Bergen County Jail

Bergen County Jail Information

A Closer Look at Bergen County Jail as an ICE Detention Facility

Bergen County Jail is a central reception and processing center located in Hackensack, New Jersey. With a capacity of over 1,150 beds and more than 280 correctional officers, it serves as one of the largest county jails in the state. Since opening in 2000, the facility has aimed to provide safe and humane incarceration while meeting stringent accreditation standards.

## History and Purpose

The current Bergen County Jail first opened its doors in 2000 after construction of a new modern facility. However, the county sheriff's office has maintained a jail in Hackensack since the 19th century. Today, the jail mainly functions as an intake and processing hub. Male and female adult inmates pass through Bergen for initial holding and court appearances. 

In addition, the jail houses federal detainees through an agreement with the U.S. Marshals Service in place since 2001. With its central location near New York City and capacity to manage high volumes, Bergen County Jail serves a vital role for law enforcement and the judicial process in northern New Jersey.

### Key Facts and Figures

- Opened: 2000
- Managed by: Bergen County Sheriff's Office 
- Location: Hackensack, NJ
- Beds: 1,150
- Officers: Over 280
- Average daily population: 950

## Direct Supervision Management 

Bergen County Jail utilizes the philosophy of direct supervision management. This approach emphasizes close interaction between officers and inmates along with open visibility. Direct supervision has been shown to reduce violence, contraband issues, and costs compared to traditional jail designs. 

The jail's physical layout places officers in open rooms with inmates rather than isolated behind glass. This allows for enhanced monitoring and relationship building. Direct supervision jails also eliminate barriers between units, improving lines of sight. Open visibility and officer proximity in housing areas help quickly de-escalate tensions.

## Sections and Units

In addition to inmate housing pods, Bergen County Jail contains various facilities tailored to specific needs:

### Medical Unit

- 24/7 emergency care
- Daily sick call and physicals  
- Chronic care clinics
- Dental exams and treatment
- Access to offsite hospitals and specialists
- Medical infirmary with nursing for serious cases
- Secure inpatient unit at medical center

### Mental Health Unit

- Counseling and therapy groups  
- Psychiatric medication management
- Crisis intervention and suicide prevention
- Special housing for acute needs
- Hospital services for serious cases 

### Drug Rehabilitation Center

- 90-day voluntary inpatient program 
- "New Direction" evidence-based curriculum
- Addresses addiction, mental health, life skills
- Women's treatment unit added in 2010

### Law Library 

- Legal resources for research and defense
- Tablets provide remote access to subscriptions
- Extra access added with third library in 2019

### Visitation Area

- Non-contact options during COVID-19
- Attorney visiting 7am - 9:30pm daily
- Professional visits must store phones, coats, keys  

## Inmate Services and Programs

In addition to basic needs, Bergen County Jail provides services to enhance inmate health, prepare for release, and reduce recidivism.

### Healthcare

Inmates at Bergen receive physical exams, sick call access, dental care, chronic disease management, emergency services, specialty care, and infirmary stays. Mental health services include counseling, therapy groups, psychiatric management, crisis intervention, and inpatient psychiatric hospitalization.

### Drug Rehabilitation 

The jail's voluntary Drug Rehabilitation Center (DRC) delivers a 90-day inpatient substance abuse treatment program. Using group therapy, education, and the "New Directions" curriculum, the DRC addresses addiction as well as life skills, mental health, parenting, housing, and employment needs.

### Education and Vocation Programs

Through partnerships with local organizations, Bergen County Jail offers:

- GED classes
- Computer skills training  
- Job readiness groups
- Parenting courses
- Financial literacy

### Re-entry Planning

To prepare inmates for release and reduce recidivism, the jail provides discharge planning, counseling, connection to community resources, and work release programs.

## Safety and Security

Maintaining facility safety and security while upholding inmate rights is a top priority. Measures include:

- Screening of incoming mail, books, and packages 
- Perimeter security systems
- Camera monitoring
- Routine searches and scans

Bergen County Jail is fully compliant with the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). The jail has zero tolerance for sexual assault and harassment. All allegations trigger immediate investigation leading to prosecution when substantiated.

Inmates requiring protective custody or posing danger are separated through administrative segregation. Use of force is allowed only as a last resort in response to violence or active resistance. Any incidents must be reported and reviewed.

## Community Release Programs

For qualified inmates approaching release, Bergen County Jail offers supervised programs to transition back into society:

- **Work Release** - Continue job while housed in separate minimum security facility
- **Home Custody** - Strict monitoring at approved residence 
- **Sheriff's Labor Assistance Program (SLAP)** - Provide municipal community service 
- **Community Release Center** - 65-bed reentry unit next to minimum security jail 

## Bail and Bond Process

The jail houses both sentenced inmates and pre-trial detainees unable to post bond. Cash or cashier's checks are accepted for bail. Upon acquittal or dismissal, bond funds are refunded through the court's finance office. Detainees can also use a bonding company for release upon payment of a fee.

## Conclusion 

With its modern facility and range of programs, Bergen County Jail aims to serve the surrounding communities through secure pre-trial detention paired with rehabilitation efforts. Direct supervision management provides safe incarceration while building rapport between officers and inmates. Healthcare access, drug treatment, discharge planning, and community release programs help prepare individuals for productive lives after jail. Ongoing training and compliance with national standards demonstrate the jail's commitment to ethical corrections in line with the evolving field.

## Frequently Asked Questions 

### How do I visit an inmate at Bergen County Jail?

In-person visits are limited due to COVID-19 precautions. You can schedule a no-contact video visit through the jail's online visitation system. Attorneys and clergy can request access for professional visits.

### What items can inmates have sent to them? 

Inmates can receive letters and books mailed directly by publishers. No food, personal items, or packages are allowed. All mail is inspected before delivery to maintain safety.

### How does the bail and bond process work?

Those unable to post bond remain in jail until trial. You can pay the full bail amount in cash or use a bonding company for release. Refunds after acquittal or dismissal are issued by the court finance office. 

### What rehabilitation programs are offered?

Programs include drug treatment, vocational training, education, counseling, discharge planning, and work release. The jail aims to provide skills and resources to reduce recidivism.

### How can I send money to an inmate?

Money orders or certified checks can be mailed to inmates using a processing service like JPay. Cash and personal checks are not accepted. Funds are deposited into commissary accounts.

Phone: 201-527-3000

Physical Address:
Bergen County Jail
160 South River Street
Hackensack, NJ 07601

Mailing Address (personal mail):
Inmate's Full Name & A-Number
Bergen County Jail
160 South River Street
Hackensack, NJ 07601

Other Jails and Prisons

Search Bergen County Jail Inmates

Search Bergen County Jail Inmates

How Do You Find Someone in the Bergen County Jail?

How to Find Someone in the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detainee Locator

When someone that is not a US Citizen gets arrested in the United States, and they are here illegally, depending on what state or city they are arrested in, the person may be turned over to ICE. 

Many states such as New York and California, as well as hundreds of US cities, have declared themselves 'sanctuary cities' and do not turn over foreigners here illegally, even if they are committing crimes in their jurisdiction.

However, when an alien here illegally is turned over to ICE, and sent to one of the over 100 Immigration Detention Centers in the United States, the only way to try and locate where they are being detained is using the Online Detainee Locator System.


There are two ways to search for an ICE Detainee:

You can look them up using their assigned A-Number.

  • An A-Number is a 9-digit number that either looks like this: A-123456789, or like this 123-456-789. This is required if you do not know their name.
    It is also called a Registration Number when on a visa, or a USCIS# when on a Green Card.
    If for whatever reason the A-Number you have does not have 9-digits, you need to add 0s (zeroes) to the front of the number until the number has 9-digits.

    That number might then look like this:  001234567.


You can also try and look them up by using their name.

  • In order for this to be effective, you need to have the exact name that is either on their paperwork, or the the name with the exact spelling that they gave ICE. This is required.
  • You also need to know the country of their birth, or the country of their birth that they gave ICE. This is required.
  • Knowing their Date of Birth is helpful but not required to find them in the system.


Important things to know about using the ICE Detainee Locator

  • You do not need to set up an account to use the Detainee Locator System.
  • A-Number stands for 'Alien Registration Number'.
  • The System does not have information on all detainees in custody.
  • Juvenile names are NOT in the System.
  • The Detainee Locator System is updated every 8 hours, sometimes sooner.
  • If the detainee is being moved to a new facility, the new location will not be shown until they have arrived and are processed. 
  • No warnings or prior notice are given in advance of a detainee being moved.
  • While being transferred to a different facility they may still be shown online as being in the original facility.
  • If you are planning a visit, always call before you come to confirm the detainee is still at the facility and has not been moved.
  • To visit a detainee you must have some type of government issued photo ID, or other identification when photo identification is unavailable for religious reasons.
  • If you are unable to find the detainee using the System, contact the ICE Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in the area where you believe the person's immigration case was initiated or the Detainee Reporting and Information Line (DRIL) at 888-351-4024.

Pamphlets in various languages with Instructions on how to use the Online Detainee Locator System:

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Directions / Map to the Bergen County Jail
Understanding US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

What is an ICE Detention Center?

Men, women, and children that are in the United States illegally and are apprehended by the US Border Patrol or ICE will most likely be placed in removal proceedings and may be detained in one of the more than 200 jails and detention centers that make up ICE’s detention system.

Many of the illegal immigrants that are detained are held in county and local jails that contract with ICE to detain immigrants. The rest are held in dedicated immigration detention facilities run by ICE or contracted to private prison corporations, including family detention centers that hold mothers and children.

What Determines if an Illegal Immigrant gets Detained?

ICE will typically detain an immigrant because DHS (Homeland Security) believes that an illegal immigrant is either a “flight risk” and may move to another location within the U.S. or that they pose a public safety threat. Detaining the person allows the government to guarantee that the person will show up for their hearing before an Immigration Court.

Some of the reasons that causes an illegal immigrant to get arrested and held in detention prior to their day in court is as follows:

The illegal immigrant has:

  • committed a crime, or multiple crimes
  • arrived at the border without a visa prior to formally applying for asylum or refugee status
  • an outstanding removal (deportation) order on record, either pending or past due, or
  • missed prior immigration hearing dates.

 

How do you find someone that is in an ICE Detention Center?

The first step to finding out if an illegal immigrant is in ICE or DHS custody is by using the ICE Detainee Locator.

It’s easier to find the person if you have an Alien Number (A#), if one exists. A green card or work permit will show this number. If you don’t have an A# the person is much more difficult to locate.

The information you will need is as follows:

  • the person’s full name as it appears in the ICE System. The exact spelling and the order of how the name is listed is required.
  • the person’s date of birth
  • the person’s country of birth

If you are having difficulty, try different spellings and the order of how the name is listed.

If the illegal immigrant was only recently detained, the ICE Detainee Locator may not be updated with the latest information. Keep in mind that ICE does not give information (online or over the phone) for people under 18 years of age. In such cases, you can only get information on them from the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations field office nearest you.

If the person you are looking for is not in an ICE Detention Center, they may have been taken to a local jail that contracts with ICE, so contact their local City and County Jail, all which can be found here.

Another option, short of the expense of hiring an Immigration Lawyer, is to go to this website and use their online form to get their help.

Once an illegal immigrant is located and you find out the facility where they are being held you need to find out the Deportation Officer that has been assigned to their case. The Officer can tell you how to call or visit the detainee, or pay for the detainee to be able to call you, or how you can send any needed items such as clothing, prescriptions, etc.

The last option, and the most expensive, is to hire an experienced immigration attorney to assist you in tracking down the Deportation Officer. If the person being detained requires specific medical care, an attorney can ensure that they receive that care.

If the detained illegal immigrant has been deported from America previously or has an outstanding removal order - in which case they have no right to see an immigration judge - they can be removed within a few days, or even hours, of the initial arrest.

Even if the government does not immediately remove the person, it is possible that they can be moved around to different Detention Centers. There is never a warning that a person is being moved around and during the transfer there is a complete blackout of any information.

How long are people held in ICE Immigration Detention Centers?

The time that an illegal immigrant is held in an ICE Detention Center can vary. It all depends on several factors such as the individual’s personal situation, criminal record, the severity of the crime they are being charged with, previous deportations and the current caseload that the Detention Center is dealing with.

This image portrays the most recent data available on the time a detained illegal immigrant remains in custody before their release and/or deportation.

Can you visit someone in ICE Detention Centers?

The short answer is yes. The person visiting an illegal immigrant in an ICE Detention Center must be lawfully present in the United States. In other words the visitor must have some form of currently valid immigration status at the time of the visit. A detention center or jail will not allow the visit unless visitor can show valid I.D. and offer proof that they are lawfully in the United States.

If you want to become a volunteer that visits illegal immigrants in order to offer emotional support, it may be possible. You can join one of these visitation networks by going here and contacting the network in your area.

What crimes can cause an illegal immigrant to be deported?

(The following information comes from Nolo.com, a trusted legal resource)

  • Conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude (see list). This includes any attempt or conspiracy to commit such a crime. It does not include crimes that were committed that the illegal immigrant committed when they were under the age of 18 years, however the person must have been released from jail more than five years before applying for a visa or other immigration benefit. It also does not include crimes for which the maximum penalty did not exceed one year in prison and the person was not, in fact, sentenced to more than six months in prison.
  • Conviction or admission of a controlled substance violation, whether under U.S. or foreign law. This includes any conspiracy to commit such a crime.
  • Convictions for two or more crimes (other than purely political ones) for which the prison sentences totaled at least five years. This multiple-offense ground of inadmissibility applies whether or not the convictions came from a single trial and whether or not the offenses arose from a single scheme of misconduct or involved moral turpitude.
  • Conviction of or participation in (according to the reasonable belief of the U.S. government) controlled substance trafficking. This includes anyone who knowingly aided, abetted, assisted, conspired, or colluded in illicit drug trafficking. It also includes the spouse, son, or daughter of the inadmissible applicant if that person has, within the last five years, received any financial or other benefit from the illicit activities, and knew or reasonably should have known where the money or benefit came from.
  • Having the purpose of engaging in prostitution or commercialized vice upon coming to the United States, or a history, within the previous ten years, of having engaged in prostitution.
  • Procurement or attempted procurement or importation of prostitutes, directly or indirectly, or receipt of proceeds of prostitution, any of which occurred within the previous ten years.
  • Assertion of immunity from prosecution after committing a serious criminal offense in the U.S., if the person was thus able to depart the U.S. and has not since submitted fully to the jurisdiction of the relevant U.S. Court.
  • Commission of particularly severe violations of religious freedom while serving as a foreign government official.
  • Commission of or conspiracy to commit human trafficking offenses, within or outside the U.S., or being a knowing aider, abettor, assister, conspirator, or colluder with such a trafficker according to the knowledge or reasonable belief of the U.S. government. Also inadmissible are the spouse, son, or daughter the applicant if they, within the previous five years (but when older than children), received financial or other benefits from the illicit activity and knew or reasonably should have known that the money or other benefit came from the illicit activity.
  • Conviction of an aggravated felony, if the person was removed from the U.S. and seeks to return (this ground of inadmissibility lasts for 20 years)
  • Seeking to enter the U.S. to engage in money laundering, or a history of having laundered money, or having been (according to the knowledge of the U.S. government) a knowing aider, abettor, assister, conspirator, or colluder with money launderers.

These are the straightforward crimes that are mentioned in the immigration law. The statute also lists a number of security violations, such as involvement in espionage, sabotage, terrorism, Nazi persecution, totalitarian parties, and so forth.

Once an illegal immigrant is deported, how long before they can come back to the United States?

If an illegal immigrant has a deportation or removal order in their immigration file, it's possible that they won’t be allowed to enter the U.S. for five, ten, or even 20 years.

The applicable law comes from Section 212 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (I.N.A.).

Five-Year Ban: If they were summarily removed or deported upon arrival at a U.S. port of entry because they were found inadmissible, or if they came to the U.S. but were immediately put into removal proceedings and then removed or deported, they may be ineligible to return to the U.S. for five years. The five-year ban also applies if they failed to show up for their removal hearing in the United States.

Ten-Year Ban: If a ‘removal order’ was issued at the conclusion of their removal hearing in Immigration Court, they may not be able to return for ten years after their removal or departure.

Twenty-Year Ban: If they were convicted of an aggravated felony or have received more than one order of removal, they are barred from returning to the U.S. for 20 years. And if they entered without permission after having been removed, or illegally reentered the U.S. after having previously been in the U.S. unlawfully for more than one year, they may be barred from entering the United States for 20 years or permanently.

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This facility, known as "Bergen County Jail" is also known as ICE Detention Facility, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.