Overview

The Warren County Correctional Center is an adult correctional facility used to detain adult offenders arrested for violations of laws and ordinances within the County of Warren.  The safety, welfare, and control of all inmates are the main responsibilities of the Correctional Center’s employees.  The Warren County Board of County Commissioners is responsible for the care, custody and control of the Correctional Center.  The Correctional Center is under the direct Command of Warden Kenneth McCarthy.  Warden McCarthy brings over thiry five years of law enforcement experience to the Correction's Division.

The facility was opened in 1986 and was originally designed to hold 76 adult offenders.  With internal renovations the facility’s operating capacity has been raised to 176 adult offenders. Currently the daily population averages between 145 and 155 male and female adult offenders, in addition to 20 adult offenders on the Labor Assistance Program, and up to 6 adults and 6 juvenile offenders on the Electronic Monitoring Program.
 
The Correctional Center is a podular design and is operated as both a remote and a direct supervision facility.  Inmates are classified upon entry to determine the level of supervision that is required.  Inmates are housed in minimum, medium, and maximum security housing areas.

The Correctional Center provides several programs and services throughout Warren County.  One service is the County Labor Assistance Program (CLAP).  The purpose of this program is to provide the Superior and Municipal Courts in Warren County with a viable, useful alternative to the traditional “weekend sentence” so often used by the courts.  In this model, the defendant is allowed to serve his/her sentence on the weekend and remain free in the community for the balance of the week.  The basic concept of the Labor Assistance Program is that persons are sentenced by the court to a specific period of incarceration in jail, commonly known as “straight time.”  As part of the commitment, the court orders that if the defendant so desires he/she may apply for the Labor Assistance Program and serve the requisite number of days on weekends.  The inmates, by their very visible labor in the community, return something useful to that community and at the same time help deliver the message that there is accountability for violations of law in Warren County.  Admittance and subsequent compliance to the rules of the program are strictly monitored by corrections officials.

Another service offered to the County is the Electronic Monitoring Program.  This program is available to both adult and juvenile offenders and serves as an alternative to traditional detention.  Participants in this program are closely monitored by staff to ensure that they adhere to all rules and regulations of the program. 

The Correctional Center is also responsible for the Clean Communities Program throughout Warren County.  This program assists and makes contributions to volunteer groups for public clean-up.  Any equipment used for litter clean-up and removal throughout the county is purchased as a part of the effort.  This program promotes public education and awareness for litter abatement programs.  In addition, the Correctional Center provides recycling pickup throughout the county on a scheduled basis.

The Warren County Correctional Center is required to undergo an annual state inspection conducted by the New Jersey Department of Corrections to ensure that all state standards of corrections are adhered to.  Warren County has experienced great success by continually achieving a 100% compliance rating during these inspections. In addition, the Correctional Center has also been accredited by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC).  This accreditation serves as an indicator of the level of health care that is offered to detainees at the Correctional Center.

The employees of the Warren County Correctional Center are committed to an unsurpassed standard of professionalism and performance through our operation of a safe and secure Corrections Department.