Mixed custody — minimum through maximum (men) · State Prison · NJDOC

Garden State Youth Correctional Facility

Crosswicks, Burlington County, New Jersey

Visiting schedules change without notice. Always call before traveling.

Call Visiting Office: (609) 298-6300 ext. 2598, 2959, or 2444 Info last verified: June 2026

New Jersey's correctional facility for younger adult men, near Trenton in Burlington County — a youthful-offender institution with a strong education and vocational focus.

Statewide rules that apply at every New Jersey state prison

These rules are set by NJDOC and apply at every unit. The full list — including all permitted and prohibited items and the approval process — is in Visiting in New Jersey.

Dress code

Tops must cover the shoulders and midriff — no tank, tube, halter, or low-cut tops, and nothing transparent, fishnet, skin-tight, or hooded.
Bottoms must cover from the waist to the knee — shorts must be Bermuda-style ending at the knee, and skirts and dresses must reach the knee when seated; no cargo-style pants, and nothing low-rise that exposes the midriff or buttocks.
Nothing resembling what incarcerated people, officers, or other workers wear — no military or uniform-style clothing, and nothing in khaki, orange, gray, or camouflage.
No hats or headgear (except religious or medical), no flip-flops, backless sandals, wheeled shoes, or steel-toed boots, and nothing with offensive or illegal-activity messages.

ID: Every adult visitor needs a photo ID — a driver's license, state non-driver ID, passport, photo Medicaid card, or employer photo ID (a Social Security card is not accepted). Every visitor, adult or child, must be on the incarcerated person's approved list.
What to bring: Almost nothing comes into the visit room — no phones, money (cash or coin), purses, photos, or food. A clear plastic or zip-lock bag may hold authorized items, and lockers are provided; life-sustaining medication such as an inhaler is handed to the visit supervisor.
Scheduling: The incarcerated person designates the visitors, and everyone must be on the approved list (a criminal record must be disclosed but is not an automatic bar). Visits are by appointment only — scheduled with the facility at least 48 hours ahead — and the number of visitors allowed at once varies by facility (commonly up to four adults plus children, sometimes fewer).

Full statewide rules: Visiting in New Jersey

Overview

Garden State Youth Correctional Facility, near Trenton in Burlington County, holds younger adult men — a youthful-offender institution, not a juvenile detention center. It opened in 1968 as the Youth Reception and Correction Center in Yardville and was later renamed. The population skews young, roughly 17 to 30, and the facility emphasizes education and vocational training, including college courses through the NJ-STEP program. It held about 1,030 men as of January 1, 2026 and holds men across a range of custody levels, from minimum to maximum.

What Makes Garden State Different

It is a youthful-offender facility for younger adult men, with a population that skews young — not a juvenile facility, but a state prison for adults.
Education and vocational programming are central, including high-school completion, trades, and college classes through the NJ-STEP program.
It is near the state capital, about 15 minutes southeast of Trenton off the I-195 corridor — comparatively convenient for visitors coming from across central New Jersey.

Visiting

The statewide NJDOC rules above — the approved visitor list, the dress code, ID, and search rules — apply at Garden State. The facility’s own schedule, which depends on a person’s unit and status:

The full approval process is in Visiting in New Jersey.

Getting There and Parking

The facility is on Hogback Road in Crosswicks, southeast of Trenton.

Distances are approximate, based on map routing. Visitor parking is on site.

Nearby Services

The Hamilton and Bordentown area, along the Route 130 and I-195 corridor, has gas, food, and lodging. The nearest 24/7 emergency room is RWJ University Hospital Hamilton at 1 Hamilton Health Place in Hamilton, a few miles away.

Mail

Personal letters do not go to the prison — they go to the state’s off-site scanning center, addressed with the person’s name, SBI number, and the facility’s code (1408), to P.O. Box 96777, Las Vegas, NV 89193 (confirm the code and current format on NJDOC’s Staying Connected page). Legal mail and publications go directly to the facility at 55 Hogback Road, Crosswicks, NJ 08515. Full rules are in Mail & Packages.

Learn More

For detailed information about visiting and communicating with someone in a New Jersey state prison:

Visiting in New Jersey — the approved list, dress code, and search rules
Mail & Packages — the scanning center, the SBI number, and what goes to the facility
Phone & Video Calls — the ViaPath system, free options, and tablets
Sending Money — depositing through ViaPath
Medical & Mental Health — health care, the co-pay, and the Corrections Ombudsperson
Transfers & Finding Someone — the one-year line, county jails, and the locator

Sources

This page is compiled from the following publicly available sources. Policies change without notice — confirm current details with the facility before relying on them.