An apparent job action over the weekend at several New Jersey prisons left relatives of inmates questioning NJ Department of Corrections officials after weekend visitations were halted or stalled for thousands.
NJ Department of Corrections officials were not immediately available for comment regarding the matter, but according to dozens of emails received from relatives of inmates, on Saturday, they were told over 250 officers called out and the jails could not run due to not having adequate staff.
Inmate relatives say their family members are also being denied access to phones and mail privileges since Saturday.
The inmates are being denied contact visits with their loved ones because the jail does not have enough officers on hand according to a relative of a Northern State Prison inmate.
"I spoke to several officers, and they are upset because the state of NJ will not give them a fair contract."
A woman who would only go on the record as a relative of an inmate told RLS Metro Breaking News that she waited nearly 4 hours outside Northern State to see an inmate she visits every weekend.
"There are a lot of family members out here, and we are not being allowed to see our loved ones, and they are not telling us why. A supervisor there told me the officers went on some -kind of- strike and refuse to open the doors for any inmates to come out and have their visit that they are entitled. I hear the state is refusing to pay the officers".
We are awaiting an official statement from PBA President Mr. Brian Renshaw but our weekend staff found several documents posted on the web confirming a rally that will be held at the NJ Statehouse in Trenton on October 29th beginning at 11:30 a.m.
Several NJ Corrections officers went off the records to say that more than 150 officers were not present for duty over the weekend but would not say if it was due to a job action or if the well-being of prisoners were intact.
"There are injured officers in the line of duty and the issue is the NJ officials are refusing to negotiate a fair contract; they are treating our profession as if we don't matter and not taking our job seriously as officers risk their job" according to one of the corrections officers.
Images of alleged officer abuse were made public over the weekend on a webpage belonging to an unidentified entity that supports corrections officers.
It is not immediately clear if the apparent job action will affect the weekday schedule where inmates make court appearances for hearings, proceedings, and cases around the state.
A request for public information was made to NJ State Corrections Officials regarding the matter.