Health and Rowan University entered into a partnership through Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine to supply up to 6 psychiatrists to Ancora, significantly expanding capacity with evidence-based practices.
Garrett Gagedorn Psychiatric Hospital (Glen Gardner, Hunterdon County).
These hospitals serve civil commitment populations and may receive transfers from the criminal justice system for people requiring inpatient psychiatric care in a hospital (as opposed to the maximum-security forensic environment of Ann Klein).
The 2025 Mental Health Diversion Law
In 2025, both chambers of the New Jersey Legislature passed legislation creating a Mental Health Diversion Program. The program:
- Diverts pre-trial detainees with serious mental illness (SMI) away from prison and standard legal proceedings.
- Directs them to specialized hearings where the focus is on treatment, rehabilitation, and measures to decrease recidivism.
- Recognizes that effective mental health diversion provides superior results at lower cost and enhances public safety by making prison space available for violent offenders.
The NJ Psychiatric Association supported this legislation, noting that recidivism rates go down when mental illness is properly addressed.
Scope: This law targets the pre-trial pipeline -- people who have not yet been convicted and are currently in the jail-to-prison pathway. It does not directly change conditions for those already sentenced to NJDOC. However, it affects the population entering NJDOC by providing an alternative pathway for SMI defendants.
DMHAS and Community Mental Health
The Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) within NJ Department of Human Services (DHS) oversees New Jersey's community behavioral health system. DMHAS:
- Contracts with licensed mental health and SUD treatment providers statewide.
- Administers community mental health centers (CMHCs) across New Jersey's counties.
- Oversees behavioral health pilot programs including the Mental Health Pilot Diversion Program (piloted in Camden, Middlesex, and Essex counties).
- Operates the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services network for community behavioral health services.
Upon release from NJDOC, prisoners with mental health needs are expected to connect with the DMHAS-contracted CMHC in the county where they will be released. DMHAS maintains a statewide inventory of contracted behavioral health providers by county.
What Families Can Do
If your person is in NJDOC custody and has a mental illness:
Provide psychiatric history at intake. Supply documentation of prior hospitalizations, diagnoses, and active medications to support accurate initial mental health classification and medication continuity.
Know the NJDOC Inpatient Mental Health Units. If your person has serious mental illness that cannot be managed in general population outpatient mental health services, ask whether placement in an NJDOC Inpatient Mental Health Unit has been considered or evaluated.
Know the Ann Klein Forensic Center pathway. If your person's psychiatric needs require the most intensive, secure inpatient psychiatric care in the state system, Ann Klein Forensic Center is the designated facility. Ask whether a referral to Ann Klein has been considered if inpatient needs are acute.
Know the pre-trial diversion option. If your person is still in the pre-trial phase and has a serious mental illness, the 2025 Mental Health Diversion Program may provide an alternative to standard criminal proceedings. Ask their attorney about eligibility.
Ask about DMHAS community connections at release. If your person is approaching release and has a mental illness, ask what CMHC has been identified in the county where they will be released, whether Medicaid enrollment or reinstatement has been initiated, and whether medication continuity has been arranged.
File a grievance. NJDOC has an administrative remedy process. File formal grievances for: failure to conduct mental health screening, denial of Inpatient Mental Health Unit placement when warranted, Ann Klein referral delays, medication interruption, and failure to initiate reentry mental health planning.
Contact Disability Rights New Jersey. DRNJ (disabilityrightsnj.org) is the federally mandated Protection and Advocacy organization for New Jersey and monitors conditions for people with mental illness and disabilities in NJDOC facilities.
Seek legal help. If your person has serious mental illness and is not receiving adequate mental health care, if Inpatient Mental Health Unit placement has been denied when clinically warranted, or if Ann Klein referral has been refused when needed, consult a prisoner rights attorney with experience in New Jersey's federal courts (District of New Jersey).
Frequently asked questions
How does New Jersey screen prisoners for mental illness?
NJDOC conducts mental health screening for all incoming prisoners at intake, identifying mental health history, current diagnoses, and active psychiatric medications. Screening results drive mental health classification and referral to specialized housing including Inpatient Mental Health Units. If your person has a psychiatric history, provide documentation at intake -- prior hospitalizations, diagnoses, and active medications.
What mental health units does NJDOC operate in prisons?
NJDOC operates Inpatient Mental Health Units (IMHUs) within state correctional facilities as part of its specialized housing portfolio. IMHUs provide intensive inpatient psychiatric care within the prison environment for prisoners whose mental health needs exceed what general population services can address. NJDOC's FY 2024-25 budget documents specifically list IMHUs among the department's specialized housing types.
What is the Ann Klein Forensic Center in New Jersey?
Ann Klein Forensic Center (1609 Stuyvesant Avenue, West Trenton, NJ 08628) is New Jersey's only forensic psychiatric hospital -- a 200-bed facility (175 men, 25 women) that is the most intensive and secure psychiatric setting in the state behavioral health system. It is Joint Commission accredited and operates 24/7 with a doctor and nurses always on duty. It receives admissions from all 13 NJDOC state prisons, all 21 county jails, and courts directly.
Who does Ann Klein Forensic Center serve?
Ann Klein serves individuals with mental illness who are in the legal system and require maximum-security psychiatric care. Populations served include: state and county correctional residents; court-ordered competency evaluation patients (fitness to stand trial); court-ordered sanity evaluation patients (criminal responsibility); people found not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI); and those found unfit to stand trial requiring inpatient treatment. Qualifying charges/convictions for NGRI patients include murder, manslaughter, sexual assault, robbery (1st degree), kidnapping, and aggravated assault.
What are New Jersey's state psychiatric hospitals?
New Jersey operates five state psychiatric hospitals: Ann Klein Forensic Center (West Trenton, 200 beds, forensic only, the state's only maximum-security psychiatric facility); Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital (Morris Plains); Trenton Psychiatric Hospital (Trenton); Ancora Psychiatric Hospital (Hammonton, 515 beds; Rowan University partnership launched January 2025 adding 6 psychiatrists); and Garrett Gagedorn Psychiatric Hospital (Glen Gardner). These hospitals serve civil commitment populations and can receive transfers from the criminal justice system for inpatient psychiatric care.
What is New Jersey's 2025 mental health diversion law?
In 2025, the NJ Legislature passed legislation creating a Mental Health Diversion Program for pre-trial detainees with serious mental illness. The program diverts eligible SMI defendants away from standard criminal proceedings to specialized hearings focused on treatment, rehabilitation, and reducing recidivism. It targets the pre-trial pipeline -- people who have not yet been convicted -- and does not change conditions for those already in NJDOC custody. The NJ Psychiatric Association supported the law.
What is DMHAS and how does it support NJ prisoners?
DMHAS (Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services) within the NJ Department of Human Services manages New Jersey's community behavioral health system. DMHAS contracts with licensed mental health providers across all NJ counties, administers community mental health centers (CMHCs), and oversees behavioral health pilot programs. For NJDOC prisoners, DMHAS's CMHC network is the primary reentry mental health connection -- the CMHC in the county of release provides community mental health services after discharge.
How does New Jersey handle mental health care at release?
NJDOC's reentry services include mental health planning for prisoners approaching release. The DMHAS network of contracted CMHCs statewide provides community mental health services upon release. For prisoners with mental illness approaching release, ask what CMHC has been identified in the release county, whether Medicaid enrollment has been initiated, and whether medication continuity has been arranged. NJDOC also coordinates with DHS agencies on reentry planning.
What can families do if mental health care is denied in NJ?
Provide psychiatric documentation at intake. Know the NJDOC Inpatient Mental Health Units -- ask whether placement has been evaluated. Know the Ann Klein Forensic Center pathway for acute inpatient needs. Know the 2025 diversion law for pre-trial situations. Ask about DMHAS CMHC connections approaching release. File NJDOC grievances for screening failures, unit placement denials, Ann Klein referral delays, medication interruptions, and reentry planning failures. Contact Disability Rights New Jersey (disabilityrightsnj.org) for legal advocacy.
Who oversees mental health care in New Jersey prisons?
NJDOC's contracted mental health providers deliver clinical services system-wide. NJ Department of Health oversees Ann Klein Forensic Center and the state psychiatric hospital system. DMHAS (NJ DHS) oversees community mental health and behavioral health services. No federal court actively exercises oversight of NJDOC prison mental health. Disability Rights New Jersey (DRNJ, disabilityrightsnj.org) is the federally mandated P&A organization monitoring conditions for people with mental illness and disabilities in NJDOC. ---