Essex County, NJ (July 19, 2022) – The Essex County Civilian Task Force’s Medical Subcommittee is publicly releasing findings and recommendations of its recent “Determinants of Health Report” of the Essex County Correctional Facility (ECCF), during a 10 am – 12 pm virtual meeting on Saturday, July 23rd. The public and media are invited to attend the livestream event via www.facebook.com/EssexCountyCivilianTaskForce or via Zoom link (Meeting ID: 829 6600 7075, Passcode: 654868, mobile: +1 646 931 3860 US).

Chairs of the Medical Subcommittee, Chris T. Pernell, MD, MPH, FACPM, Chief Strategic Integration and Health Equity Officer, University Hospital, and Pamela Valera, PhD, Rutgers School of Public Health, will present the report and discuss its findings and recommendations.

The Medical Subcommittee report is a comprehensive overview and background of the status of ECCF as it relates to the health, safety, and wellbeing of the people who are incarcerated, jail staff, and correctional police officers. It provides short- and long-term recommendations (see pages 10-11 of the report). Some recommendations include: hiring more healthcare staff and increasing training for correctional police officers, addressing chronic care conditions and mental health disorders, constructing additional housing units, and identifying therapy spaces.

The conclusion of the report (see page 96 of the report) points out that justice-involved populations that leave jail and re-enter the community face barriers such as access to medical and mental health care and social services, employment, housing, and other support. Helping incarcerated people prepare for release should be a process that begins in pre-booking, particularly due to high rates of mental health challenges and chronic diseases.

The findings and recommendations in the Health Report demonstrate the Task Force’s efforts to document the barriers and facilitators to improving the health of the people who are incarcerated in the jail. There is a critical need to establish a comprehensive provider network, identify and implement best practices and improve health outcomes among jail populations.

Questions may be submitted by email to JailTaskForce@admin.essexcountynj.org in advance, which may be addressed during the public meeting. All submissions may be shared with the County and Essex County Correctional Facility administrators; please mark the statements as “confidential” if they are to remain private to the Task Force.
Essex County Civilian Task Force, chaired by former N.J. Governor James McGreevy, provides public oversight, transparency, and accountability with respect to the policies, procedures, practices, supervision, management, and training at the ECCF.

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