PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Two correctional facilities in Cumberland County are set to consolidate, according to Mayor Ken Whildin of Maurice River Township.
State-run facilities Bayside State Prison and Southern State Correctional Facility sit next to each other on a large area of land in Cumberland County. Adjacent to the buildings is a farm that incarcerated individuals work on.
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Whildin told KYW Newsradio that he has had conversations with New Jersey Department of Corrections officials but has not yet received formal notification about the decision to consolidate.
Per his understanding, Whildin said people incarcerated at Southern State would be moved to Bayside and possibly other state locations. The decision could leave the Southern State building vacant.
According to data from the Department of Corrections, Bayside State has 879 inmates and Southern State has 957, as of January 2022. It’s unknown how employees of the facilities would be affected.
Whildin said this could be a hit to the local economy, as many employees of these facilities are customers to small businesses. If they are transferred to other locations, he said it could take hundreds of people out of their community.
KYW Newsradio asked the Department of Corrections for a statement, which we share here.
"Department of Corrections is currently evaluating the possible consolidation of units at Southern State Correctional Facility and Bayside State Prison. This potential consolidation is due to a number of factors including the decline in the incarcerated population, the deteriorating infrastructure at both facilities, and a staffing shortage in the southern region.
"We do not anticipate the elimination of any jobs resulting from any consolidations."