The Monmouth County Correctional Institution (MCCI) in New Jersey has established itself as one of the largest and most innovative county correctional facilities in the United States. With an occupancy capacity of 1,328, MCCI focuses its operations on providing comprehensive rehabilitation programming for inmates while also benefiting local communities through inmate labor. The facility exemplifies a corrections model that values inmate education, mental health support, substance abuse treatment, and community give-back initiatives.
## MCCI's Mission and Philosophy
MCCI's mission statement emphasizes public safety while seeking alternatives to incarceration when appropriate. This includes options like bail, conditional release, and community service sentencing. MCCI aims to serve the needs of various stakeholders including inmates, staff, law enforcement, the courts, attorneys, and community organizations.
The facility's philosophy focuses on maintaining a professionally-trained staff to ensure constitutional treatment within a secure environment. Safety and humane policies guide the day-to-day operations. MCCI utilizes inmate classification to assign housing based on security levels from minimum to maximum. This approach allows customized supervision based on an inmate's specific needs.
With its substantial 1,328 inmate capacity, MCCI has built a large and modern facility utilizing pod-style housing units to safely accommodate different inmate populations. The jail uses an objective classification system, evaluating factors like criminal history, sentence length, and in-custody behavior, to determine each inmate's security level and supervision requirements. This not only enhances public safety but allows rehabilitation programming to be tailored to individual inmates' needs.
## Facilities and Operations
The physical MCCI facility spans a 12 acre campus in Freehold, NJ with housing units, outdoor recreation spaces, health services, counseling centers, and vocational programming classrooms. Of the 1,328 bed spaces, 1,017 are for male inmates and 311 are designated for female inmates. Housing units are organized into sections with inmates of similar security classifications, including separate units for inmates with medical or mental health needs.
With its substantial inmate capacity, the MCCI facility utilizes modern correctional architectural designs to safely and humanely house inmates. Housing units are organized into a pod-style layout circling around a central surveillance station, rather than a linear hallway of cells. This enhances visibility for guards and allows more freedom of movement for lower-security inmates under continuous monitoring.
Within housing sections, inmates are assigned to double-occupancy cells furnished with a bunkbed, desk, stool, toilet, and sink. Maximum security cells include a secured door with a vision panel, while minimum security pods feature an open bar front. Inmates can access shared dayroom space with tables, chairs, and television during allotted recreation periods.
MCCI inmates receive nutritious meals three times a day to meet dietary requirements, with options available for religious needs. Health services include 24/7 access to medical, dental, and mental health professionals. Counseling and programming areas provide space for educational classes, treatment groups, religious services, and more aimed at rehabilitation and personal growth.
Outdoor recreation spaces allow inmates to exercise and enjoy fresh air on a daily basis. Indoor gymnasiums offer opportunities for physical activity as well during inclement weather. With a range of both shared and individual spaces, the MCCI facility promotes safety, security, health, socialization, personal reflection, education, and overall wellbeing.
## Inmate Rehabilitation and Life Skills Programs
Rehabilitating inmates and providing life skills for successful reentry into society is a major focus at MCCI. Educational and vocational classes teach everything from basic literacy to job-related abilities to equip inmates for employment after release. Courses include GED preparation, computer skills, financial planning, business education, culinary arts, and more.
For inmates with substance abuse issues, extensive counseling options are available through group sessions and individual meetings. Support groups provide peer encouragement and accountability. 12-step meetings offer a community of support and sober living knowledge. The facility assists inmates with entering post-release treatment programs to continue substance abuse care in the community. Ongoing recovery resources help solidify gains made during incarceration.
MCCI employs counselors specifically focused on mental health needs like anger management, trauma recovery, and the development of healthy coping mechanisms. Inmates can receive one-on-one cognitive behavioral therapy to process emotions in a constructive manner. Support groups address areas like parenting, anxiety, and self-esteem. Through journaling, meditation, and bibliotherapy, inmates learn new methods of self-reflection and personal growth.
With an array of programming, MCCI emphasizes the message that lasting rehabilitation and recovery are possible with determination and the right help. The facility encourages each inmate's potential through education, mental health services, addiction treatment, and community reentry planning. MCCI aims to build human capital behind bars so inmates leave better equipped to thrive post-release.
## Community Service Through Inmate Labor Program
Since public safety extends outside prison walls, MCCI provides community service opportunities for minimum-security inmates through its innovative Inmate Labor Program. The voluntary program allows qualifying inmates to work on local projects while incarcerated, saving taxpayers substantial costs in the process. Past projects have included cemetery restoration, park beautification, facilities maintenance for nonprofits, storm cleanup, and more.
Crews work under supervision of correctional officers on landscaping, sanitation, renovations, and other forms of manual labor. The collaborative relationships built between MCCI staff and local leaders allow for sharing of project ideas and plans for impactful assistance. Labor program participants can utilize occupational skills and learn new ones while positively contributing during incarceration.
In 2021 alone, the Inmate Labor Program provided nearly 20,000 work hours in 38 Monmouth County municipalities, generating over $109,000 in estimated savings. Interested towns can request crews, coordinated by the program director, for one-time projects or ongoing tasks requiring additional hands. The program exemplifies MCCI's philosophy of inmates giving back, learning skills, and productively using time behind bars while supporting communities.
## Family Connections and Communication
MCCI offers supervised in-person visits, video visitation, phone calls, and mail privileges to help inmates maintain family ties, which studies show aid rehabilitation efforts. The facility provides specific guidelines on visiting hours, conduct, dress code, and number of attendees allowed. Packages containing approved items can also be sent to inmates after inspection.
During COVID-19, MCCI implemented health screening protocols, including temperature checks and masking requirements, to allow visitation to safely continue. For at-risk families, video visits enabled virtual face-to-face interaction. Maintaining diverse communication channels remains a priority for the facility to foster inmate accountability and social support.
Inmates can subscribe to prison-approved publications for delivery and receive educational books ordered through the facility. Guidance is provided on properly formatting and addressing mail being sent to inmates along with rules regarding content, packaging, and items excluded as contraband. By encouraging connections beyond the prison walls, MCCI sets inmates up for success after release.
## COVID-19 Safety Protocols and Adaptations
When COVID-19 emerged, MCCI immediately established rigorous health screening policies, sanitation procedures, isolation protocols, and prompt testing to protect inmates, staff, and visitors. Mandatory temperature checks, face masks, plexiglass dividers, and social distancing keep both COVID transmission and rehabilitation programming disruption to a minimum.
The facility adapted quickly to the pandemic environment by implementing video visitations, virtual counseling, telehealth doctors' appointments, and online education. Support groups continued through videoconferencing. MCCI's mental health resources provided critical stability during a uniquely stressful time. The responsive adaptations put inmate and community health first while creatively overcoming pandemic limitations.
## Conclusion
With its balanced focus on inmate rehabilitation through educational and reentry programs, family connections, and community service initiatives, the Monmouth County Correctional Institution sets a high standard for progressive correctional facilities nationwide. MCCI demonstrates that incarceration and rehabilitation can co-exist through creativity, responsibility, safety-focused adaptability, and an emphasis on mutually beneficial community relationships.
By upholding inmate human dignity and potential while prioritizing public safety, MCCI provides a model for 21st-century corrections working for societal good. The facility's innovations continue advancing the field of inmate rehabilitation and cognitive transformation within a secure institution. MCCI's successes illustrate how effective programming both breaks cycles of criminality and strengthens bonds between prisons and the public they serve.
## Frequently Asked Questions
**Q: What is the inmate capacity at MCCI?**
A: MCCI has an occupancy rating of 1,328, making it one of the largest county correctional facilities in the entire United States. The campus can house over 1,000 male and 300 female inmates.
**Q: How does MCCI classify and house inmates?**
A: Using an objective classification system, MCCI assigns inmates to minimum, medium, or maximum security housing units based on factors like criminal history, sentence length, and in-custody behavior. This allows customized supervision and rehabilitation programming.
**Q: What visitation options are available during COVID-19?**
A: During the pandemic, MCCI offers supervised in-person visits, video visitation, expanded mail communication, and virtual counseling. Safety protocols like temperature checks and masks enable continued connections.
**Q: Can local towns request help from the Inmate Labor Program?**
A: Yes, any municipality can contact the program director to request an inmate crew for one-time or ongoing labor assistance. The voluntary program has saved towns significant costs on projects.
**Q: What life skills programs are offered to inmates?**
A: MCCI provides educational classes for literacy, vocational skills, addiction counseling, mental health therapy, transitional assistance, parenting training, and more to equip inmates for reentry.
Phone: 732-431-7860
Physical Address:
Monmouth County Correctional Institution
1 Waterworks Road
Freehold, NJ 07728
Mailing Address (personal mail):
Inmate's Full Name & A-Number
Monmouth County Correctional Institution
1 Waterworks Road
Freehold, NJ 07728
Other Jails and Prisons
When someone that is not a US Citizen gets arrested in the United States, and they are here illegally, depending on what state or city they are arrested in, the person may be turned over to ICE.
Many states such as New York and California, as well as hundreds of US cities, have declared themselves 'sanctuary cities' and do not turn over foreigners here illegally, even if they are committing crimes in their jurisdiction.
However, when an alien here illegally is turned over to ICE, and sent to one of the over 100 Immigration Detention Centers in the United States, the only way to try and locate where they are being detained is using the Online Detainee Locator System.
You can look them up using their assigned A-Number.
You can also try and look them up by using their name.
What is an ICE Detention Center?
Men, women, and children that are in the United States illegally and are apprehended by the US Border Patrol or ICE will most likely be placed in removal proceedings and may be detained in one of the more than 200 jails and detention centers that make up ICE’s detention system.
Many of the illegal immigrants that are detained are held in county and local jails that contract with ICE to detain immigrants. The rest are held in dedicated immigration detention facilities run by ICE or contracted to private prison corporations, including family detention centers that hold mothers and children.
What Determines if an Illegal Immigrant gets Detained?
ICE will typically detain an immigrant because DHS (Homeland Security) believes that an illegal immigrant is either a “flight risk” and may move to another location within the U.S. or that they pose a public safety threat. Detaining the person allows the government to guarantee that the person will show up for their hearing before an Immigration Court.
Some of the reasons that causes an illegal immigrant to get arrested and held in detention prior to their day in court is as follows:
The illegal immigrant has:
How do you find someone that is in an ICE Detention Center?
The first step to finding out if an illegal immigrant is in ICE or DHS custody is by using the ICE Detainee Locator.
It’s easier to find the person if you have an Alien Number (A#), if one exists. A green card or work permit will show this number. If you don’t have an A# the person is much more difficult to locate.
The information you will need is as follows:
If you are having difficulty, try different spellings and the order of how the name is listed.
If the illegal immigrant was only recently detained, the ICE Detainee Locator may not be updated with the latest information. Keep in mind that ICE does not give information (online or over the phone) for people under 18 years of age. In such cases, you can only get information on them from the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations field office nearest you.
If the person you are looking for is not in an ICE Detention Center, they may have been taken to a local jail that contracts with ICE, so contact their local City and County Jail, all which can be found here.
Another option, short of the expense of hiring an Immigration Lawyer, is to go to this website and use their online form to get their help.
Once an illegal immigrant is located and you find out the facility where they are being held you need to find out the Deportation Officer that has been assigned to their case. The Officer can tell you how to call or visit the detainee, or pay for the detainee to be able to call you, or how you can send any needed items such as clothing, prescriptions, etc.
The last option, and the most expensive, is to hire an experienced immigration attorney to assist you in tracking down the Deportation Officer. If the person being detained requires specific medical care, an attorney can ensure that they receive that care.
If the detained illegal immigrant has been deported from America previously or has an outstanding removal order - in which case they have no right to see an immigration judge - they can be removed within a few days, or even hours, of the initial arrest.
Even if the government does not immediately remove the person, it is possible that they can be moved around to different Detention Centers. There is never a warning that a person is being moved around and during the transfer there is a complete blackout of any information.
How long are people held in ICE Immigration Detention Centers?
The time that an illegal immigrant is held in an ICE Detention Center can vary. It all depends on several factors such as the individual’s personal situation, criminal record, the severity of the crime they are being charged with, previous deportations and the current caseload that the Detention Center is dealing with.
This image portrays the most recent data available on the time a detained illegal immigrant remains in custody before their release and/or deportation.
Can you visit someone in ICE Detention Centers?
The short answer is yes. The person visiting an illegal immigrant in an ICE Detention Center must be lawfully present in the United States. In other words the visitor must have some form of currently valid immigration status at the time of the visit. A detention center or jail will not allow the visit unless visitor can show valid I.D. and offer proof that they are lawfully in the United States.
If you want to become a volunteer that visits illegal immigrants in order to offer emotional support, it may be possible. You can join one of these visitation networks by going here and contacting the network in your area.
What crimes can cause an illegal immigrant to be deported?
(The following information comes from Nolo.com, a trusted legal resource)
These are the straightforward crimes that are mentioned in the immigration law. The statute also lists a number of security violations, such as involvement in espionage, sabotage, terrorism, Nazi persecution, totalitarian parties, and so forth.
Once an illegal immigrant is deported, how long before they can come back to the United States?
If an illegal immigrant has a deportation or removal order in their immigration file, it's possible that they won’t be allowed to enter the U.S. for five, ten, or even 20 years.
The applicable law comes from Section 212 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (I.N.A.).
Five-Year Ban: If they were summarily removed or deported upon arrival at a U.S. port of entry because they were found inadmissible, or if they came to the U.S. but were immediately put into removal proceedings and then removed or deported, they may be ineligible to return to the U.S. for five years. The five-year ban also applies if they failed to show up for their removal hearing in the United States.
Ten-Year Ban: If a ‘removal order’ was issued at the conclusion of their removal hearing in Immigration Court, they may not be able to return for ten years after their removal or departure.
Twenty-Year Ban: If they were convicted of an aggravated felony or have received more than one order of removal, they are barred from returning to the U.S. for 20 years. And if they entered without permission after having been removed, or illegally reentered the U.S. after having previously been in the U.S. unlawfully for more than one year, they may be barred from entering the United States for 20 years or permanently.
This facility, known as "Monmouth County Correctional Institution" is also known as ICE Detention Facility, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
