Assemblyman Greg Myhre said a bipartisan delegation toured New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, where inmates raised concerns about food, air quality, and living conditions inside one of the nation’s oldest operating correctional facilities.
A bipartisan group of New Jersey lawmakers recently toured New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, with Assemblyman Greg Myhre using the visit to draw attention to conditions inside state-run correctional facilities amid ongoing public debate over detention centers across the state.
Myhre, a Republican assemblyman representing parts of Ocean County, shared details from the visit in a video posted on social media. He said the tour was intended to provide lawmakers with a firsthand look at conditions inside the prison, which houses some of New Jersey’s most dangerous offenders.
“High-level Democrats raged about conditions at the privately run federal Delaney Hall in Newark, but stayed silent on our own state prisons,” Myhre wrote in a post accompanying the video.
One of America’s Oldest Operating Prisons
Standing outside the facility, Myhre described New Jersey State Prison as one of the oldest continuously operating prisons in the United States.
“I’m here in front of New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, New Jersey. This is probably the oldest operating prison in the entire United States of America,” Myhre said. “As we look forward to our 250th anniversary of the country, we’re coming up on the 200th anniversary of this prison.”
The facility, originally constructed in the 19th century, serves as New Jersey’s maximum-security prison and houses inmates convicted of serious crimes.
“Now, this is where they keep New Jersey’s most dangerous and violent,” Myhre said. “There are murderers, there are rapists, there are thieves, every type in there.”
Despite the nature of the crimes committed by many inmates, Myhre said the state has an obligation to ensure humane treatment and safe working conditions.
“However, it’s important that we make sure that they are treated humanely,” he said. “Societies are judged by how we treat our prisoners, and also I want to make sure the hardworking staff in there, it’s a great place to work.”
Lawmakers Examine Historic Housing Units
According to Myhre, lawmakers toured some of the prison’s oldest sections, including cell blocks dating back to the 1830s.
“I walked into the older section of the prison, built in the 1830s,” he said. “I gave it the old arm test, and I can basically do that.”
Myhre used the gesture to illustrate the narrow width of some cells.
“And that’s one of the nicer places to live,” he added.
While newer housing units offer somewhat more space, Myhre said the visit underscored the challenges associated with maintaining a correctional facility that is approaching two centuries of operation.
“The more modern parts, they’re a bit larger,” he said.
Inmates Raise Concerns About Daily Conditions
During conversations with inmates, Myhre said prisoners voiced complaints regarding several aspects of prison life.
“Prisoners that we spoke to did complain about the food,” he said. “They did complain about the air conditioning. Air quality.”
Lawmakers also observed prison security operations during the visit.
“We actually got to smell some of that with certain things,” Myhre said while discussing air quality concerns. He also referenced a detection system used to monitor materials entering and leaving the facility, saying, “There’s a smell detection facility right there. That’s so they can see what’s coming in and out of there for the safety of everyone.”
Myhre indicated that additional reviews could follow.
“Now we’re going to do a follow-up on this as well, but I want to make sure that you’re informed with what we are here doing in the assembly,” he said.
Broader Concerns About New Jersey Prisons
The prison tour comes as New Jersey correctional facilities continue to face scrutiny from inmates, advocacy organizations, oversight agencies, and correctional officers.
The Office of the State Comptroller has issued reports examining operations within correctional facilities, while organizations including the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey and Disability Rights Advocates have been involved in litigation and advocacy efforts concerning prison conditions.
Among the issues raised in lawsuits and investigations over recent years are allegations involving inadequate medical care, delays in mental health treatment, insufficient accommodations for incarcerated individuals with disabilities, and concerns about educational services for incarcerated youth.
Former inmates have also filed lawsuits alleging unsanitary living conditions, inadequate access to clean water, and shortages of basic necessities in some county correctional facilities.
Separate legal actions have alleged injuries linked to facility conditions and staff negligence, while state watchdog agencies have investigated procurement and contracting practices at some county jails.
Correctional Officers Cite Staffing and Safety Concerns
Concerns have also been raised by correctional officers and prison staff.
Workforce representatives have repeatedly warned about staffing shortages, mandatory overtime, workplace assaults, and safety challenges facing employees inside correctional facilities.
Myhre specifically thanked corrections officers during his remarks, highlighting the role they play in operating the prison.
“I want to thank the hard-working Department of Corrections employees, particularly those corrections officers,” he said.
Bipartisan Participation
Myhre emphasized that the tour was not limited to one political party.
“It was actually a bipartisan delegation,” he said. “We had a lot of assembly members from both parties and senators as well.”
The lawmaker also praised Department of Corrections leadership for facilitating the visit.
“I want to extend my thanks to Commissioner Kuhn,” Myhre said. “I spoke about a week or two ago to set this and she really gave us a great presentation of what this department’s doing. One of the largest in our state and extremely important.”
While no legislation was announced as a result of the visit, Myhre said lawmakers intend to continue examining correctional facilities and conditions throughout New Jersey.
Key Points
• Assemblyman Greg Myhre joined a bipartisan delegation touring New Jersey State Prison, a maximum-security facility in Trenton dating back to the 1830s.
• Myhre said inmates complained about food quality, air conditioning, and air quality during conversations with lawmakers.
• The visit comes amid ongoing concerns from inmates, advocacy groups, watchdog agencies, and correctional officers regarding conditions in New Jersey’s prison system.