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The Bergen and Hudson jails have similar contracts with the agency but were not cited for any serious health or safety violations.
The report by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General singled out the Essex jail and a California facility for “immediate risks” to inmates and other “egregious” violations.
Food handling was so poor at Essex that the kitchen manager was replaced during the course of a snap inspection last year. The inspection turned up moldy bread, spoiled meat and raw chicken that was improperly stored.
In addition, inspectors found overflowing toilets, moldy walls and peeling paint at the facility.
Inspectors also found that inmates at Essex were improperly placed in administrative segregation, were subjected to excessive use of strip searches and had no opportunities to spend time outside. Inmates were also not provided with basic hygiene items and were given clothing too large to stay on.
The inspector general recommended changes to operations at the jail. ICE agreed with the report’s conclusions and said it would make changes to the operation of the Essex facility and the others where unacceptable conditions were found.
Essex County has a contract with ICE to hold detainees at the county jail on Doremus Avenue at a rate of more than $100 per inmate per day. Activists have recently been pushing the county to sever its contract with the agency.
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