Mercer County plans to send at least 600 inmates to the Hudson County corrections department for about $21 million per year.
TRENTON -- Corrections officers, jail employees and their supporters packed a freeholders meeting Tuesday night and criticized Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes' plan to send inmates to Hudson County and layoff employees at the Mercer County Corrections Center.
Hughes had his senior staffers at the meeting to answer questions for the freeholder board, and after they and Hughes gave another overview of the plan, they accepted public comments.
What followed was an emotional parade of speakers, who picked apart the plan, questioned the suggested tax savings provided by Hughes and his cabinet and at times pleaded with the board to save their jobs.
Some wore t-shirts that said "MCCC Lives Matter."
The overall message, the speakers said, was for the freeholder board to slow the process down and make Hughes explain the plan in greater detail.
Some speakers said Hughes' proposal - a pending two-year contract with Hudson County to send 600 inmates there - was not much of a plan at all, following county Treasurer David Miller's power point presentation about the financials.
"This is the most pathetic study I have seen, and I am not doing that for cheap applause," said Patrick Colligan, president of the New Jersey State PBA, the corrections' officers union.
"This is a ridiculous scam hatched by eight people with their backs to the people getting laid off," Colligan said.
Colligan did get the applause, like many times during the nearly four-hour meeting. So man people attended that it was broadcast to an overflow room in the county administration building.
Frank Crivelli, a lawyer for the corrections officers local union, said Hughes' plan ill contrived, has not been properly studied, and there will be unforeseen costs in the future. "And it should not be placed on the shoulders of Mercer County residents"
Tamaine Grier, a sergeant at the jail, said ever since the news that officers and staff will be subjected to a layoff plan, all corrections officers futures have been turned upside down.
"Everyday, we still have to fight if they fight us, whether or not we're going to be fired in 90 days," Grier said of the inmates.
"Before you make a decision based on numbers, consider the ramifications of your actions," she told the freeholders.
Before the public part of the meeting, the freeholders asked several questions of Hughes staffers, which centered on possible hidden future costs, plus the guarantees of jail employees if they transfer to other agencies.
During one exchange, Hughes abruptly shot back an answer to Freeholder Andrew Koontz, but Koontz took offense at the executive's tone, and barked back. "I'm not trying to fight," Hughes said.
Freeholder John Cimino did most of the question asking, peppering Treasurer David Miller and the jail's Warden, Charles Ellis, about prisoner transportation costs, and if Mercer County sought to house inmates in a contiguous county like Middlesex or Monmouth.
"Why we didn't go the RFP route and put it out there to the entire state?" Cimino asked. "Is this our best deal?" Many of his questions also drew applause from officers.
Miller's presentation had general numbers that estimate, in a 12 month period once up and running, the plan to house most inmates in Hudson County would reduce salaries and wages for Mercer jail staffers from almost $34 million to 7.1 million.
Numerous speakers, including Cimino, questioned the number, which some calling it fuzzy math, and "voodoo economics."
During an back and forth with Lucylle Walters, who questioned the transportation costs, like tolls., Miller said he did not study tolls as part of the financial plan.
Also, freeholders said they toured the Hudson jail last weekend and were not wowed at Hudson's facilities, as Hughes described them prior as having a progressive menus of medial and mental options for inmates.
"I did not see a great degree in difference in what they have, versus what we provide," Koontz said. Walters said later. "The medical facility did not have everything we thought they had."
Ellis spoke at length, and did not give a glowing report of the jail he runs. He said there's not enough rom for "maximum" inmates - those charged with violent crimes - and of the mental health population in the jail, "is and has always been horrendous."
"As you decide on what you are going to do or not to do, these issues need to be addressed," Ellis said. "We need a new institution. This institution was not meant to handle a house the type of inmates it is handling."
Hughes has said building a new jail would cost at least $400 million, possibly $500 million, and it's just too expensive.
On Wednesday, Hughes said he heard a lot of things Tuesday evening that his office will get answered for the freeholder board, like transportation costs.
"We're going to take all the time the freeholders need," Hughes said. "At some point you have to start the process, and this is the beginning of the process. And we'll talk through the process, and the questions."
The Mercer and Hudson plan would have Mercer pay Hudson to house a minimum of 600 inmates per day, a $97 per inmate, even if the number of Mercer inmates in Hudson is less than 600.
For a full year, the 600-inmate minimum would cost $21.2 million.
The plan calls for the Mercer County Correction Center in Hopewell Township to remain open as an intake and processing center for inmates going to or coming from Hudson County, transportation that would be done by Mercer officers.
Ellis said Tuesday night the remaining complement of Mercer County corrections officers would ne 55 corrections officers, six sergeants, seven lieutenants and 12 civilians.
Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.