Essex County Promises New Review Of Prison As Pressure Mounts

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — An “independent review” of the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark is being done in the wake of a vicious beating and the death of an inmate, authorities announced Monday.

In the past weeks, advocates and family members of inmates have been demanding changes at the county-run prison, which has seen staunch criticism for alleged health and safety risks over the years. In recent years, Essex County officials have taken several steps to protect inmates, including the creation of a "Civilian Task Force" that is supposed to act independently from the county.

But a recent resurgence in violence has caused officials to take another look at the prison, which also contracts with Union County to hold hundreds of inmates.

Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said the latest review is a “joint initiative” with the Civilian Task Force. It will be done by The Ambrose Group LLC, an independent management consulting organization led by retired Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose.

According to DiVincenzo, The Ambrose Group will conduct a “comprehensive assessment” of all operations at the prison, which is accredited with the American Correctional Association. It will review security, staffing roles and the responsibilities of all employees from the time inmates enter the facility at intake to the time they are released. Investigators will also review policies at the prison and check if they’re being followed.

The review will include interviews with groups of inmates and labor unions, officials said.

DiVincenzo said his administration and the prison’s officers and staff are fully cooperating with investigations by the NJ Attorney General’s Office and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office concerning the two “inmate altercations” that recently occurred.

• See related article: Video Shows Inmate Beaten With Microwave During NJ Jail Brawl
• See related article: Investigation Launched After Prison Inmate Dies In Essex County

“We need a fresh set of eyes to review our policies and standards,” DiVincenzo said. “We want to ensure that our policies and procedures are focused to allow us to operate our jail efficiently and safely.”

Former governor James McGreevey, who serves as chair of the Civilian Task Force, said the group was “pleased” to work with the county and The Ambrose Group.

“The role of the Civilian Task Force is to advocate for the inmates at the correctional facility and ensure they are being held in a safe environment,” McGreevey said.

Other professionals taking part in the assessment will include Rick Fuentes, a former New Jersey State Police superintendent, Gregory Ehire, a former special agent in charge of the FBI for New Jersey, Darnell Henry, a former chief of the Newark Police Division, and Gary Lanigan, a former commissioner of the NJ State Department of Corrections.

Meanwhile, advocates continue to push for a new future at the prison, with a rally to “Stop the Torture in the Essex County Jail” scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 8 at noon at the Hall Of Records, 465 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Newark.

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