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County says Ancora site off the table after residents question possible jail relocation
Summary
Residents from Winslow Township and nearby towns urged the Camden County Board of Commissioners to rule out moving a county jail to the state-owned Ancora site; the deputy director told speakers the Ancora option is off the table and the county will seek other locations or partners.
Deputy director McDonald told the Camden County Board of Commissioners during the public-comment portion that the county will not place a jail in Winslow Township and that Ancora, a state-owned site that the county briefly explored, is no longer being pursued. "There will be no jail in Winslow Township," McDonald said, adding the county will "look elsewhere," including elsewhere in Camden County.
Residents who spoke at the meeting said they first learned of site discussions through local coverage and social media and urged greater transparency. Jamie Pluta of Winslow Township asked for confirmation that the county would not site a jail anywhere in the township; McDonald answered directly that the Ancora location had been explored but is off the table.
Several speakers said they had heard estimates that a new regional facility could cost hundreds of millions of dollars and could affect taxpayers. County officials described the Ancora conversations as preliminary feasibility discussions — including wetland and ownership studies on state-owned land — and said the county had also considered whether renovating older facilities might be an option. "We were looking all over the place, including Ancora," McDonald said, but stressed the talks were exploratory and that Winslow's governing body and residents opposed placement there.
Commissioner Nash later told the board that preliminary exploration and publication of early discussions led to social-media speculation and exaggerated numbers, and credited county staff for clarifying the record. Commissioner Young framed the broader proposal as a programmatic and safety initiative, saying the design the county consulted on reduced recidivism in comparable facilities and sought economies of scale without increasing taxes.
Several residents asked the board to form a working group to include community members in any future site discussions. The board did not adopt a new site or take formal action during the meeting; McDonald repeated that the Ancora option is concluded and the county will continue to study needs and alternatives.
