Transfers & Finding Someone in New Jersey (NJDOC)

State Prison or County Jail

New Jersey divides custody by sentence length. A sentence of more than one year places a person in the custody of NJDOC — a state prison. A sentence of 364 days or less, and almost all detention before trial, is served in a county jail run by that county. (New Jersey’s “364-day” sentences exist specifically to keep a term below the state-prison line.) A county jail is run by the county, sets its own visiting, mail, phone, and money rules, and is not part of the NJDOC system.

Intake and Classification

For years, men entering New Jersey’s state system were received and classified at a single Central Reception and Assignment Facility (CRAF) in Trenton. CRAF closed in 2021, and intake and classification are now handled within the existing prisons rather than at one dedicated reception facility. Women enter the system through the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women, the state’s only women’s prison. Where a person is ultimately housed is driven mainly by classification — security level and program needs — not nearness to home.

Finding Someone

To find where a person is held in state custody, use the NJDOC Offender Search, searching by name or SBI number (New Jersey’s State Bureau of Identification number, the ID used across the system). The search covers people currently in NJDOC custody; it does not list people in county jails or those on parole/community supervision, and records generally drop off after a person’s term ends. If a person is not found there, they are most likely in a county jail — awaiting trial or serving a short sentence — so contact that county’s jail. New Jersey also participates in VINELink (1-877-846-3465), which provides custody-status and release or transfer notifications.

The Edna Mahan Replacement

New Jersey is replacing its only women’s prison. After a federal investigation into conditions at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women, the state announced plans to close it and build a new women’s facility. In the meantime, some women have been moved to an Edna Mahan satellite unit at a former youth facility nearby, while a higher-security unit remains on the original grounds, and a new women’s prison is under construction. A family of a woman in state custody should confirm the current location through the Offender Search, since this is changing.

Death Penalty and Population

New Jersey abolished the death penalty in 2007, so there is no death row; the most serious sentence is life without parole. New Jersey’s prison population has fallen by more than half since 2011, which is why several prisons have closed.

Verify Before Acting

For the general, nationwide overview of this topic, see the national guide: Know Your Rights.