New Jersey State Prison is in crisis

New Jersey State Prison is in crisis. The past few months have been chaotic and tragic, with incidents of self-harm and suicides on the rise, showing no signs of stopping. In close custody, where security and monitoring are meant to be the strictest, two inmates—known as Rush and Cap—took their own lives. Under close watch, these individuals still lost hope, and their deaths are only two of many, with approximately 17 suicides in NJSP in recent months. The situation is growing increasingly dire as more lives are lost.

Since these tragedies began, at least eight officers have been let go for neglecting their duties. Yet, no real steps are being taken to prevent further tragedy. Oppressive policies and a severe lack of mental health support are weighing down on inmates, leaving many feeling hopeless. And while lives are slipping away, there are claims from both inmates and employees that NJSP officials are mismanaging funds, with alleged cases of embezzlement that divert money away from essential resources—resources meant to provide the support we desperately need.

These policies, and the lack of accountability, are a direct cause of many suicides within NJSP. We need change, real reform, and urgent accountability. I’m reaching out today to shed light on the harsh reality inside these walls, not only to honor those we’ve lost but to protect those still struggling to survive in this environment that feels anything but safe.

This message is coming to you through an artificial intelligence voice. The state of the phone system in NJSP is so poor that calls are barely audible and constantly dropped, even when we’re allowed to speak. This voice helps us cut through the silence and get the truth to you.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:10):
Corrections officers accused of excessive force at New Jersey State prisons,
and today a new surveillance video was released by the
state Controller.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
A man from Newark.

Speaker 1 (00:20):
He got a whopping threason number seventy five years in prison.
The first case was in twenty eighteen, when authority say
officers pepper sprayed an inmate at Bayside State Prison. Video
shows a man being punched in the same prison in
twenty nineteen. Tonight, a New Jersey man sentenced to sixteen
years behind bars will sleep in his own bed.

Speaker 2 (00:42):
For the first time in sixteen years.

Speaker 1 (00:45):
New Jersey's Controller says the Department of Corrections failed to
properly investigate.

Speaker 3 (01:07):
New Jersey State Prison is in crisis. The past few
months have been chaotic and tragic, with repeated incidents of
self harm and suicides that show no signs of stopping.
In close custodity, where security and monitoring are meant to
be the strictest, two inmates known as Russian cap lost
their lives. They were supposed to be under the watchful

(01:29):
eye of prison staff, but even this close supervision failed them.
Their deaths are not isolated. We've seen approximately seventeen suicides
in NJSP, and the situation only worsens as more people
lose hope behind these walls. Eight officers have been let
go for neglecting their duties, but still no real steps
are being taken to prevent further tragedy. The oppressive policies

(01:51):
and lack of mental health support continue to weigh down
on inmates, leaving many with a sense of hopelessness, and
while lives are lost, rumors and claims of embezzlement and
mismanaged funds swirl, allegedly diverting money away from crucial prison resources,
funds that should be aimed at providing the support we
desperately need. The truth is these policies are a direct

(02:13):
cause of many suicides in NJSP. We need real change,
real reform, and real accountability. I'm reaching out today to
shed light on what's happening inside these walls, not only
to honor those we've lost, but to protect those still
struggling to survive in an environment that feels anything but safe.
To bring this message to you, we're using an artificial

(02:33):
intelligence voice. The phone system in the prison is so
unreliable that even when we're allowed to speak, calls are
barely audible and constantly dropped. This voice is helping us
cut through the silence and ensure the truth reaches you.

Speaker 2 (03:07):
Dear freedom. I see in the dark and I think
about your How I had you and how I lost you,
And what can I do to have you back in
my life? If only I knew, I said, for granted
your work, how could I let you go the same
history of your blood. I just thought you should know.
Many men have value to you, and guilty that's evidence

(03:28):
of your might. Your value is the preciady until they've
lost you. You adjust for one night the filings you invoked,
and decorate anything the beauty you possess, and the sight
will see you got pressures be all measures to the
tough and the gold, the rich and the poor, the
young and the old. The desire for your essence is

(03:50):
one with the soul. There is not a price I
wouldn't paid to keep you forever. To any person with
wisdom who are shooting a treasure knocked down by change,
cases are route that are one thing that I can fulfill.
Any confined man for even a day without you, it's
crazy to the same their freedom without you, It's part

(04:12):
of the same