NJ Taps Burlington County For New Women's Prison

CHESTERFIELD, NJ — Three years after Gov. Phil Murphy ordered the closure of the Edna Mahan Women’s Correctional Facility, New Jersey officials have announced plans to construct a new prison in Burlington County.

State officials plan to build a new women's facility on existing New Jersey Department of Corrections property in Chesterfield Township, according to a news release. The facility will be located on the same land as the Garden State Youth Correctional Facility and the former Albert C. Wagner Youth Correctional Facility, which closed in 2020.

"This moment marks a significant step in developing an enhanced, safe and secure facility that meets the needs and expectations of a modern correctional facility," Commissioner Victoria Kuhn said in a statement.

The announcement comes three years after Gov. Phil Murphy ordered the closure of the troubled Edna Mahan Women’s Correctional Facility in Hunterdon County. The buildings inmates had been living in were old and plagued by problems including temperature control and mold, according to a NJ Spotlight News report.

Murphy also ordered the facility's closure after multiple incidents involving the abuse of inmates, the Courier Post previously reported.

The closure of Edna Mahan is expected to save the state $166 million in funds that would have been required to keep the facility functional, officials said.

State officials chose Burlington County to build the new prison because of its central location and proximity to major roadways including the New Jersey Turnpike and Route 130.

According to officials, the state has allocated $90 million in fiscal year 2024 to start development of the prison. Construction on the estimated $312 million project is expected to start next year, NJ Spotlight News reported, and could potentially finish by mid-2027. It will be the state’s first new prison in 27 years.