Edna Mahan Correctional Facility Sex Abuse Lawsuit
Edna Mahan Correctional Facility is New Jersey’s only state-level prison facility for women. Over the past ten years, numerous facility staff members were convicted on charges of abusing prisoners. The facility also faces dozens of sexual assault lawsuits from current and former inmates who allege they experienced abuse by staff. The situation has become so severe that in 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice stepped in to monitor the facility.
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Author: Kathryn Kosmides
Survivor Advocate
- The Edna Mahan Correctional Facility is New Jersey’s only women’s prison, housing hundreds of female prisoners at all custody levels.
- For over a decade, the Edna Mahan facility has been at the center of abuse allegations, class action lawsuits, and criminal charges against staff members for the physical and sexual abuse of inmates.
- The U.S. Department of Justice concluded that the conditions at Edna Mahan indicate a pattern of 8th Amendment violations, and nearly two dozen victims of abuse at the facility have already settled their cases with the state.
- If you or a loved one endured abuse while detained at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility, you have legal rights and options for seeking justice. You’re not alone, and Helping Survivors can help.
What is Edna Mahan Correctional Facility?
The Edna Mahan Correctional Facility opened as the State Reformatory for Women at Clinton in 1913 and is New Jersey’s only prison for state-sentenced female prisoners. Located in Union Township near the Pennsylvania border, the prison has a population capacity of 710 and houses women of all custody levels.
In 2021, the New Jersey Department of Corrections announced plans to close Edna Mahan amidst overwhelming complaints of abuse by staff, and phase one of that plan was completed in 2023. In late 2023, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy shuttered part of the Edna Mahan facility, moving minimum-security detainees to a newer satellite facility near the old prison. Medium- and maximum-security inmates remain detained at the old Edna Mahan facility, and plans for a new women’s prison are underway.
- What is Edna Mahan Correctional Facility?
- Widespread Sexual and Physical Abuse Allegations at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility
- Federal Investigations into Conditions at Edna Mahan
- Edna Mahan Correctional Facility Settlement Details
- Rights & Options for Incarcerated Survivors in New Jersey
- How A Sex Abuse Attorney Can Help Today
- Want To Speak With A Lawyer?
Widespread Sexual and Physical Abuse Allegations at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility
Since at least the early 2010s, staff physical and sexual abuse of Edna Mahan inmates has been a widespread issue. In January 2021, the facility’s top administrator, nine supervisors, and 22 correctional officers were suspended after the state announced an investigation into abuse and overuse of force at the facility.
The investigation was prompted by several violent cell extractions, including the physical beating of a 24-year-old inmate who suffered ripped knee ligaments. All officers on duty in the affected housing unit at the time of the incident were placed on administrative leave, and at least a dozen officers faced criminal charges.
In response to the mass-suspension and abuse reports, the Justice Department entered into a consent decree with New Jersey to monitor Edna Mahan in August 2021 to resolve allegations that the state failed to protect incarcerated people from abuse by staff. The facility is still under that supervision, though New Jersey officials asked a judge to terminate some federal oversight in 2024.
Have You Been Abused at a Juvenile Detention Center?
If you or a loved one has suffered sexual abuse while in a juvenile detention center, you have the right to seek justice. Our team of experienced attorneys is here to provide you with the legal support and guidance you deserve.
Federal Investigations into Conditions at Edna Mahan
In April 2020, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey released an investigative report on conditions at Edna Mahan. The DOJ and AG asserted that conditions at the facility violated the 8th Amendment rights of prisoners due to sexual abuse by staff.
“Long-standing problems with staff sexual abuse at Edna Mahan have been documented for decades,” the report stated. “Specifically, the United States provides notice that the State of New Jersey, through the New Jersey Department of Corrections, or NJDOC, fails to keep prisoners at Edna Mahan safe from sexual abuse by staff.”
According to the report, between October 2016 and November 2019, five Edna Mahan corrections officers and one civilian employee were convicted of charges related to the sexual abuse of more than 10 women under their watch. The DOJ asserted that the systems in place at Edna Mahan discourage reporting abuse and allow it to occur undeterred, causing prisoners to suffer serious harm. Prison officials, the DOJ said, knew of the risk of sexual assault, but ignored it.
Edna Mahan Correctional Facility Settlement Details
In April 2021, the New Jersey Department of Corrections settled 22 lawsuits alleging sexual abuse and harassment at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for women. The settlement resolved both individual claims by inmates who were direct victims of abuse as well as a class of all inmates assigned to Edna Mahan Correctional Facility since 2014. Two of the lawsuits were proposed class-action complaints filed on behalf of the current and former inmate population, while the remaining 20 were individual complaints by 22 current or former inmates.
The settlement provided nearly $21 million for women who were either directly impacted by sexual misconduct or were incarcerated in the facility between 2014 and 2021, with $10 million directed to individual victims and $8 million to the class actions. Additionally, the settlement confirmed that the New Jersey Department of Corrections would require staff who regularly come in contact with inmates to wear body cameras.
Rights & Options for Incarcerated Survivors in New Jersey
Under both state and federal law, prisoners have the right to equal protection and the right to be free from sexual abuse while imprisoned. In the DOJ’s investigation of Edna Mahan, the agency stated that the offenses it found indicate a pattern of violations of both the 8th Amendment and the Prison Rape Elimination Act.
When your rights are violated, you can take legal action. As a survivor of abuse at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility in New Jersey, you may be able to file a civil lawsuit against the state for failing to protect you, as well as report the abuse to initiate criminal proceedings. Under New Jersey’s statute of limitations, civil adult sexual assault lawsuits must be filed within seven years of the assault. There is no criminal statute of limitations for most sexual offenses in the state.
To report abuse at Edna Mahan, you can contact the Office of the Corrections Ombudsperson. The office works to ensure that people housed in New Jersey’s prisons are protected by inspecting prisons, investigating complaints, and prohibiting retaliation. You can reach the office at 609-633-2596 for the general public or 555-555-5555 for incarcerated people.
How A Sex Abuse Attorney Can Help Today
If you or a loved one was affected by sex abuse at a correctional facility, you’re not alone. At Helping Survivors, we work to inform survivors of their rights and legal options while connecting them with resources and law firms that can assist them with pursuing legal action. Our legal partners can help you hold the individuals and institutions that failed you accountable.
To learn more, contact us today for a free, confidential consultation.
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