ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — An inmate in the custody of the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark died at a nearby hospital last week, authorities say.
The prisoner had been a patient at University Hospital for “a couple days” before his death, a county spokesperson told Patch.
“We are awaiting autopsy results, but it appears to be natural causes,” he added.
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There were six deaths reported at the Essex County Correctional Facility in 2022, the New Jersey Monitor recently reported.
In a separate incident, a fight at the county-run jail ended with minor injuries on Thursday. Internal affairs officers are conducting an investigation, authorities said.
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Thursday’s altercation is the latest violent incident to take place at New Jersey’s largest county prison. Read More: Violence Continues At Essex County Prison: Inmate Death, Fires, Fights
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Meanwhile, the prison continues to see suspensions of visitation rights for inmates, the county’s spokesperson added Friday:
“Several times a year, thorough searches are conducted to discover contraband. Visitation was suspended, but all other visits by attorneys, doctors, etc. and other operations were normal.”
In 2022, Essex County released the results of a massive, 184-page look into the inner workings of the jail, which is also paid to house hundreds of inmates from Union County and the U.S. Marshals Service. It previously housed detainees from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), until the county ended its controversial, multi-million-dollar contract with the federal government last year.
In all, the prison has a rated capacity of 2,434 inmates – more people than the populations of 94 New Jersey municipalities. See Related: Long-Awaited Review Gives Deep Look Into NJ’s Largest County Prison
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