AgriIndustries

The Department of Corrections' AgriIndustries operates six dairy and crop farms as well as three food processing plants statewide, supplying Corrections, Human Services, Distribution Center, and Agriculture -- with milk, beef, turkey, pork and vegetable products. The objective of the AgriIndustries Revolving Fund, established in 1977, is to offer products to the departments at a savings. AgriIndustries stresses a strong work ethic and promotes sound work habits among offenders, providing programs that have been shown to reduce recidivism.

All AgriIndustries are self-supporting and operate without appropriated funds. Annual revenues equal approximately $9 million, with annual savings of approximately $1 million in food costs.

Field Services Unit

This unit's primary responsibility is to oversee and ensure the effectiveness of the Department of Corrections' food service operations through the provision of nutritionally adequate meals to the inmate population and department staff. Additional responsibilities include providing cost-effective food service equipment recommendations, overseeing New Jersey Department of Health Chapter 12 sanitation inspections and Department of Environmental Protection requirements, administration of the Child Nutrition Program, overseeing of the centralized laundry facility, and distribution of surplus foods and equipment on a system-wide basis.

The unit is responsible for establishing and maintaining contacts with other state agencies to ascertain if nonfood surplus property of value is available to the Department of Corrections, as well as relocating equipment internally that is no longer useful to individual facilities. The Field Services Unit, in cooperation with AgriIndustries and DEPTCOR, manages a surplus/donated commodities acquisition and distribution program. Quality products are acquired from various sources, such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the private sector, and provided to the correctional facilities.

Special Operations

This unit provides correctional facilities with the tactical and technical support that is required during a crisis situation. The Department of Corrections' liaison with the State of New Jersey's Office of Emergency Management, Special Operations maintains mutual aid agreements with local, state and federal agencies.

Special Operations is comprised of a variety of entities, including a Canine Unit, Regional Search Teams, a Critical Incident Negotiation Team, a Central Communications Unit and a Radio Maintenance Unit.

Central Office Release Notification Monitoring Unit

This unit assures that all inmates classified as Category 1 sexual offenders who are scheduled for release are processed correctly in terms of prosecutor release notification. The unit also oversees the processes by which all Megan's Law releases are properly registered and Category 1 inmates with potential psychiatric problems -- or those identified as potential predators -- are referred for civil commitment evaluation.

A computerized tracking system has been developed to monitor the estimated 3,500 sexual offenders in the state's correctional system. The tracking system provides weekly updates of detailed data that is utilized to help determine an inmate's readiness for release.

Office of Interstate Services

This office has the primary responsibility of administering all matters under the interstate correction compact. In addition, the unit is involved in related or ancillary tasks in the areas of the Interstate Agreement on Detainers, extradition of fugitives and escapees, inmates serving time out of state who also are serving a New Jersey sentence, the Federal Witness Protection Program, pardons and clemencies, and international treaties.

Central Medical/Transportation Unit

This unit was created in May 1986 to reduce the overtime costs to the Department of Corrections. Central Transportation is responsible for the safe and secure transport of state-sentenced inmates 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.

Responsibilities now include 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, this unit transports inmates involved in civil litigation where the inmate is to reimburse the state for the 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.

Health Services

This unit is responsible for the coordination of all medical, dental, nursing, pharmacy and mental health services available to inmates under the supervision of the Department of Corrections. This unit's quality assurance staff monitors the performance of vendors in providing health services to inmates, ensuring that inmates have access to health services commensurate to services available to individuals outside the walls of prison.