Construction has officially begun on a new 420-bed correctional facility for Women in Chesterfield Township, Burlington County. The groundbreaking on October 15, 2025, attended by Governor Phil Murphy, Department of Corrections officials, community leaders, and formerly incarcerated women, signals the start of a state-of-the-art project designed for safety, rehabilitation, and efficiency.
The $310 million project is being built on a 33-acre parcel adjacent to the former Albert C. Wagner Youth Correctional Facility. The multi-building campus will replace outdated infrastructure, consolidate essential services, and integrate spaces for education, vocational training, medical care, and recreation. Officials say the facility is expected to save the state more than $160 million in deferred maintenance and capital costs compared to the older facilities.
A Rehabilitation-Oriented and Safety-Conscious Approach to Construction
Unlike conventional correctional facility design, the project emphasizes a campus-type configuration balancing security with normalized, humane conditions. Minimum, medium, and maximum-security populations will live in specialized housing units with orientation, stabilization, substance abuse treatment, rehabilitation, protective custody, and chronic medical care.
Centralized programs and extended areas of service are planned to be more streamlined for staff while increasing access to education, social services, and treatment services. Officials observe that the design also assists family unification and visitation and locates the facility close to major transportation routes for more convenient arrival by relatives.
Contemporary Construction Characteristics
Multi-campus complex: Individual buildings for housing, medical, school, and vocational facilities.
Trauma-informed, normative design: Ample natural light, open spaces, and common area to promote mental health and rehabilitation.
Integrated service hubs: Downtown-type dining, health, and programming spaces to achieve optimal efficiency and reduce operational demand.
Safety-conscious architecture: Secure perimeter, surveillance system, and special housing areas to meet varying inmates’ needs.
Construction will be phased to allow sequential housing and program area opening, ensuring seamless integration of services as the campus expands.
Collaboration and Oversight
The facility is the product of two years of interagency planning, including consultation with criminal justice reform advocates, community leaders, and formerly incarcerated women. The stakeholders noted that the facility represents a new, gender-responsive approach to corrections based on dignity and rehabilitation rather than security.
The Chesterfield campus is an extension of New Jersey’s reforms following the closure of the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility. Construction will not only provide housing safety but also a climate conducive to learning, treatment, and reintegration into society.
Project Outlook
With construction now underway, the state anticipates phased completion of the facility over the next three to four years, allowing sequential opening of housing units and program areas. The project will replace outdated facilities with modern, rehabilitation-focused design elements and is expected to serve as a model for future correctional infrastructure nationwide. By consolidating essential services, eliminating deferred maintenance, and integrating educational, vocational, and treatment programs directly into the campus design, the facility represents not only a major infrastructure investment but also a commitment to supporting rehabilitation and human potential among the incarcerated population.
This new construction project is one of New Jersey’s biggest corrections infrastructure investments in years, marrying state-of-the-art construction techniques, secure design, and programmatic areas to redefine the state’s women’s corrections strategy.
Unlike many large-scale correctional projects in the United States—such as the planned 3,000-bed prison in Franklin County, Arkansas—this facility is unique in its focus on women’s rehabilitation. Larger prisons focus on capacity and security. This campus puts trauma-informed care, education, vocational training, and integrated services at the center. Rehabilitation and successful reentry drive its mission.
New and Modern Correctional Facility for Women in Chesterfield: Factsheet
Location: Chesterfield Township, Burlington County, New Jersey
Site Area: 33 acres
Facility Type: Women’s correctional facility
Capacity: 420 beds
Project Cost: $310 million
Construction Start: Groundbreaking held on October 15, 2025
Project Scope: Multi-building campus with centralized services and specialized housing units for different security levels and rehabilitative needs
Design Approach: Trauma-informed, normative design emphasizing safety, rehabilitation, and community integration
Key Features:
Integrated spaces for dining, education, vocational training, medical care, and recreation
Housing units for general security, orientation/stabilization, substance use treatment, rehabilitation, protective custody, and medical care
Campus-style layout to improve operational efficiency, staff workflow, and inmate access to programs
Expected Benefits:
Reduction in deferred maintenance and capital costs by over $160 million
Improved rehabilitation, educational, and treatment opportunities for occupants
Support for family visits and community reintegration
Enhanced operational efficiency and safety for staff
Timeline: Construction is underway, phased development planned to allow sequential opening of housing and program areas.
Purpose: Modernize correctional infrastructure, replace outdated facilities, and provide a secure, rehabilitative, and program-focused environment.
