After Delaney Hall Protests, Assembly Republicans Tour NJ State Prison

TRENTON, N.J. — After weeks of politicians protesting, touring and commenting on conditions at Delaney Hall, Assemblyman Robert Auth decided it was time to examine a correctional facility New Jersey Democrats actually control.

On Monday, Auth joined Assemblymen Greg Myhre, Michael Inganamort and Paul Kanitra for a tour of New Jersey State Prison in Trenton. Lawmakers observed aging infrastructure, inmate complaints about food quality, staffing shortages and the smell of illicit drugs in portions of the facility.

The visit was initiated by Auth following Gov. Mikie Sherrill's participation in protests surrounding Delaney Hall, a privately operated federal immigration detention facility. It was arranged by the Department of Corrections after outreach from Myhre.

"If politicians are going to make claims about conditions inside correctional facilities, they should be willing to inspect all of them," said Auth (R-Bergen). "State government has complete authority over New Jersey's prisons. If we're serious about oversight, we should start with the facilities we actually run."

The lawmakers emphasized that their concerns are not directed at correctional officers, who they said are doing the best they can under difficult circumstances and with limited resources.

"Following last month’s budget hearing with the Department of Corrections, it was important to see firsthand the staffing and capital needs of New Jersey’s only maximum-security prison," said Inganamort (R-Morris). "The men and women working inside this prison deserve a tremendous amount of credit. Their work may not generate cable news headlines, but it should be a priority for our state’s elected leaders. Modernizing New Jersey State Prison and aggressively recruiting correctional officers to address staffing shortages and reduce mandatory overtime must be at the top of our corrections agenda."

During the tour, lawmakers observed cells in portions of the facility that were smaller than American Correctional Association recommendations, housing units without air conditioning and signs of aging infrastructure throughout the prison.

Opened in 1836, New Jersey State Prison is nearly 190 years old. Lawmakers said the age of the facility was evident throughout much of the complex.

Lawmakers were told the prison system is approximately 300 officers short of authorized staffing levels, with shortages growing significantly when employees are on leave. Kanitra said the staffing challenges compound already difficult working conditions for correctional officers.

"Democrats spent the last month complaining about Delaney Hall. They should have spent it touring their own State Prison in Trenton,” said Kanitra (R-Ocean). “We walked through a crumbling 1800s facility with cells that fail basic American Correctional Association standards, and smelled burning K2 in the air from drugs their liberal policies fail to screen out. But here’s what should embarrass them most: the dedicated officers who keep that prison running aren’t just working in a West Wing with no air conditioning, they’re eating the exact same food the inmates call ‘horrible.’ Clean up your own backyard before you lecture anyone about a federal one.”

Myhre said the tour underscored the need for meaningful investment in state correctional facilities.

"I want to thank Commissioner Kuhn, the Department of Corrections staff and the correctional officers who welcomed us, provided a safe and informative tour, and perform an incredibly difficult job every day," said Myhre (R-Ocean). "What we saw today wasn't a failure of the people working inside the prison. It was a reminder that New Jersey has an obligation to maintain the facilities they are asked to operate. The people working there are doing their jobs. The question is whether Trenton is doing its job. State correctional facilities should strive to meet the same standards of safety, security and professionalism as federal facilities operating within our borders."

During recent congressional testimony, U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin questioned New Jersey officials about conditions inside state correctional facilities while state leaders continued their criticism of Delaney Hall. At the same time, Delaney Hall has received satisfactory ratings from state health inspectors.

Assembly Republicans said the contrast highlights a double standard in how correctional facilities are discussed.

"For weeks we've heard outrage about conditions in a federal facility," said Auth. "Meanwhile, the state prison sitting a few blocks from the Statehouse struggles with aging infrastructure, staffing shortages and quality-of-life concerns that have existed for years. That's not the fault of corrections officers. That's a failure of priorities."

Assembly Republicans have also requested a tour of Delaney Hall and other detention facilities operating within New Jersey.

"If politicians want to compare conditions, let's compare conditions," said Auth. "We've now toured the prison New Jersey Democrats run. We'd like to see the facility they've spent the last month talking about."