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Burlington County Prison Museum Association 

Welcome 

There’s something for just about everybody at the Historic Burlington County Prison Museum. Are you interested in local and national history, architecture, criminal law, penology, sociology, art or architecture? Then you should find the Old Prison of much interest. Fascinated by the paranormal world or murder stories? We’re the place to go.

The museum is open from Thursday through Sunday except on holidays and the day after Thanksgiving. 

Click here for hours of operation and admission fees.

Tours/Audio Tour

Visitors may take a self-guided tour, taking as much time as they like, during hours of operation.

We also have a great audio tour available for $3 extra. The tour takes about an hour if the visitor listens to all of the "stops". 

To arrange for a personal guided tour, email the Prison Museum Association at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at

609-288-6372. Please give us at least 48 hours'

notice. 

The Museum is located at the corner of High and Grant Streets in Mt. Holly. For GPS purposes, the address is 128 High Street, Mt. Holly, NJ 08060

Click here for directions.

Escape Game

Try out our escape game! Step into the shoes of a safecracker who managed to breakout in 1933. You will be given a case full of clues. Once you figure out the combination to open the case, you are on your way throughout the Jail to find other clues leading to your ultimate "escape". A team of up to four can work from one "escape case". $10 per case. Click here for further information. Reservations recommended.

We offer a variety of reasonably-priced tee-shirts, hoodies, mugs, shot glasses, hats, keyrings and other items with the Jail's logo. There are also a variety of postcards and books. Also available are pamphlets, available nowhere else, containing interesting accounts of historical murder cases and trials. 

Events & Announcements

Pma newsletter.

The Museum is open! It has undergone extensive repairs to the outside of the building, including a new roof, pointing of the stone wall and building exterior, and new gutters and downspouts. Inside, the graffiti has been preserved. Come enjoy our great audio tour (now also available in Spanish!), our escape game, and our nifty little gift shop. We're a great place to go for group tours. We need volunteers to give personal tours - please email us at  [email protected]  if you are interested in giving tours. It's a lot easier than you think and a lot of fun. See you all soon!

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The Morris County Correctional Facility is managed by the Morris County Sheriff's Office .

This $32 million, state-of-the-art structure opened in May of 2000. This six story building, considered to be one of the premier jails in the nation, includes eight housing pods totaling 277 cells with the capacity to house a total of 524 inmates.

The correctional facility is accredited through the American Correctional Association (ACA), and National Commission on Correctional Healthcare (NCCHC), one of only two jails in the state and one of only 145 county jails nationwide to do so.

Our Philosophy

The Morris County Correctional Facility utilizes a direct supervision management style, a somewhat unique departure from traditional jails but one which has proven to be a safer method of managing inmate populations. The direct supervision jail, through a combination of architectural design, classification philosophy, inmate ground rules and officer deployment, dispenses with physical boundaries and instead, uses behavioral boundaries to effectively control inmate behavior. The result is significantly lower rates of assaults and lawsuits by inmates and allows for less expensive construction due to the improved behavior of inmates.

Our eight housing pods are open, self-contained living units which house between 64 and 72 inmates. This architectural design enhances supervision, increases perimeter security and effectively divides inmates into manageable groups.

Inmates are classified upon intake to determine the level of supervision required. Those who are mentally ill, violent, or for any reason cannot follow the rules are placed in a more structured environment. Each pod then consists of a population that ensures an atmosphere that promotes positive interaction.

A corrections officer works within each pod and is in direct control of the inmates housed therein. This allows for more interaction between officer and inmates which is important because it builds trust and works to avoid incidents. Behavior is managed in a positive way, and each action has certain rewards and consequences associated with it.

Overall, our direct supervision management style provides a self-sufficient community which incorporates minimum, medium and maximum security levels all under one roof. The result is a cleaner facility, virtually no assaults or vandalism, reduced stress on both staff and inmates and an efficient, well-run, safe environment for staff, visitors, inmates and the general community.

Our Facilities

Within the jail, we have…

• a full-service laundry facility
• administrative offices
• K-9 kennels
• an intake/processing area and holding cells
• staff training facilities
• religious, educational and exercise facilities
• a medical/nursing facility

Operational Features

We strive to provide for the safe, secure and humane custody and treatment of those individuals in our care and have implemented numerous operations and practices to carry out this mission including…

• court video teleconferencing
• public viewing of video court proceedings on weekends and holidays
• decentralized visits and recreation
• Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS)
• County Correctional Information System (CCIS)
• Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS)
• computerized operation of security systems
• emergency preparedness manual
• emergency and fire response teams/equipment
• Motorola communications/personal alarm system
• comprehensive interior/exterior electronic surveillance system
• computerized visitor identification system
• electronic searching equipment
• automated external defibrillator
• Records Management System (RMCS)

Interested in taking a tour of the correctional facility? Contact Corporal Manuel Flores at 973-631-5412

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Burlington County Prison Museum

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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Burlington County Prison Museum, Mount Holly

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• Thursday - Saturday: 10 am-4 pm
• Sunday: 12 pm-4 pm

• Exhibits about architecture and crime and punishment
• Self-guided tours with audio for additional cost
• Guided tours available upon request

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• Guided tours upon request
• ADA accessible site
• Off street parking
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• Adults - $5
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Burlington County Prison Museum

128 High Street, Mount Holly, NJ 08060

609-265-5476

www.prisonmuseum.net www.co.burlington.nj.us

The Burlington County Prison Museum is a National Historic Landmark designed and built in 1811 by Robert Mills, one of America’s first native-born and domestically trained architects. Mills also famously designed the Washington Monument. The prison remained in operation from 1811 to 1965 and holds the distinction of being the longest used prison in the nation. With its masonry construction and vaulted ceilings made of poured concrete, the building was also virtually fireproof and one of the first of its kind in the country.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO

• Listen to an audio tour of the historic site that highlights the building's architectural features
• Hear stories of former inmates incarcerated there, including nine people convicted of murder
• Check out the prison’s exhibits that capture the history of the building and its many inhabitants
• Inquire about on-site paranormal investigations, available on Friday and Saturday evenings

Journey through Jersey strives to have the most up-to-date information, but always check with the site itself before planning a visit.

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County Jail

Visitation Guidelines For Professionals

The Bergen County Sheriff’s Office strives to provide inmates entrusted to its custody with all the protections and rights afforded to them by the America’s legal traditions and due process. As such, the Office permits inmates access to various legal, medical, religious and social professionals as an inmate’s needs require. Attorneys, interpreters, clergy and medical or social professionals who desire to visit with a specific inmate must follow the following procedures

• Professional access to inmates will be permitted in the jail from 7:00 A.M. through 9:30 P.M. 7 days a week. All visits are subject to approval by the Tour Commander on duty.
• Upon arrival, professionals will be asked to give their name and provide proper identification, such as a Bergen County Sheriff-issued identification card, Attorney Bar Association card, Motor Vehicle License or Medical License, to the Reception Officer on duty.
• All persons entering the secure area of the Bergen County Jail must deposit cell phones, coats, keys, tobacco products and any other prohibited items in the lockers provided. FAILURE 
• While visiting an inmate, only soft sided file folders are permitted within the jail The inmate may  
• Items such as money, pens, highlighters, paper clips, jewelry, matches, lighters, cigarettes and chewing gum are considered contraband and are strictly prohibited.

150 years of escapes and executions at Burlington County Prison, one of the most haunted places in New Jersey

Designed by the architect of the Washington Monument, the imposing building was once the oldest continuously-used prison in the U.S.

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In 1876, five men punched a hole through the ceiling of their prison cell, located on the top floor of Burlington County Prison. Four of the men slipped through the hole onto the roof, climbed down a woodpile, and over the prison yard wall to freedom. The fifth man, upset that he was too large to fit through the small opening, didn’t wait long before he snitched on his cellmates. The warden responded immediately to the alarm, but only two of the four escapees were ever caught and returned to the prison.

The Burlington County Prison, located in Mount Holly, New Jersey, was designed not only to minimize escapes, but also to serve as a space to reform inmates “through religious instruction, education, and vocational training.” Operating from 1811 until 1965, the Burlington County Prison was the oldest continuously-used prison in the U.S. at the time it closed. 

The nonprofit Prison Museum Association (PMA) reopened the prison as a museum in 1966. Mount Holly isn’t the only town with an old prison turned tourist attraction—just 25 miles east is Philadelphia’s Eastern State Penitentiary , which today operates as a historic site and occasional haunted house. 

Prisons have always been complicated structures, both physically and emotionally. Monuments to human confinement and suffering, they are both snapshots of another time and important tools in the ever-evolving conversation about mass incarceration in this country and around the world. To begin to understand the present, sometimes it’s best to start in the past.

America’s first architect

I visit the Burlington County Prison Museum on a weekday morning in late July. An East Coast heatwave has just ended and the slightly-cooler temperature in Mount Holly feels revelatory. Visitors to the museum enter through the prison’s heavy oak front door, still outfitted with its original iron hinges, lock, and door handle inscribed with the year “1810.” 

The imposing structure was designed by Robert Mills, considered to be the first native-born American trained as an architect. Mills may be most famous for his government buildings and monuments, including the Treasury Building (featured on the back of the 10-dollar bill) and the Washington Monument , but he also designed several courthouses, churches, and prisons. 

The Burlington County Prison, built with 18-inch-thick walls made of stone and brick, was designed to hold 40 inmates. When it opened, the penitentiary didn’t have electricity or running water; it was the first prison in the U.S. constructed to be fireproof, and each cell was heated by a wood-burning fireplace. 

Constructed long before air conditioning, the U-shaped corridors have vaulted ceilings to help with air circulation. Despite the cooler temperatures outside, it’s very warm and airless inside of the prison when I visit. Fans have been placed around to help keep air moving, but sometimes lack of comfort is an important step in understanding places with complicated and painful histories.

Designs for a Prison

Mills was concerned not only with keeping prisoners apart from the outside world, but with segregating the inmates themselves. Town dungeons had thrown everyone together in the same space, but mixing pick-pockets in with murderers created conflict. Mills firmly believed in creating a physical distinction between levels of criminality and worked this into his design of the building. 

“Where so much Carelessness and malicious Wickedness exist, as are to be found in a prison, and where the safe keeping of the prisoners is of so great importance, every practicable method should certainly be adopted to prevent the bad effects of the former and to insure the reality of the latter,” Mills writes in his 1808 essay, Designs for a Prison .

The first floor, for perpetrators of less severe crimes, had larger windows than the second, which held more serious offenders. A maximum-security cell (known as “the dungeon”) located on the top floor is flanked by niches for additional guards and has a steel ring on the floor to which a prisoner could be chained. 

Mills noted that these solitary cells were often placed in basements, which had the unintended consequences of making it easier for the prisoner to escape by digging a tunnel or go mad in the darkness. “The most conspicuous and elevated situation should therefore be chosen for these solitary cells, and very justly, as here there is no possibility of laboring much in secret, or without continual dread of discovery as they are surrounded with Eyes and so easy of access that the keeper (except willfully) cannot neglect to visit them daily,” he writes.

Paranormal activity

Since the prison opened, inmates, guards, and visitors have seen and felt signs of paranormal activity, and the prison is now considered to be one of the most haunted buildings in New Jersey. People have heard moaning and rattling chains; they’ve smelled cigarette smoke and seen apparitions. During renovations in the 1990s, several workmen reported missing tools. 

If the Burlington Country Prison is indeed a hotbed of paranormal activity, the dungeon is the epicenter. The cell is supposedly haunted by one of its most notorious inhabitants, Joel Cough, a convicted murderer who spent his last night here in solitary confinement before he was executed and buried in the prison yard. As I stand outside of the cell, Carl Taraschi, a retired lawyer and PMA tour guide, says it’s not uncommon for visitors to feel cold spots or have conversations with the spirits.

The penitentiary welcomes paranormal research groups from all over the country to investigate these claims year-round on Friday and Saturday nights from 7 p.m. to midnight. According to the prison’s website , “Thus far, each group has found evidence of the prison being haunted. They have recorded voices, caught orbs (energy) on film and detected spikes in the electromagnetic field. All of these things combined give the prison museum the title ‘Haunted.’”

Visitors need not be in touch with the spirit world to feel something while touring the prison. Whitewashed sculptures of inmates placed in several cells prompt guests to consider the human—and not just architectural—history contained within the prison’s thick walls. 

One man sits with his back against the wall of his cell, staring into warm glow of his fireplace. Another sits on the top of a bunk bed, one leg crossed over another, studying cards from a cigar box. In the dungeon, a man is chained to the floor, his body folded in on itself—a visceral, visual reminder of inmates suffering in cells originally designed for one, but that sometimes held two or three inmates due to overcrowding.

Passing time

New prisoners were deloused and given clothes, a straw mattress, bed linens, and a wooden bucket to use for their “night waste,” which they emptied periodically into a cesspool behind the prison. In keeping with Mills’ belief in the power of religion to reform, each inmate was given an inexplicably tiny Bible.

Not all of the prisoners were men. A women’s wing, accessible only by way of a corridor or through the warden’s office, held up to eight women at a time. Women were often imprisoned for adultery or “disorderly conduct” (a euphemism for prostitution) and at least two women gave birth while they were incarcerated. Census figures from the late 1800s note that in addition to adults, the three women’s cells once held a 1-month-old, a 7-month-old, and a 2-year-old.

Despite near-constant supervision, some prisoners passed the time by drawing on the walls of their cells. Although the prison has undergone extensive renovations to remove lead paint, some of this graffiti has been preserved under plexiglass panels. Inmates marked their days away on calendars, inscribed their names for posterity, and sketched powerful religious imagery.

An intricate model of the SS Saint Paul is currently on display alongside a piece of the Berlin Wall, bullets removed from a cadaver, and glass bottles unearthed from the exercise yard during a recent excavation. The model was created by an inmate, who had been a workman on the actual ship, in the late 1890s. When the model resurfaced at an auction in 2010, the PMA purchased it and returned it to the prison. “Some people have tremendous talent, but they just might not use it in the right way,” Taraschi says. 

Inmates were given the opportunity to work off their debts in the prison’s workroom. They made brooms, shingles, and baskets up until the 1970s when New Jersey phased out prison work programs (prisoners continued to make license plates until recently). 

Others found more violent activities to interrupt their boredom. In 1920, two prisoners—who had just begun 90-day sentences for drunk and disorderly conduct—beat two correctional officers to death with a slotted steel bar from a coal furnace. Both men were judged to be insane and transferred to a nearby asylum. 

In the almost hundred years before New Jersey executions were moved to the state’s capital, Trenton, in 1905, seven people were hanged from the gallows in the Burlington County Prison yard (two more people sentenced to death were held in the prison but executed elsewhere). The last hanging took place in 1906—on March 24, convicted murderers George Smalls and Rufus Johnson were executed just two months after committing their crime. On display at the prison today is a piece of the hangman’s rope alongside Johnson’s Bible, and sketches of both men drawn by the son of a guardsmen.

A complicated task

The gallows that now stands in the back prison yard is a replica, modeled after the one that stood in the same spot in 1890. The drop floor was boarded over for safety concerns, but it’s still a macabre reminder of a time when tickets were given out and spectators entered the yard through a side door, eager to witness the latest execution.

It may not have made much difference to the people confined within, but Mills added several decorative elements to the front facade including stone arches; the front door is topped by an engraved sign that reads “prison,” and flanked by relief carvings of keys encircled by chains. The massive door is made from two layers of oak (one set vertically, the other horizontally for strength), joined together by large rivets set in a diamond pattern. 

Mills understood that his first project as an independent architect was a complicated one. “The miseries of a prison are Great enough without adding to them,” he writes.

When the Burlington County Prison closed in 1965, more than 100 inmates were moved temporarily to an armory while a new penitentiary was constructed. Continued overcrowding led to the construction of another new prison in 1983, which is still in use.

Taraschi shows me a photo of the current prison, comparing it to Mills’ creation still standing stoically in front of us, 208 years after its construction. “Both buildings are secure,” he says. “Both accomplish what they’re designed to do. But Robert Mills designed beauty into his buildings.” 

The Burlington County Prison Museum is open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sundays from noon until 4 p.m. The museum is closed on most holidays and the day after Thanksgiving. 

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Residential Community Release Program Walkaway (update 9/27/23)

On September 23, Edward Berbon failed to report to a community program following completion of his work shift in Mt. Laurel. Since January 19, 2023 Mr. Berbon, age 54, has been residing at Hope Hall, Camden County, a residential community release program operated by Volunteers of America Delaware Valley.

A walkaway protocol was initiated at 8:45 p.m. Saturday when Berbon did not return from his job in Mount Laurel. The investigation is being handled by the Department of Corrections Special Investigation Division.

Berbon is 6 feet tall and weighs 250 lbs., with brown hair and blue eyes. He has scars on his right and left hands and legs. He also has tattoos on his chest, back, left leg and both arms.

Anyone that has seen or come into contact with Berbon should contact 911.

NJDOC volunteers support the overall mission of the department and are essential in the effective delivery of programming and supportive services for the offender population. The major goal of the Office of Volunteer Services is to ensure the proper recruitment, processing, training, evaluation and recognition of NJDOC volunteers. As such, the Office of Volunteer Services, through assistance from volunteer coordinators in each institution, recruits, trains and supports individuals throughout the community who seek to volunteer in the areas of religious services, educational and social services programming, medical/psychological services, administration, community programming and recreational services.

Responsibilities The New Jersey State Correctional Police Officer is responsible, during an assigned tour of duty, to ensure the custody, safety and care of incarcerated individuals confined in State correctional facilities.

Start your career with us! APPLY NOW!

The Prison Rape Elimination Act at the New Jersey Department of Corrections

Signed into federal law in 2003, PREA is designed to prevent, detect, and respond to incidences of sexual abuse and sexual harassment in confinement facilities.

Thursday, March 7: Telephone service at NJDOC Central Office Headquarters in Trenton is currently interrupted by an outage. Repairs are underway, and we apologize for the inconvenience. If you're trying to reach us by phone, please try your call again later.

Telephone service to other NJDOC facilities is not affected.

With colds, flu and COVID season in full swing, the New Jersey Department of Corrections reminds those who are planning to visit NJDOC facilities not to arrive if they are sick or are experiencing symptoms.

Please plan or reschedule your visit for a time when you are feeling well.

Masks are available for staff, incarcerated persons and visitors and may be required depending on facility status.

Effective May 5, 2023.

UPDATE: VISITATION PROGRAM GUIDELINES

NJDOC Announces Upcoming Changes to Visitation Program Vaccination Requirements.

Effective May 6, 2023, the NJDOC will be returning to Pre-Pandemic Indoor, Contact Visitation guidelines

The color-coded system remains in place with the following noted:

Federal Monitor’s reports

• Not Up to Date Incarcerated Person: No in-person visitation.
• Up to Date Incarcerated Person: Socially distanced outdoor, non-contact visitation.
• Visiting Party also Up to Date: Indoor socially distanced, non-contact visitation.
• Not Up to Date Incarcerated Person: Socially distanced outdoor, non-contact visitation.
• Up to Date Incarcerated Person: Socially distanced outdoor, contact visitation.
• Visiting Party also Up to Date: Socially distanced, indoor, contact visitation.
• Not Up to Date Incarcerated Person: Socially distanced, indoor, non-contact visitation.
• Up to Date Incarcerated Person: Socially distanced, indoor, contact visitation.
• Visiting Party also Up to Date: No additional enhancement.
• Proper masking, and sanitization of the visit area before and after each visit session continues for all risk levels.
• Incarcerated persons designated as Quarantine or Isolation status will be restricted from in-person visitation until released from that status.

Each institution is to continue with the pre-visit screening process via temperature checks, and the completion of the questionnaire for all visitors prior to entry into the facility. Additionally, in-person visits will continue to be scheduled by appointment only. The NJDOC reserves the right to fully suspend all in-person visitations secondary to a substantial increase or outbreak of cases. Outdoor visits may be suspended for inclement weather (40 °F and/or inclement weather).

Visits sessions will not be limited to one (1) hour and will be conducted in accordance with institutional need and schedule to accommodate the need for indoor and/or outdoor visitation. Prospective visitors should be made aware of timeframes when visits are being scheduled. (*this does not apply to required timeframes for incarcerated primary caretaker visits).

Moreover, please note the definition of the “up-to-date” standard to determine visitation levels.

• Up to date is defined as: People are considered “up to date” with their COVID-19 vaccines when they have received all doses in the primary series and all booster doses recommended for them, when eligible.

With this in mind, members of the incarcerated population are encouraged to obtain their COVID-19 booster so that they can remain eligible for in-person visitation.

Individuals are best protected when they are up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, which includes receiving a bivalent booster when eligible. All adults 18 or older are recommended to receive their bivalent booster vaccine.

Acceptable documentation for visiting party proof of Up to Date vaccination status: Vaccination card, Docket App, Doctor/NP/PA note.

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New Jersey’s Most Unspeakable Prison Is Now Open For Tours

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Is it me or do we seem to reserve talking about hauntings until we hit October?  I get it, Halloween month is a perfect time for all that but there's one place that's so haunted, it deserves a mention even now.  New Jersey is home to the most actively haunted abandoned prisons in the country and now you can take a tour of it.

Did you know that New Jersey is home to one of the most haunted prisons in the world? Do you believe that unthinkable torture leaves a footprint memory on a place?  Is there is such a thing as active spirits that want revenge? The history of this place alone will rivet you to the bone.  If you love history and you think that you can handle the truth, you need to tour this house of horrors.

This stone fortress has roots back to 1811…many prisoners went in, and many never made it out but as legend has it, the conditions were so unbearable that inmates mentally checked out way before their bodies did.

Just to put this in perspective, this was one of the last prisons to stop the practice of public hangings. Spectators literally saw men becoming ghosts right before their eyes.

This place is The Burlington County Prison in Mount Holly, New Jersey.  You know the expression,  "if these walls could talk"?   Well, here they do.  This once-abandoned jail has now been restored and this Historic Burlington County Prison is now a museum that tells the tale of the punished.

When we learn from historians that many of the inmates didn’t even have a bed and instead they were forced to sleep on the moist, cold stone floor, it is enough to give us chills.

You can read more about it from the original story here .  The Burlington County Prison is open all year long which begs the question, are you brave enough to go to history class?

The Most Horrifically Haunted Places in New Jersey

What's your jersey shore zodiac sign, more from 94.3 the point.

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The Bergen County Sheriff’s Office strives to provide inmates entrusted to its custody with all the protections and rights afforded to them by the America’s legal traditions and due process. As such, the Office permits inmates access to various legal, medical, religious and social professionals as an inmate’s needs require.

Attorneys, interpreters, clergy and medical or social professionals who desire to visit with a specific inmate must follow the following procedures:

• Professional access to inmates will be permitted in the jail from 8:00 A.M. through 9:30 P.M. 7 days a week. All visits are subject to approval by the Tour Commander on duty.
• Upon arrival, professionals will be asked to give their name and provide proper identification, such as a Bergen County Sheriff-issued identification card, Attorney Bar Association card, Motor Vehicle License or Medical License, to the Reception Officer on duty.
• All persons entering the secure area of the Bergen County Jail must deposit cell phones, coats, keys, tobacco products and any other prohibited items in the lockers provided. FAILURE TO DO SO MAY RESULT IN FINES AND CRIMINAL PROSECUTION.
• While visiting an inmate, only soft sided file folders are permitted within the jail The inmate may not be given anything other than legal papers.
• Items such as money, pens, highlighters, paper clips, jewelry, matches, lighters, cigarettes and chewing gum are considered contraband and are strictly prohibited.

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Bergen County Sheriff's Office

2 Bergen County Plaza Hackensack, NJ 07601 Phone: (201) 336-3500 Fax: (201) 752-4234

Your Travel Guide to New Jersey's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets

• Garden State Ghosts

The Haunted Burlington County Prison Museum, Mt. Holly

Built in 1811 by the young architect Robert Mills, the Prison was one of his first designs, and was considered state of the art. Mills went on to direct the design and construction of the US Treasury Building, the US Patent Office, and the US Post Office, as well as the Washington Monument in Baltimore, and the National Monument in DC. No small potatoes.

They say Burlington County Prison is haunted. And I agree. It would be out of the ordinary for a place like this to NOT be. Besides, there’s photos, videos and audio tapes to prove it.

Currently operated as a museum, this impressive stone structure sits on High Street in Mount Holly and waits as patiently as a spider for visitors. It has been investigated by ghost hunters, and also featured on TV, when such a group explored after hours. Orb photos and EVPs (disembodied voices recorded on tape and only heard when the tape is played back) indicate that something still walks the prison halls. I have worked there as a volunteer and have my own stories to tell. But first, the obligatory historical background.

The Burlington County Prison was in constant operation from 1811 to 1966. At the time of its closing it was the oldest continually used prison in the United States. Among its “alumni” was a man named Albert DeSalvo, who was passing through Jersey and arrested on lewd and indecent exposure charges. He later ‘graduated’ to notoriety as The Boston Strangler. Reading the old volumes of arrest records is entertaining. There’s a colorful lot of prisoners, crimes, and punishments to peruse.

The early laws of NJ required that prisoners convicted of capital crimes had to be executed by the county in which they were convicted. Except for two of the earliest executions in the 1830s (one of which was a woman, the other a young man named Joel Clough), public hangings took place in the prison yard, on gallows erected for each event. The first two mentioned were carried out on public lands at a crossroads a few miles from the prison, and from contemporary accounts, drew quite a crowd. According to records, Joel’s body was later buried in the prison yard in a corner where a large tree now grows. It is believed his ghost is the principle haunt.

Besides the executions, other violent deaths took place at the prison. During the 1920s some inmates managed to escape, making their way through the lowest level. They encountered a trustee near the kitchen and murdered him. A few decades later practically the same scenario occurred, with a second guard being killed in the same corridor.

The last execution to take place at Burlington County Prison was a double bill in March of 1906. Two men, Rufus Johnson and George Small, were executed just two months after their crime. They had murdered an English-born governess at a refuge for homeless children in Moorestown. Consequently, the crime had been solved within days by the aforementioned Detective Parker.

Joel Clough had been arrested and convicted of the stabbing death of a woman in Bordentown—apparently she had jilted him. Though he managed to escape, the 29 year old Clough was quickly recaptured and confined to the Death Cell on the upper floor of the prison. A brochure given out at the museum describes the maximum security cell this way:

The “dungeon”, or maximum-security cell, was in the center of the top floor. That location was carefully chosen to prevent escape by digging, to minimize communication with criminals in the cell blocks, and to ensure constant surveillance by guards making rounds. This was the only cell without a fireplace. It is flanked by niches for guards or visitors and has one very high, very small window and an iron ring in the center of the floor to which the prisoner could be chained. As one might expect, tradition states that this cell is haunted.

Policy of the time was to chain the condemned to a ring on the floor, naked. Accordingly, Joel’s spirit has been heard moaning and languishing there, and electro-magnetic indicators (used in ghost hunting) routinely register a “hit.” The Death Cell, complete with its metal ring, and all the “accommodations” at the prison, welcome inspection, and in many cases prisoner graffiti has been preserved on the walls.

My own experiences with ghostly doings at the prison have been interesting. Besides the occasional creepy sense of being watched—when I am the only (living) person on a particular floor or wing, I’ve captured some orbs and anomalies on film. But of particular note was the interference encountered when I visited on July 26th, the anniversary of Clough’s execution. I set my tape recorder under the large tree, at the far corner of the prison yard, hoping to get some EVP activity, at Joel’s reported burial site. After four minutes sitting in silence and reading, there was a loud click. The machine had turned off by itself. I examined the recorder, which had never done this before, and started it again. Three minutes later, it turned off again. Despite checking batteries, which were fresh, and loading a new tape, I encountered the same problem three more times, at intervals of 2-4 minutes. It started to drizzle, so I gave it up and went inside. Consequently, in all the time since that event, I have never had any further trouble with the machine.

The Prison Museum is an ideal place to spend an afternoon, and a dismal rainy day is perfect. There are interesting artifacts on display, and helpful guides to fill you in on prison life. Sometimes a former resident (one of those still living) takes time to stop in and reminisce. It’s an interesting chunk of slightly morbid New Jersey history worth a look, and while soaking up some education, you could just run into a ghost or two. Give Joel my regards!

For hours of operation, call the Burlington County Parks Department, (609) 265-5858.

We are very proud to announce the release of Weird NJ’s very first true eBook, “ Home State Hauntings: True Stories of Ghostly Places in New Jersey ” for your  iPad ,  Kindle  and  Nook  tablets.

This Internet story is only an excerpt of the information we have published on this subject. For the full story we suggest you refer to past issues of  Weird NJ Magazine .  To keep up to date on this story and all the other weird goings on in the state  subscribe  to Weird NJ and we’ll deliver it to your door. If your local book seller, newsstand or convenience store doesn’t carry Weird NJ, just tell them to call us toll free at 1-866-WEIRDNJ and we’ll be happy to stock your favorite store for you.

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• Eastern State Penitentiary
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America's Most Historic Prison

Eastern State Penitentiary was once the most famous and expensive prison in the world, but stands today in ruin, a haunting world of crumbling cellblocks and empty guard towers. Its vaulted, sky-lit cells held nearly 85,000 people over its long history, including bank robber "Slick Willie" Sutton and "Scarface" Al Capone.

May 13, 1:00 pm ET

Policing in america: navigating the 4th amendment, stop and frisk, and civil rights.

Join us for this free, virtual program, part of our  Justice 101  series, which examines the history of the justice system in America & its impact on our society, citizens, & world.

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Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site is currently open Wednesday through Monday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. We are closed on Tuesdays and on the following holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.

Revisit the past. Rethink the future.

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April 27, 2024, 11:00 am – 11:45 am

Asl guide-led tour and discussion, collaboratory for justice education.

The   Collaboratory for Justice Education at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site   is a dynamic community of dedicated and enthusiastic people with a shared passion for justice education committed to generating innovative solutions for understanding intricate societal issues.

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Eastern State Penitentiary is a 501(c)3 nonprofit. Help us preserve this National Historic Landmark and promote our mission to interpret the legacy of criminal justice reform in America through a diverse slate of programming and initiatives.

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• Capital Trenton
• Nickname The Garden State
• Bird Eastern Goldfinch
• Highest Elevation 1,803 ft.
• Flower The Common Violet
• Counties 21
• Fruit Northern Highbush Blueberry
• Home to America's oldest working lighthouse (Sandy Hook Light)
• Location of America's first college football game (Princeton v. Rutgers, 1869)
• Home to America's first boardwalk, Atlantic City (1870)

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Official Site of The State of New Jersey

The State of NJ site may contain optional links, information, services and/or content from other websites operated by third parties that are provided as a convenience, such as Google™ Translate. Google™ Translate is an online service for which the user pays nothing to obtain a purported language translation. The user is on notice that neither the State of NJ site nor its operators review any of the services, information and/or content from anything that may be linked to the State of NJ site for any reason. - Read Full Disclaimer

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Effective August 4, 2012, an offender will be removed from the Offender Search Web Page one year after the completion of their custodial term. Offenders will be removed one year after expiration of their maximum sentence date or their mandatory parole supervision date (MPS) if applicable. Offenders sentenced to Community Supervision for Life (CSL) or Parole Supervision for Life (PSL) will not be removed from the website as their custodial term does not have a completion date.

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     The purpose of the Offender Search Web Page is to promote public safety and welfare while providing community access to selected offender information, consistent with the spirit and intent of the New Jersey Open Public Records Act (OPRA).      The New Jersey Department of Corrections updates this information on a biweekly basis to ensure that it is complete and accurate as possible. This information, however, may change quickly. In addition, it is noted that offenders on Work Release , Furlough , or in a Residential Community Program are visible to the public and these types of releases are not necessarily reflected in their profile. Therefore, the information on this site may not reflect the true current location, status, release date or other information regarding an offender.       It should also be noted that the records of offenders who have been paroled or released are not updated after they leave the custody of the correctional facility, therefore, no presumption should be made that any offender listed as paroled from a correctional facility remains under active parole supervision.       Furthermore certain offenders, at the discretion of the New Jersey Department of Corrections and other law enforcement agencies, may be excluded from the web site.

NOTE :  Questions/comments concerning offender information posted on this site must be addressed in writing to: State of New Jersey Department of Corrections PO Box 863 ATTN: Correspondence Unit Trenton, NJ 08625 Phone inquiries pertaining to offender information cannot be honored.

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Passaic County Jail guard admits role in beating of inmate over urine splash

One of three Passaic County correctional officers accused in the 2021 assault of a pretrial detainee pleaded guilty Thursday, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said.

Lorenzo Bowden, 39, was charged in federal court in Newark with conspiracy to obstruct justice. He admitted that he helped take the prisoner to an area of the Passaic County Jail with no video cameras and "stood by while other officers repeatedly hit and assaulted the handcuffed detainee, who posed no threat," Sellinger said.

According to court documents, Sgts. Jose Gonzalez and Donald Vinales assaulted the detainee at a so-called "blind spot" of the jail in January 2021, knocking him to the ground and striking him multiple times. The assault came a day after the inmate squirted a mixture containing urine onto a correctional officer.

In April 2022, the three defendants, after receiving federal grand jury subpoenas, held a meeting and agreed not to cooperate with the investigation. During an October 2022 interview with investigators, Bowden falsely claimed the victim was not assaulted and that no meeting among those who participated in or witnessed the incident had taken place.

Passaic County NJ Mortarboards for all! Paterson reverses ban on caps and gowns for eighth grade graduations

Bowden later admitted he did not intervene to stop the assault of the detainee, who was taken to a local hospital the day after the incident. In January, the FBI arrested all three officers involved in the assault.

"There are methods to hold accountable suspected criminals who act out while in custody," said James E. Dennehy, FBI special agent in charge of the agency's Newark office. "Corrections officers know these procedures and policies. Instead of following those rules, Bowden admits he and his co-conspirators took matters into their own hands and then decided to lie about it."

Bowden faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 5.

The charges and allegations against Gonzalez and Vinales are still pending.

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Nj, ny, connecticut residents pay highest taxes over lifetimes: study.

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Tri-state area taxpayers can expect the biggest shakedown from Uncle Sam. 

New York , New Jersey and Connecticut rank among the top five states for residents paying the most in federal and state taxes on their lifetime earnings, according to a recent study . 

The Garden State leads the bank-breaking pack, with residents shelling out a staggering $987,117 on average for various taxes during their lifetime, or roughly 54.3% of a resident’s total lifetime earnings, a report by financial technology company Self found.

Connecticut ranked second in the nation, with Nutmeggers paying an average $855,307 on their lifetime earnings, according to researchers with the Texas-based company.

New York came in fourth, with residents burning $748,199 on average in lifetime tax payments, including a staggering $327,636 in taxes on their earnings, $329,353 on property, $71,039 on personal spending and $20,171 on cars. 

Other states with the highest total lifetime tax expenditures include Massachusetts, at $816,700; and New Hampshire, at $722,610, despite locals paying zero income tax. 

Nationally, Americans on average pay $524,625 in taxes over the course of their lifetime, or roughly 34.1% of their total earnings.

West Virginians can sit pretty knowing they have to fork over the lowest amount of total taxes nationwide, at just $358,407.

Alaskans, however, can boast having to pay the lowest share of their lifetime earnings on taxes: $400,742 on average, or 24.5% of their overall pay. 

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Celebrity Bag Designer Sentenced to Jail for Smuggling Exotic Skins

Nancy Gonzalez, whose clients included Britney Spears and Sofia Vergara, smuggled purses from her native Colombia to the United States using couriers. She will serve 18 months.

By Elizabeth Paton

The handbag designer Nancy Gonzalez built a cult following among celebrities and the South American superrich thanks to her use of brilliantly dyed precious skins. Once one of the largest purveyors of crocodile skin accessories in the world, her namesake brand sold totes and clutches in lime green alligator and lavender python skin for thousands of dollars, often through big-name retailers like Saks and Bergdorf Goodman.

Now Ms. Gonzalez, 71, is facing considerable time in bright orange coveralls.

On Monday, she was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in a Miami federal court to charges of smuggling hundreds of handbags made from the skins of protected wildlife into the United States from her native Colombia.

Ms. Gonzalez, whose full name is Nancy Tereza Gonzalez de Barberi and whose business was incorporated into a luxury handbag company called Gzuniga Limited, was arrested in 2022 in Cali, Colombia, and then extradited to the United States last August. She admitted to recruiting as many as 40 couriers to carry up to four products at a time on commercial flights to be used at New York Fashion Week and industry events or to be sold in the Gzuniga showroom between February 2016 and April 2019.

Prosecutors said that the handbags and purses, made from the hides of caiman alligators and pythons bred in captivity, were worth as much as $2 million. The designer’s lawyers said that the pieces were mostly samples and cost about $140 each, with only about 1 percent lacking the proper authorization to be brought into the United States.

The trade in caimans and pythons is not banned but is strictly regulated under the rules of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, of which both the United States and Colombia are signatories. According to prosecutors, Ms. Gonzalez never secured the necessary import permits from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service required by regulators.

“It’s all driven by the money,” Thomas Watts-Fitzgerald of the U.S. attorney’s office in Miami said on Monday. “If you want to deter the conduct, you want the cocaine kingpin, not the person in the field.”

But lawyers for Ms. Gonzalez asked for leniency for a woman who, as a single mother of two children, created “the very first luxury, high-end fashion company from a third-world country” that competed with European industry giants.

After her arrest, the Nancy Gonzalez brand, once beloved by the likes of Britney Spears, Sofia Vergara, Victoria Beckham and the Olsen twins, toppled into bankruptcy. Holding back tears on Monday, Ms. Gonzalez told the court before her sentencing that she regretted not fully complying with U.S. laws.

“From the bottom of my heart, I apologize to the United States of America,” she said. “I never intended to offend a country to which I owe immense gratitude. Under pressure, I made poor decisions.”

Prosecutors had sought a sentence of up to 37 months, but Judge Robert N. Scola Jr. said he had taken into account the 14 months Ms. Gonzalez spent in a Colombian jail awaiting extradition. She was ordered to begin her sentence June 6.

Accessories made from exotic skins are some of the most expensive, and controversial , products sold as part of the global luxury market, which hit 1.5 trillion euros, or $1.6 trillion , in sales in 2023, according to research by the consultancy Bain & Company.

While a number of high-profile brands, including Burberry and Chanel, have stopped using exotic skins, others like Hermès and Celine continue to make popular handbags and shoe styles from alligator and python skins. One of the most high-profile new designs of the last year, the Louis Vuitton Millionaire Speedy bag by Pharrell Williams, made out of crocodile hide, has a price tag of $1 million.

Copenhagen Fashion Week recently announced that it would ban exotic skins and feathers from its catwalks next year, becoming the biggest industry event yet to do so.

Elizabeth Paton reports on the global fashion industry for The Times, a topic she has covered for more than a decade. She is based in London. More about Elizabeth Paton

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