Greenstein, Vainieri Huttle urge reforms at troubled women’s prison

State Sen. Linda Greenstein (D-Plainsboro) and Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Englewood) joined a chorus of lawmakers calling for reforms at the state’s only women’s prison after dozens were suspended over accusations they beat inmates.

“Time and time again, we have called for improved protections for inmates and swifter action against perpetrators,” they said in a joint statement. “Recent reports of continued abuse at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility are not only disappointing, they are a clear example of the systemic abuses that we have been fighting against for years.”

The abuses at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility were first reported by NJ Advance Media.

On Monday, Greenstein and Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck) urged Gov. Phil Murphy to suspend Corrections Commissioner Marcus Hicks and the facility’s warden and to empanel an independent review board for the prison.

“We are calling on the Department of Corrections to properly institute policies and protocols for the protection of at-risk inmates, including those who are transgender,” Greenstein and Vainieri Huttle said. “A jail sentence should not subject you to sexual abuse or physical attacks. The Department of Corrections must act immediately.”