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Essex County corrections reports multimillion federal and inter‑county revenue; overtime tied to absences remains problem

Essex County Board of Commissioners · February 20, 2026
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Summary

The corrections director said 2025 collections exceeded projections — led by US Marshals and inter‑county contracts — while warning that high levels of intermittent FMLA and unpaid suspensions drive overtime; he also described new mental‑health and vocational programs to aid inmates and reduce recidivism.

Ron Charles, director of the Essex County Department of Corrections, told commissioners that the corrections operation had an active year of revenue and program development in 2025 while continuing to manage staffing and overtime pressures.

Charles listed 2025 collections that pushed department receipts to about $86.3 million: ‘‘We collected 29,300,000 for the US Marshals Service, the Union County contract was $14,400,000, the state prisoner reimbursement was $2,600,000, [and] the substance abuse grant was $23,000,000,’’ he said.…

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