Ocean County Government
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  Director John P. Kelly has been an Ocean County elected official since 1993. He was sworn into his 11th three-year term on the Board of Commissioners during the Board’s organization meeting Jan. 4, 2023. Read more
  Deputy Director Frank Sadeghi was sworn to his first three year term on the Ocean County Board of Commissioners during the Board’s reorganization meeting Jan. 3, 2024. A successful businessman and a long-time public servant, Commissioner Sadeghi brings years of leadership experience to the Board. Read more
  Commissioner Virginia E. "Ginny" Haines, a lifelong resident of Ocean County, brings years of public service and leadership experience to the Board of Commissioners. She was sworn into her third three-year term on the Board during its organization meeting Jan. 4, 2023. Read more
  Commissioner Robert S. Arace was sworn into his first three-year term on the Ocean County Board of Commissioners during the Board’s 2025 organization meeting on Jan. 6. A lifelong resident of Ocean County, Commissioner Arace is deeply committed to fostering a vibrant, inclusive, and family-friendly community. Read more
  Commissioner Jennifier Bacchione was sworn to her first three-year term on the Ocean County Board of Commissioners during the Board’s Jan. 6, 2025 Organization Meeting. Read more

Michael J. Fiure, County Administrator
101 Hooper Ave. Admin Building
Toms River, NJ 08754
Phone: (732) 929-2147 | Email: MFiure@co.ocean.nj.us

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Department of Corrections

Organization Areas

The Office of the Warden is comprised of several administrative and operational units that fall under the direct command of Warden Joseph Valenti

These units consist of :
Physical Plant Unit The Physical Plant Unit is responsible for a wide array of tasks.
The Physical Plant Unit is responsible for:
  • Renovation of equipment, building partitions, furniture and structures to extend usage or meet specific needs.
  • Performing maintenance in one or more trade fields including plumbing, carpentry, painting and assisting in complex projects.
  • Inspecting facilities, making basic repairs to systems, structures and equipment and is engaged in preventative maintenance program.
  • Supervising Inspections of HVAC, fire suppression and elevators.
  • Performing maintenance and preventive maintenance of doors, floors and lights.
  • Maintaining records of materials, jobs, and other pertinent information.
  • Supervising an inmate work crew in the performance of assigned duties such as painting details and commissary disbursement,
  • Maintaining security of tools, supplies, and equipment
  • Maintaining a material inventory.
Inmate Transportation Unit The Transportation Unit is responsible for coordinating scheduled and nonscheduled transports for inmates housed in the Ocean County Jail.
The Ocean County Department of Corrections "Transportation Unit" is an essential and vital aspect of the department.

The Transportation Unit is comprised of a full time team of Corrections Officers who are on call 24 hours a day 7 days a week. They are responsible for coordinating scheduled and nonscheduled transports for inmates housed in the Ocean County Jail.

The Transportation Unit is responsible for transporting inmates court ordered to attend drug and alcohol programs, inmates sentenced to New Jersey State Department of Corrections, scheduled doctors appointments, as well as any other transport needed.
Investigations Bureau/Internal Affairs for conducting investigations into allegations of employee misconduct and crimes committed within the facility.
The Bureau is also responsible for tracking Security Threat Group members and the coordination of inmate transportation.

Investigations:

To ensure the highest standards of integrity in the Ocean County Department of Corrections, allegations and trends are analyzed by comprehensive investigations.

Internal Affairs Investigations must be considered as important to the community and department as any criminal investigation.

Citizen complaints, whether sustained or not, increase awareness of actual or potential problems.

Citizen complaints are readily accepted and promptly and fully investigated.

Security Threat Group Information:

The purpose of this information provides guidelines to track and monitor threat group membership and to provide information on inmates who are confirmed or suspected members of a security threat group. This information allows correctional personnel to more effectively control the environment by keeping rival gang members, informants and known terrorists from each other and/or the general population.

How to file a Complaint:

The Investigations Bureau is commanded by Capt. Matthew Pedone. To initiate a complaint, you may contact the Investigations Bureau at (732) 929-4702, during the hours of Monday thru Friday 7AM to 3PM or email Capt. Matthew Pedone  directly.

You may also download the Citizen Complaint Form. If you choose to download and complete the complaint form, please include as much detail as possible, including the date, time and location of the incident, identities of the officer(s) involved if known, and a statement of the circumstances surrounding your complaint. You must also include your name and a telephone number so an investigator may contact you if further information is needed.

You will be asked to provide a statement of your complaint with as much detail concerning the incident and why you believe the officer(s) conduct is inappropriate.

Forms may be dropped off in person, or mailed to:

Ocean County Department of Corrections
Investigations Bureau
114 Hooper Ave
Toms River, NJ 08754

Every complaint is reviewed by the Internal Affairs Commander. If the complaint is of conduct that would violate policy and procedures or laws, an investigation will occur.
Booking - Intake and Release, Classification, Records Booking staff perform many functions related to the intake of subjects committed to the Ocean County Dept of Corrections.
  • Some of these include; review of commitment documents, performing appropriate searches, entry of all related data into the Ocean County Offender Management System, fingerprinting, photographing, property inventory, and arranging for medical screening. Once the subject is processed staff will attempt to assist the subject by providing information that may be helpful in making arrangements for release, if appropriate.
  • Staff also work closely with federal, state and local police agencies and courts and updates all Commitment Files when necessary.
  • When an inmate is to be released from Ocean County Jail, booking staff perform a thorough review of the Commitment File to make certain all matters were legally discharged before releasing the subject. If necessary, another agency may be contacted to pick up a defendant wanted in a jurisdiction outside of Ocean County.
Staff Development Unit The Staff Development Unit is responsible for coordinating the orientation and continuing education of both the civilian and sworn staff of Ocean County Department of Corrections.
The Ocean County Department of Corrections implements a Training and Staff Development Program, that shall be coordinated and supervised by a qualified Training Officer. This consist of a Training Advisory Committee and annual training plan.
Community Work Program utilizes minimum-security, minimum-status offenders to complete various projects in the community.
The Community Work Program began under the direction of Warden Joseph Valenti.

The Program has undergone many changes during its history. It has won countless awards, including national recognition by the Association of County Governments and the State of New Jersey.

The Community Work Program remains a proactive function of the Department of Corrections, serving the community, local governments, non-profit organizations, etc. It is our effort to return to the community via service of offender interaction.

Please contact the Community Work Program
by email or by phone at (732) 929-2117, to discuss requests for inmate work details.
Corrections Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a team of highly trained tactical officers and supervisors designed and equipped to respond to any type of emergency inside or outside of the facility.
The Corrections Emergency Response Team falls under the direct operational control of Warden Joseph Valenti.

Team members undergo a vigorous vetting process, including physical testing and performance reviews.

Team members are trained in a variety of areas, including:
  • Cell Extractions
  • Chemical Munitions
  • Defensive Tactics
  • Firearms
  • High Risk Transportation
  • Impact Weapons
  • Less-Lethal Weapons Systems
  • Riot and Crowd Control
  • Tactical Emergency Medical Care
  • Tactical Planning
  • Use of Non-Deadly and Deadly Force
Basic Course for County Correction Officers The Ocean County Department of Corrections, in conjunction with the Ocean County Police Academy, conducts the Police Training Commission Basic Course for County Correction Officers (Corrections Academy)
The academy is a project run out of the Office of the Warden.

The Basic Course for County Correction Officers is an intense fifteen week program that includes:
  • History of Corrections
  • Communications Skills
  • Constitutional Law
  • Criminal Law
  • Response to Medical and Psychological Emergencies
  • Human Relations
  • Correctional Security Concepts
  • Response to Correctional Emergencies
  • Use of Force
  • Firearms
  • Physical Fitness and Wellness
  • Defensive Tactics
  • Impact Weapons
  • Chemical Munitions

and a variety of other topics.
Disciplinary Hearing Officer serves a quasi-judical function by adjudicating charges that inmates receive from Officers for violating institutional rules or procedures.
These violations can be the same as a criminal charge but, more often are for offences that only relate to the running the institution. A typical example of this kind of charge is “Refusing an Order” of an Officer or “Using Abusive Language” against the staff. Fighting between inmates is the most common infraction however, any break in policy can result in a Disciplinary charge to an inmate.

Referred to by inmates as the “Jail House Judge” or “Courtline”, the Disciplinary Hearing Officers reviews the charges against the inmate in the form of reports written by the Officer and all other supporting documentation, including any evidence that may have been collected, and then holds a hearing with the accused inmate.

The inmate is given the opportunity to plead ‘Not guilty’, Guilty or Guilty with an Explanation, to the charge. The inmate may request witnesses on his behalf or other supplemental material to help in his defense. After review of all of the material, the Disciplinary Hearing Officer makes a decision on the inmate’s guilt or innocence for the charges against him.

The standard used by the Disciplinary Hearing Officer is not the same “beyond a reasonable doubt” as in criminal charges but, instead the standard is a showing of “substantial evidence” that a violation occurred.

If an inmate is found guilty of a charge, the Disciplinary Hearing Officer imposes a sanction. These sanctions vary depending on the degree and severity of the charge as well as taken into account the inmate’s previous disciplinary history. A minor infraction may only result in a “On the Spot Correction” which is a warning to the inmate to correct his behavior. The more common sanction is imposition of “Sanction Housing” which requires the inmate to be housed in an isolation cell where he is locked down for twenty-three hours a day in his own cell, allowing only one hour out. This sanction is often referred to by the inmates as “going to the hole”. This sanction may be imposed anywhere from one day to thirty days. In the more severe cases, the Disciplinary Hearing Officer may impose Administrative Segregation, which is similar to Sanction Housing except the minimum duration is usually three months and may last up to a year. Finally, the Disciplinary Hearing Officer has the ability to recommend the loss of “good time”, which results in a longer sentence for the inmate.

The disciplinary sanctions are not to be considered as punitive, but instead promote behavior modification from the inmate.

Ocean County Department of Corrections processes approximately six hundred hearings annually. While the preparation of these hearings may be done by several different staff members, most all of the hearings are conducted by one hearing officer.

In accordance with Federal and State regulations, the hearing must be done within seven days of the infraction by the inmate.
Day Reporting Program is an alternative to a county weekend sentence
The program participants provide a valuable community service by performing trash cleanup along Ocean County roads and providing labor for community improvement projects.

This program is temporarily suspended due to Covid.
Community Education Programs are educational programs we offer are part of the Ocean County Department of Corrections Clean Communities Program
These programs remain free of charge due to the support of the Ocean County Board of Commissoners and grant funds provided by the New Jersey Clean Communities Council.

These grants have provided equipment and officers' salaries for our Clean Communities Task Force or "Trash Busters" Work Crews. These crews have been responsible for the clean-up of hundreds of miles of Ocean County roadways as well as major efforts in the pinelands area, ocean beaches, and other public lands.

The Clean Communities Task Force is proud of the assistance they have provided in helping to clean-up our environment.

Please contact (732) 288-7686, to discuss requests for educational programs.
Program Services Unit The Program Services Unit is comprised of Counselors who are responsible for providing a wide variety of social services geared specifically to the offender population
These services are designed to provide opportunities for personal development and to help reduce the stress associated with incarceration. The Program Services Unit provides or coordinates the following services for the inmate population: intake orientation, social services counseling, individual counseling and referral, educational programming, substance abuse counseling and referral, vocational guidance and counseling, religious programming, law library research through the Westlaw Internet Database, and recreational reading library services. The offender can access any of these services simply by completing an Inmate Request Form and forwarding it to the Program Services Unit. It is the mission of the Program Services Staff to provide everyone with the opportunity to make the most of the time spent incarcerated and to help the offender make an easy transition from incarceration to eventual release into the community.

The Program Services Unit also provides opportunities for individuals in the community to help provide the valuable services offered to the inmate population through the use of volunteers. Many dedicated volunteers from the community provide numerous hours of service through Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, religious counseling and educational tutoring. The Program Services Unit is grateful to the dedicated service and support of the community volunteers who freely donate their time to make inmate programming successful.
The Business Office is responsible for the day to day administrative functions of the Ocean County Department of Corrections.
The duties of the Business Office include:
  • Prepares the departments current, capital and 6 year capital improvement plan budgets for the Warden's review and approval.
  • Maintains and supervises the maintenance of all accounting records and files.
  • Prepares financial and statistical reports for the department's salary & wage and operating accounts.
  • Responsible for the administration of all Federal and State Grants for the Department of Corrections.
  • Manages the Financial operation of the Inmate Trust Account and Inmate Commissary account.
  • Reviews and responds to auditors comments, concerns and recommendations.
  • Prepares resolutions and contract agreements for Professional, Inter-Government and Grant agreements.
  • Responsible for the reconciliations of all bank accounts.
  • Manages the Inmate Commissary Account to ensure accounts are properly credited and debited.
  • Collects and submits all payments payable to the Victims of Crime Compensation Board ( VCCB).
  • Approves department’s purchase and supply requisitions and payroll records for processing.
  • Prepares qualifications and bid specifications for jail purchases exceeding the county bid threshold.
  • Prepares monthly reports to the food director for all amounts expended monthly and year to date.
  • Checks disbursements and controls adherence to contractual obligations.
Also managed under the Business Office are the Health Services Contract, Food Services Contract, and Commissary Services Contract.

Employment with the Department of Corrections

The Ocean County Department of Corrections hires the best and brightest in all applicable job titles.

Career opportunities include County Correction Officer; Counselor, Penal Institution; Aide, Penal Institution and a variety of other essential clerical and support titles.

All hiring is coordinated through the New Jersey Civil Service Commission through competitive exams or through the intergovernmental transfer program.

Information about these programs is available through the New Jersey Civil Service Commission website

Correction Officers who are eligible for intergovernmental transfer can contact Detective Lt. Michael Delanoy (732) 929-2043, ext. 3386.

Department of Corrections Vision and Values

The Ocean County Department of Corrections will be an organizational team that is conducive to camaraderie amongst staff, mutual respect between staff and inmates in surroundings that are physically and environmentally safe. Our staff will be lifelong learners prospering in multicultural harmony, respectful of their internal and external environments, actively participating in bettering their communities, with healthy families and economic security.

The Department acknowledges its legal and moral obligation to comply with all Constitutional rights; Court rulings; and Federal and State statutory law and administrative code. In an effort to ensure compliance with these mandates, the Department has elected to maintain the highest correctional standards by undergoing an external accreditation audit and continuing accreditation from the National Commission on Correctional Heath Care, as well as striving for a perfect score on the New Jersey Department of Corrections annual jail inspection/certification.

The Department acknowledges that the security of the facility, and the welfare and safety of the community, staff and inmates are the principal responsibilities of the Department of Corrections. All efforts will be taken to prevent any breach of security that could endanger the welfare of the general public, staff, and inmates. Departmental Policy and Procedures will be professionally developed and rigorously adhered to in an effort to prevent any breach of security.

The Department also recognizes its obligation to the citizens of the County of Ocean to be fiscally responsible and utilize sound management practices in pursuit of its mission. To this end the Department promotes and supports the professional development of its employees and the implementation of state of the art correctional practices. It is committed to providing continuous staff training on current correctional issues and encourages personal development through continuing education.

It is both the policy and practice of the Ocean County Department of Corrections to afford equal opportunities to qualified individuals regardless of race, color, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, marital status, political affiliation, disability or handicap as defined by the American Disabilities Act. Additionally all persons incarcerated will be afforded equal participation in any and all programs offered by the institution such as religious services, recreational activities, educational, rehabilitation and legal services subject to requirements of institutional security.

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Ocean County Seal
COUNTY OF OCEAN

101 Hooper Avenue
Toms River, NJ 08753

732.244.2121

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