Bergen County Jail Passes Surprise State Inspection

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ – Bergen County Jail passed a surprise inspection on Friday by the New Jersey Department of Corrections (DOC), county officials announced.

Following the visit, which is conducted on an annual basis, the DOC concluded that the jail was in compliance with state standards, according to Bergen County Sheriff Anthony Cureton.

According to Cureton, the DOC also found:

• The correctional staff was welcoming and the cleanliness of the facility was exceptional.
• The medical unit is “fantastic” and very well maintained.
• The inmates were interviewed and it was reported that the population was “very happy.”

“The Bergen County Jail is a first rate correctional institution that provide premier care to the inmates and detainees in the facility. This positive inspection truly reflects the outstanding work done each and every day by the most distinguished and qualified correction professionals in the State of New Jersey” said Cureton.

State standards include:Planning and Design, Personnel, Training and Staff Development, Management of Information Systems and Inmate Records, Emergency Procedures, Security and Control, Use and Control of Security Equipment, Food Service, Sanitation, Inmate Clothing and Hygienic Living Conditions, Medical, Dental and Health Services, Inmate Rights, Access to Courts, Disciplinary Procedures, Protective Custody, Mail, Visits, Admission, Search, Orientation, Property Control and Release, Classification, Remission of Time from Sentence, Inmate Work Programs, Inmate Services, Volunteer Programs, Fiscal Management.

This summer the county jail has faced air conditioning issues, as well as a mumps outbreak.

Twice last month, the jail’s heating, ventilation and cooling system underwent emergency repairs after it malfunctioned and left parts of the facility with limited cooling capabilities. At least four inmates suffered from heat-related illnesses as a result, officials said at the time.

All inmates were moved out of the affected areas and the systems were fixed, but officials said random checks would continue to monitor the environment.

In late July, officials lifted restrictions put in place at the jail after five cases of mumps were reported there earlier that month.

The jail had been placed on lockdown after five inmates were quarantined with what was then suspected cases of mumps. Other inmates were also screened for the disease.