The Division of Operations is responsible for 14 major institutions -- 12 adult male correctional facilities, one women’s correctional institution and a central reception/intake unit. These facilities collectively house inmates in minimum, medium and maximum security levels. They are diverse and unique in their operations. For example, New Jersey State Prison is the state’s only facility in which all inmates are classified as maximum security. The Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center operates corrections’ rehabilitative programs for habitual sex offenders. Northern State Prison contains the Security Threat Group Management Unit, which houses gang members considered a threat to the safety of the institutions and individuals. The offender population at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women is comprised of females at all levels of security.

AgriIndustries

The objective of the AgriIndustries Revolving Fund, established in 1977, is to provide various food and dairy items to different governmental departments at a savings.  AgriIndustries operates five dairy farms and satellite operations which produce crops to support the dairy herds, and milk to meet the meal service needs of the NJDOC population.

AgriIndustries has milk processing plants at Jones Farm and Bayside State Prison Farm, as well as dairy herds located at Skillman Farm, Mountainview Youth Correctional Facility Farm and Albert C. Wagner Youth Correctional Facility Farm.  In 2002, the Bayside State Prison Farm rejoined the Holstein Association, which provides genetic tracking, registering of cows and interaction with breeding organizations.  These and other services ensure that state herds are raising outstanding animals.
 
A meat processing plant at Riverfront State Prison produces ground beef, hamburger patties, meal loaf and other various beef items, while food processing plants at South Woods State Prison are the newest additions to the AgriIndustries operation.  The meat processing plant at South Woods provides turkey and pork products, primarily distributed by the Department of Treasury, and minute steaks utilized by the NJDOC.  The prison’s produce processing plants have a variety of functions.  One produce plant prepares and packages salads for distribution throughout the NJDOC, while another produce plant processes fruit/vegetable products. Through interaction with the Department of Agriculture on the “Jersey Fresh” program, AgriIndustries utilizes a waiver to purchase overproduced or undervalued products for institutional menus.

Products produced by AgriIndustries operations are purchased by the NJDOC, the Departments of Human Services and Military and Veteran’s Affairs, as well as, the Juvenile Justice Commission. In addition, products are produced in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture to assist the “Feed the Hungry” program, when surplus food items are available.

The various AgriIndustries food production plants utilize and train about 100 inmates daily in all areas of food production technology.  The food production industry is the largest employer in New Jersey, and inmates receive training and experience that may qualify them to gain employment when they leave the prison system.

AgriIndustries is a self-supporting operation without appropriated funds.  Annual revenues total approximately $9 million, with substantial savings to all users.

Capital Reporting Unit

The Capital Reporting Unit determines or accesses NJDOC priorities relating to capital construction projects. The unit is responsible for the following information:

• The Monthly Financial Status Summary contains financial summaries for both capital and capital bond appropriations, which identify the status of appropriations as they relate to the cost of the individual capital projects. The report also provides the status of individual capital projects funded via capital appropriations, capital bond funds or institutional Direct State Services funding.
• The Annual Capital Budget is prepared for presentation to the New Jersey Commission on Capital Budgeting and Planning, and reflects the new and/or additional funding needs of the department for capital projects. 
• The Institutional Capital Project/Priority Report provides a consolidated listing of capital/renovation needs of the department's 14 institutions and prioritizes the capital needs that are of the most immediate concern to each facility.

The Capital Reporting Unit also coordinates the Agency Consultant Program for the Capital Planning and Construction Unit. This program was established by the Division of Property Management and Construction in the Department of Treasury to assist client agencies in the planning, design and administration of small construction projects, in developing scopes of work for major capital construction projects, and in the investigation of infrastructure-related problems.

Central Medical/Transportation
Unit and Central Communications

Central Medical and Transportation Unit

The unit was created in May 1986 to reduce overtime costs to the NJDOC. Central Transportation is responsible for the safe and secure transport of state‑sentenced inmates to and from the state adult and youth correctional facilities. Originally, the primary roles of the Central Transportation Unit and its sister program, the Central Medical Unit, were medical and criminal/civil/family/federal/ municipal court transports.

Central Transportation now is responsible for inter‑institutional transfers, emergency transfers, the Electronic Monitoring Program, the parole/immigration/Intensive Supervision Program and Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center evaluations and hearings. The unit also is responsible for funerals, bedside visits, interstate escorts for all out‑of‑state prisoners, parole violators, escapees or interstate correction compact cases returning to New Jersey, pickup and delivery of institutional mail to and from Central Office, movement of inmate property and medical center discharges.

In addition, Central Transportation transports inmates involved in civil litigation where the inmate is to reimburse the state for transportation fees, in matters not involving their incarceration. The unit’s most recent undertaking is the transportation of sexually violent predators to and from their civil commitment hearings, as well as, medical appointments.

Central Medical is responsible for the safety and security of inmates housed at the St. Francis Medical Center Prison Unit, including the intensive care unit, cardiac care unit, labor and delivery, operating room, emergency room, step-down units and other outside facilities. The unit also escorts inmates throughout the facility while undergoing therapy, x-rays, radiation and follow-up care. Social services also are provided to inmates housed at this facility. These services include notification of death, critical status and various parole issues.

The NJDOC and the federal government have explored the idea of an agreement that would allow federally sentenced inmates requiring inpatient medical treatment to be housed at Central Medical.

Central Communications Unit

In September 2002, the Central Communications Unit and Wants and Warrants Unit staff joined the staff at Central Medical/Transportation. 

The unit provides radio transmissions and teletype communications for the NJDOC, State Parole Board, Juvenile Justice Commission, Intensive Supervision Program and Administrative Office of the Courts over a broad bandwidth.  In addition, Central Communications monitors NJDOC inmates and parolees who are in the Electronic Monitoring Program. The unit also handles paging services to all Central Office employees and confidential paging for all NJDOC institutions, parole officers, Juvenile Justice Commission staff and Intensive Supervision Program staff.  Motor vehicle inquiries are processed for the department's Special Investigation Division and correctional facilities, as well as, State Parole Board and Juvenile Justice Commission investigations.

The Central Communications Unit also processes monthly validations of NJDOC escapees. The Wants and Warrants Unit is responsible for entering and clearing all absconders and wanted parolees.  It also processes monthly validations of the 13 parole districts, Interstate Services, the Juvenile Justice Commission and the Parole Fugitive Unit.

Classification Support &
Training/Auditing Units

Classification Support Unit

The Classification Support Unit is responsible for providing support and direction in various classification tasks, including max date sentence calculation support to institutional staff, assisting staff with special projects related to modifications in statute, providing on-site training as needed, providing institutional audits, and seeking and implementing agency advice from the Office of the Attorney General on issues requiring clarification or legal guidance. The unit provides technical support to Central Office executive and administrative staff in reconciling matters of dispute in the areas of classification. In addition, the unit is responsible for investigating and responding to correspondence associated with offender complaints.

In conjunction with the Office of Information and Technology, the Classification Support Unit continues to develop and support a website that provides information to the public regarding state-sentenced inmates, including the offender's name, description of the offense for which the offender is incarcerated, etc. The website will provide quick access of information to victims, prosecutors and other interested parties regarding all offenders in the state system.

Training/Auditing Unit

The Training/Auditing Unit provides formalized training to all existing and new classification staff members, and issues annual training updates relating to new laws and regulations that impact on the classification of the state's inmates. Two training phases have been created to establish operational uniformity and standardization of classification processes at all facilities. All staff members who successfully complete each training phase are certified in performing tasks associated with the training topics.

The Training/Auditing Unit also provides in-depth audits of institutional classification functions in an effort to verify that the policies, procedures and processes, as well as the various computerized information systems, are being efficiently utilized in each institution. Each audit consists of an on-site review to monitor all classification department operations, committee meetings and other relative work responsibilities to determine compliance with existing laws and policies, unit efficiency and productivity.

Field Services Unit

The primary responsibility of the Field Services Unit (FSU) is to oversee and ensure the effectiveness of NJDOC food service operations through the provision of nutritionally adequate meals to the inmate population and employees of the department.
 
The FSU has several areas of administrative responsibility.

• Food Service Management coordinates efforts to control the NJDOC food expenditures.  Using the central menu, the FSU works with AgriIndustries food production plants, the DEPTCOR Bakery, the New Jersey Department of Treasury Purchase Bureau, and the Distribution and Support Services in establishing contracts with vendors to monitor and manage food costs at each institution.
• AgriIndustries is responsible for the effectiveness of the AgriIndustries farming operations, and milk, meat and produce processing plants, which support the NJDOC central menu requirements.
• The South Woods Central Food Production Facility manages the development and directs the operation of the food production plant.  This cook-chill facility has been a valuable resource to the NJDOC, providing 28 different meal components to each correctional facility, totaling 2.6 million portions each month.  The cook-chill meal production process has provided increased production of meal components using larger batches and longer product shelf life, and saved money by purchasing ingredients in bulk and standardizing meal quality.  Management of this operation requires developing new products; coordinating product expansion with NJDOC facilities; and accounting for inventory control and product distribution with DEPTCOR warehouse and trucking operations, AgriIndustries’ produce and meat processing plants and the Department of Treasury Purchase Bureau, and Distribution and Support Services.
• The Nutritional Consultation Unit is responsible for developing and promoting quality nutritional care services based on the overall needs of the inmate population in accordance with policies, procedures, practice, guidelines, licensure, legislation and standards of professional practice.  The consulting dietitian plans and coordinates efforts with NJDOC clinical dietitians to ensure that individual therapeutic nutritional needs are met.
• The Child Nutrition Program ensures that the NJDOC meets state and federal guidelines required to participate in the Child Nutrition Program, and that the consulting dietitian conducts audits of the participating facilities and fulfills the necessary monthly reporting requirements to the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Child Nutrition.  The NJDOC receives federal reimbursement of approximately $600,000 annually.
• The Sanitation/Waste Management/Recycling Program makes cost-effective recommendations to facilities in an effort to achieve the most efficient sanitation, waste management and recycling efforts, which are incorporated into state waste removal and recycling contracts, and communicated with the Department of Health.  The Unit provides oversight of the Department of Health Chapter 24 sanitation inspections and Department of Environmental Protection requirements.  Increasing waste recycling activity at all facilities, as well as the Central Office, has effectively reduced waste, resulting in lesser waste disposal costs.  Administration of this effort entails institutional program oversight, monitoring, data collection and department reporting.  The NJDOC currently recycles approximately 30 percent of its waste stream.

In addition to the aforementioned areas of responsibility, the FSU provides recommendations to the Department of Treasury to ensure cost-effectiveness for contracts for various food items, food service equipment, waste removal, dishwashing, janitorial and laundry chemicals, inmate shoes, multi-material recycling, pest control, coffee dispensing systems and edible plate waste.  The unit is also responsible for the administration of the central laundry at Albert C. Wagner Youth Correctional Facility, and the distribution of USDA foods and surplus equipment on a system-wide basis.  Contacts with other state agencies are established and maintained to ascertain if non-food surplus property of value is available to the NJDOC, and to relocate equipment internally that is no longer useful to individual facilities.  The FSU in cooperation with AgriIndustries and DEPTCOR, manages a surplus/donated commodities acquisition and distribution program.  Quality, reduced cost products acquired from various sources, such as Jersey Fresh Farmers, the Department of Agriculture and the private sector, are provided to NJDOC facilities.

Health Services Unit

The Health Services Unit establishes NJDOC policy regarding the provision of medical, dental, nursing, pharmacy and mental health care services of inmates held in state custody. The unit monitors professional services to insure compliance with applicable rules, regulations and statutes related to inmate healthcare, with a goal of assuring that community standards are maintained.

The unit’s Quality Assurance Section develops formal auditing instruments that allow for the performance of objective audits of all areas of inmate healthcare services. Activities and records are reviewed, and reports are created and made available to appropriate administrative authorities.

In addition, the Health Services Unit serves as a link to other state agencies and appropriate community organizations regarding professional healthcare matters. The unit has been represented in bodies such as the Governor’s AIDS Advisory Council and the New Jersey Mental Health Planning Council. The unit also serves as a link to professional colleagues regarding correctional healthcare matters on a regional and national basis.

Immigration Services, Parole Monitoring
and the Office of Interstate Services

Immigration Services Unit

A cooperative effort between the NJDOC, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR) enables ICE and EOIR to begin deportation proceedings for aggravated felons and other criminal aliens while they are still incarcerated. This procedure ensures, in many cases, immediate deportation upon the completion of the alien's sentence. The primary functions of the Immigration Services Unit include identifying foreign born offenders when they are state identified; referring them to ICE to determine if the offender is subject to deportation; categorizing each identified offender by those whom ICE has interest and those that it does not; processing applicable no-interest letters, interest letters and detainers; and monitoring each identified offender as he/she progresses through the removal process (now done essentially by VTC hearings, which are coordinated by this unit).

Parole Monitoring Unit

In collaboration with the State Parole Board, the Parole Monitoring Unit ensures departmental compliance with the Parole Settlement Agreement; ensures that pre-parole packages are processed in a timely manner, in compliance with Administrative Code; monitors administrative parole holds to determine trends relative to the reasons for the hold, as well as the operational and fiscal impact on the NJDOC; and monitors referrals for electronic monitoring placement, ensuring compliance with eligibility requirements;
 
Office of Interstate Services

The Office of Interstate Services is responsible for administering all matters under the Interstate Corrections Compact, Interstate Agreement on Detainers, and International Transfer treaties, including the negotiation of contracts to ensure compliance from each party state, the review and acceptance of reciprocal transfers, the development of assurances from other countries, interpreting state and federal statute relative to interstate matters, acting as the liaison with the Governor's Extradition Secretary, and providing training to county prosecutors' offices.   In addition, the office is involved in the related or ancillary tasks in the area of interstate and international extradition of fugitives and escapees, and the maintenance of a caseload of over 450 offenders serving concurrent New Jersey sentences in another state or jurisdiction, and New Jersey offenders serving their sentences in the Federal Witness Protection Program. 

Release Notification Unit - Central Office

The Release Notification Unit was developed in May 2000 to oversee and supervise all aspects of the institutional release process for all offenders. The unit ensures that inmates who are scheduled for release are processed correctly in terms of prosecutor release notification.

The unit oversees the processes by which all Megan's Law releases are properly identified and registered, or those identified as potential predators are referred for civil commitment evaluation. The Release Notification Unit is the NJDOC's liaison for the State of New Jersey. The unit is also responsible for maintaining a computerized tracking system developed to monitor the estimated 3,500 Category 1 offenders in the state's correctional system. The tracking system provides weekly updates of detailed data and ensures in an automated fashion that offenders with current or prior sex offenses, or those with psychiatric histories, are properly alerted and tracked within the computer system.

The Release Notification Unit also develops policies, directives and procedures in accordance with various state and federal statutes to ensure standardization and uniformity. In addition, the unit transmits to county prosecutors each year an annual report, which includes the anticipated release dates for all Category 1 offenders whose release is estimated to occur during that year and who may be subject to civil commitment under law.