Back
to top

Office of the Corrections Ombudsperson

Untitled Document

Mission

Provide independent prison oversight to protect the safety, health, and well-being of incarcerated people.

Our Work

The Office of the Corrections Ombudsperson acts as an independent set of eyes and ears for the public, opening up the otherwise closed world of prisons. The Office works to identify and address problems at the individual and system levels to ensure that people housed in New Jersey’s prisons:  

  • Are safe,  
  • Have their medical and mental health needs addressed,  
  • Have reasonable access to their loved ones, and  
  • Are engaged in productive activities to prepare them to return to the community. 

Statutory Authority

In the Dignity Act, signed into law in 2020, state lawmakers: 

Terry Schuster

Message from the Ombudsperson

I believe the goal post for corrections should always be for people to come out of prison better than they went in. And that prison oversight allows the public to hold the government to that ideal.

“Ombudsperson” means representative of the people. We work for you. We hope our office will be visible and accessible to the people held in our state prisons, that we can be neutral and reliable fact-finders for the public about conditions on the inside, and that the Department of Corrections will always see us as valuable collaborative problem-solvers.

We want a healthy well-functioning prison system that builds pride among staff about the impact they have on those in their custody, hope among incarcerated people about their futures, and confidence among the public that those coming home from prison are better prepared to be good neighbors.

We promise to listen compassionately to all sides, to be unbiased and curious, and when we don’t understand something, to look at it more closely. We promise to gather data and opinions, and to give those living and working in our prisons a seat at the table to solve the problems that surface through our monitoring. We will lead with facts, tell the truth as well as we understand it, give credit where credit is due, and also routinely turn our attention inward, evaluating our office’s impact and effectiveness.

Please reach out if you have tips, complaints, input, and ideas. We welcome your feedback and want to continue finding ways to better serve the public.

If you’re interested in receiving our reports as soon as they are published, please click the blue button on this page and leave us your email address.

Thank you so much for visiting our website.

Terry Schuster

New Jersey Corrections Ombudsperson

Resource Guide

Understanding the New Jersey Department of Corrections Prison System. A resource guide for family members of the incarcerated 2020 Prepared by: New Jersey Department of Corrections

LEARN MORE

Complaint Form

The Office of the Corrections Ombudsperson provides a fair and impartial medium within which state sentenced incarcerated persons housed in State Prison Facilities or Residential Community Release Programs can seek redress for concerns or problem that arise during incarceration.

Download the Complaint Form in English

Download the Complaint Form in Spanish

Annual Reports

2023 Annual Report

2022 Annual Report


Latest Updates

LEARN MORE >

Interactive Data Dashboard

Contact Us

Anyone requesting information or assistance from the Office of the Corrections Ombudsperson should:

609-633-2596 - Main Office number for the general public
555-555-5555 - Incarcerated Person Only Toll Free Number with use of I.P.I.N.
1-800-305-1811 - Toll Free (Incarcerated Persons in Residential Community Release Programs)
1-888-909-3244 - Toll Free (General Public)

Office hours are 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM


Office of the Corrections Ombudsperson
PO Box 855
Trenton, NJ 08625

Or via email to Info@oco.nj.gov At this time, we can only receive email, we cannot respond. If you would like someone to contact you, please provide a name and phone number or address where we can contact you.

REMEMBER THAT WE ARE NOT A FIRST RESPONDER AGENCY. THIS EMAIL ADDRESS IS NOT MONITORED 24 HOURS PER DAY. IF YOU HAVE AN EMERGENCY DURING NON-WORKING HOURS, YOU SHOULD CONTACT THE APPROPRIATE DOC FACILITY. NJ DOC Facility Contact Information.

YOU MUST PROVIDE THE NAME AND SBI NUMBER FOR THE INCARCERATED PERSON. IF THIS INFORMATION IS NOT PROVIDED, WE CANNOT INVESTIGATE THE ALLEGATION. ADDITIONALLY, IF YOU WOULD LIKE SOMEONE TO CALL YOU BACK, YOU MUST PROVIDE A CONTACT TELEPHONE NUMBER.


Last Updated: Thursday, 12/05/24

Leave your contact information so we can keep you up-to-date with the latest news and information.

Submit your info here!