Former South Jersey Correctional Center To Reopen As Drug Treatment Center: Christie

A former correctional center in Burlington County is reopening as the state’s first licensed, clinically driven drug treatment prison, Gov. Chris Christie announced on Monday.

Mid-State Correctional Facility at Fort Dix in Wrightstown closed in June of 2014, but Christie directed the Department of Corrections and the Department of Human Services to implement the transformation from correctional facility to drug treatment center during his State of the State Address earlier this year.

The 696-bed facility will house mostly medium custody inmates, and is expected to be fully operational by the end of the month, Christie said. Maximum security inmates won’t be eligible for the program.

However, they will continue to receive treatment through the Department of Corrections. They will receive help from other therapeutic programs and supports such as AA/NA, Engaging the Family, Living in Balance and SMART Recovery.

Furthermore, if these inmates achieve medium security status they will be evaluated for participation in the program.

Substance use disorder treatment will continue to be available to minimum custody offenders at Residential Community Release Programs.

“Whether someone lives in the community or is incarcerated, every person with the disease of addiction deserves the best possible treatment so they can return to their families and our society,” Christie said. “By repurposing Mid-State, we will have this first of its kind program in New Jersey that will help break the costly cycle of addiction, avoid recidivism, and help people reclaim their lives.”

Last month, it was announced that Substance Use Disorder (SUD) treatment services at Mid-State and Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women will be provided by the Gateway Foundation,

The Gateway Foundation is an organization that has more than 40 years of experience in substance abuse treatment and counseling.

Gateway will offer a range of treatment individualized to the needs of each inmate, with a focus on providing treatment for offenders with substance use disorders involving alcohol and/or drugs.

Inmates with substance use disorders who do not participate in Mid-State’s SUD program or Edna Mahan’s equivalent SUD program may still participate in substance use psychoeducational programming that is offered at each facility.

Christie said the project will not include an increase for taxpayers. Even taking into account the costs associated with the Mid-State renovations, as well as the cost to house inmates who had been housed at Mid-State prior to its closure, the New Jersey Department of Corrections has saved about $20 million in operating costs, Christie said.

The attached image was provided