More former inmates of the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility have come forward with stories of horrific sexual abuse and harassment suffered at the prison. The stories presented at a hearing of the Workgroup on Harassment, Sexual Assault and Misogyny in New Jersey Politics are the most recent claims in the ever-growing number of complaints regarding Edna Mahan, New Jersey’s only women’s prison.

Stories from Edna Mahan Correctional Facility

NJ.com reported that at a hearing on sexual misconduct in women’s prisons, six former inmates recounted their experiences while incarcerated at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility. The public hearing was held online via video conferencing.

Marianne Brown described being extorted by an Edna Mahan Correctional Facility guard, who demanded oral sex in exchange for toilet paper. During her time behind bars, Brown said she saw too many instances of abuse to count. She reported male and female guards who groped inmates or demanded sexual favors in exchange for essential items such as sanitary pads and “treats” like bubble gum. When she filed grievances with the facility, Brown says her reports were “ripped up in front of [her] face.”

Alyssa Feldman told the Workgroup that she was sexually assaulted by an Edna Mahan correctional officer with access to the cottage where Feldman was housed. She described the officer as “king of that cottage” and said he threatened to delay Feldman’s parole if she didn’t do what the guard asked.

“We were assaulted, physically, mentally, sexually,” Melissa Deandino told the group about her time at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility. Deandino said she suffers from post-traumatic stress and a “paranoia” and fear of men due to the abuse she suffered at the prison.

Systems of Abuse

Some of the most chilling details from the Workgroup hearing involved the systems in place at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility that allowed abuse to thrive. The women described the freedom of guards and correctional officers to enter cells and rooms with no oversight. They claimed that cameras in the prison were regularly pointed at the walls or ceiling in order to hide the alleged abuse. Other victims described being groped during strip searches and forced to sit naked in a holding cell while guards stared. Those who filed complaints claimed they suffered retaliation by being placed in solitary confinement, forced to sit in cells with little clothing, or put on suicide watch while their personal items were destroyed.

Justice Department Reports Decades of Abuse

These stories weren’t the first to be told regarding the alleged sex abuse at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility. A report by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division states that staff has been sexually abusing inmates there for decades. The DOJ report found that the conditions at Edna Mahan violated the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment. The report further stated that the violations constituted a “pattern or practice of resistance to the full enjoyment of rights protected by the Eighth Amendment.”

The report found that the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility “fails to keep prisoners… safe from sexual abuse by staff.” It cited five Edna Mahan employees who “were convicted or pled guilty to sexual abuse of more than 10 women.”

Workgroup on Harassment, Sexual Assault and Misogyny in New Jersey Politics

The Workgroup on Harassment, Sexual Assault and Misogyny in New Jersey Politics was established in response to claims by 20 women alleging the sexual assault and marginalization they suffered as a result of New Jersey politics. The group is not an arm of the government and is made up entirely of women. It seeks to better understand the sexual marginalization and abuse present in the state in order to offer solutions.

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.