South Woods State Prison
South Woods State Prison is a state prison for male offenders located in Bridgeton, Cumberland County, New Jersey, United States. It is operated by the New Jersey Department of Corrections.
| |
| Location | Bridgeton, New Jersey |
|---|---|
| Status | Open |
| Security class | medium & maximum |
| Capacity | 3327 |
| Opened | 1997 |
| Managed by | New Jersey Department of Corrections |
History
In the 1990s state officials planned to open a new prison in southern New Jersey. Officials planned to select one of several proposed sites in Camden County, Cumberland County, and Gloucester County. State officials narrowed the proposed sites to Bridgeton and Millville in Cumberland County. In 1992 officials said that they selected Bridgeton over Millville as the site for the proposed prison.[1]
South Woods State Prison opened in 1997 and is the newest, as well as the largest, prison in New Jersey.[2] When officials from the City of Bridgeton heard of a state report proposing to move over 1,000 prisoners from Riverfront State Prison in Camden to South Woods, Bridgeton officials opposed the plans.[3]
There were 3,363 inmates of various custodial levels as of 2010.[4]
Facilities
The Bureau of State Use Industry operates footwear, clothing, printing/graphics, signs and decals/binders shops at the facility.
See also
References
- "BRIDGETON CHOSEN OVER MILLVILLE AS MEDIUM-SECURITY PRISON SITE." The Philadelphia Inquirer. December 2, 1992. South Jersey S07 Local. Retrieved on September 27, 2011. "Bridgeton has been chosen over a neighboring southern New Jersey community as the site for a $150 million medium-security state prison, a Florio administration source said yesterday." and "Department of Corrections spokeswoman Patricia Mulcahy said the search for a site had been narrowed to Bridgeton and Millville, both in Cumberland County. Other sites in Camden and Gloucester Counties were eliminated[...]"
- "Contact Us." New Jersey Department of Corrections. Retrieved on September 27, 2011. "When SWSP opened in the spring of 1997, it became the Department of Corrections' newest and largest facility."
- Martins, John. "Bridgeton doesn't want Camden's state inmates." The Press of Atlantic City. May 23, 2007. Retrieved on September 27, 2011. "City officials on Tuesday night condemned what they say is a state plan to relocate more than 1,000 inmates from Camden's Riverfront State Prison to one of the county's three state prisons."
