Co. Correctional Facility Nears Completion

CREST HAVEN – The Cape May County Correctional Facility should be ready for occupation later this month. It has been nearly five years, February 2014, since then-sheriff Gary Schaffer unveiled architect’s drawings for the new facility.
What was originally planned as a two-story building was scaled back in an effort to reduce cost.
Workers were putting finishing touches on the $38-million structure Dec. 19 when the Herald toured the building that can house up to 320 inmates. The aging present jail was designed to hold 188 inmates and routinely holds in excess of 200.
Located next to the county Veterans Cemetery and separated by a black metal fence, families of deceased will no longer see or hear the inmates. Their exercise yards are fully enclosed and are a part of each of five housing units.
Each of those dayrooms can hold 64 inmates.
According to Capt. Charles “Chuck” Magill, the design of the facility is such that inmates will spend the majority of their days in the units.
Meals, medicine, and visits with an attorney will be done in secure rooms accessible directly from the day rooms.
Less inmate movement in the corridors improves security, Magill noted.
Although confined, inmates will not encounter metal bars in corridors or housing units, as in the present facility. Heavy glass on controlled doors allows access and makes for an open atmosphere.
The old correctional center will be demolished once all inmates are transferred into the new facility. In its place will be a parking lot for staff members. There is parking in front of the facility for the public.
One of the first places inmates will stay is an open booking room, free of handcuffs and shackles. There inmates are seated as they await their time before a camera and fingerprinting. It resembles a waiting room in any public facility.
Inmates who present a higher risk will be placed in separate rooms away from others as they await their turn, Magill said.
While in the booking room, inmates view a 15-minute orientation video, produced at no-cost by students at the Cape May County Technical School. They will also watch a federally-mandated video.
Sheriff Robert Nolan estimated the video, produced commercially, would have cost about $10,000. He expressed gratitude to the students and administration for the production.
Inmate’s property is stored in space-saving bins in a special storeroom on rolling shelves.
To reduce costs of inmate hospital stays, there are six medical rooms and a dental treatment room. The facility’s medical program is administered by CFG Health Systems, LLC, a Marlton-based organization.
Nolan cited a resolution approved by freeholders Dec. 11 that would permit seriously-ill inmates to be cared for at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution. The reason for that, he said, is because the new facility is a clinic whereas the Monmouth site has an accredited infirmary.
Private consultation rooms are available so that medical matters can be confidentially discussed with physicians and nurses, Magill said.
Corrections Officer Lewis Taylor III explained the six Securus terminals in each dayroom are where inmate-family video visits can be conducted. Terminals can also access Lexus Nexus for law documents as well as internet visits so that entire families can visit with the inmate from home sites.
Magill pointed to television monitors high over the floor in each dayroom. To minimize noise, and reduce conflicts when an inmate might want the volume raised or lowered, inmates will be offered, for a fee, earbuds that will allow them to personally increase or decrease the volume.
The TV monitors will also have closed captions visible.
Dayroom tables have checkerboards and other games inlaid for inmates to pass time.
One officer will be in charge of each dayroom, with a roving patrol in the corridors, Magill said.
Each dayroom is slightly different, from minimum security with open bays where inmates sleep on a mattress atop a metal bunk, to fully-secured cells.
Dayrooms are classified as “direct supervision.” The officer in charge of the room and inmates are not separated by any barrier.
The two-inmate cells are built to state-mandated square footage per inmate standards. Each contains the minimum essentials, a stainless steel toilet, sink, and metal mirror bolted to the wall.
Male and female inmates’ dayrooms have shower facilities; with a fully-enclosed shower should an inmate be deemed a problem. They can be placed into the cage-like facility in which they can shower.
Other inmates have showers within the room.
Meals are prepared in a kitchen with on stainless steel equipment. Food service is contracted to Trinity Services Group. Corrections officers’ meals are prepared separate from that of the inmates, Magill said.
Inmates’ meals are taken directly to the dayrooms.
Laundry will be done in three commercial-sized washers and dryers. A small washing machine will be used to wash only mop-heads.
Power wise, the facility has battery backup for short-duration outages and diesel generators for longer-term power supply.