New Jersey Department of Corrections: What Families Need to Know (2026)
In New Jersey, every prison visit starts with a phone call. Under the New Jersey Department of Corrections, led by Commissioner Victoria L. Kuhn, Esq., every visit must be scheduled by calling the facility, Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and each of the nine facilities has its own scheduling line. All visitors must show photo ID, such as a current driver's license, a Motor Vehicle Commission non-driver ID, a current photo Welfare or Medicaid card, an employment photo ID, or a current passport. Visitors under 18 must be with an adult relative who has written parental consent, and a dress code applies.
Weekend visiting is the norm at most facilities, but the sessions are specific. At Bayside State Prison, main and minimum visits run Saturday and Sunday 8–10:30 a.m. and 12–2:30 p.m. East Jersey State Prison holds two-hour contact visits on Saturday and Sunday, 9–11 a.m., with registration from 7:30–8:45 a.m., for a maximum of four adults plus children. New Jersey State Prison asks families to schedule at least 48 hours and no more than seven days ahead, with general population contact visits Saturday and Sunday at 9:30–11 a.m. and 1–2:30 p.m.
Some facilities add weekday options. Northern State Prison's minimum unit visits Monday and Thursday 7–8 p.m., and Mid-State Correctional Facility offers non-contact visits with registration 6:15–6:45 p.m. and visits 7–8 p.m. The department's central office sits at Whittlesey Road, P.O. Box 863, Trenton, NJ 08625, phone 609-292-4036. Guidelines are subject to change based on institutional need, so call the facility to confirm before you go.
Full guide: https://8a1c6da4-9eeb-47b4-b576-ee932f459420.usrfiles.com/ugd/de0afa_568aba57956d4f888ee35fec4a15c56f.pdf
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