If you drive down Marshall Street in Paterson today, things look a lot different than they did a few years ago. You’re looking for the Passaic County Jail Paterson, but you might just find a construction site or a looming, hollowed-out shell.
It’s gone. Or basically gone.
For decades, that building was the center of a lot of misery and a ton of legal battles. But as of 2026, if you’re trying to visit someone or figure out where a recently arrested friend is being held, the old Paterson bricks aren't the answer. The place officially cleared out its last inmates in late 2021.
People still search for it like it’s an active facility, but the reality is much more complicated—and involves a massive deal with neighboring Bergen County.
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The "Jungle" of Marshall Street
To understand why the jail closed, you have to understand how bad it actually was. Local inmates used to call parts of it "The Jungle." It wasn't just a nickname; it was a description of the sheer chaos inside.
Built originally in the 1950s, the facility at 11 Marshall Street was designed to hold roughly 800 to 900 people. By the early 2000s, it was frequently packed with over 1,700 inmates. Imagine 50 or 60 people squeezed into a dayroom meant for 30. People were sleeping on plastic "boats" (floor bunks) right next to the toilets.
It wasn't just the crowding. The building was literally falling apart.
- No Sprinklers: For years, the jail operated with serious fire code violations because it lacked a modern sprinkler system.
- The Heat: During New Jersey summers, temperatures inside the masonry walls would hit 100 degrees. With no real ventilation, it was a pressure cooker.
- Legal Woes: The ACLU and various federal judges called the conditions "shameful" and "inhumane." In 2005, federal investigators were even kicked out of the jail by the then-Sheriff during a dispute over immigrant detainee treatment.
Where are the inmates now?
If someone gets arrested in Paterson today, they don't stay there. Passaic County signed a massive 10-year "shared services" agreement with Bergen County. Basically, Passaic decided it was cheaper to pay their neighbors than to build a new, billion-dollar jail of their own.
Most Passaic County inmates are now housed at the Bergen County Jail in Hackensack.
- The Cost: Passaic pays Bergen about $104 per inmate, per day.
- The Capacity: The Hackensack facility is way more modern and had plenty of empty beds.
- The Women: Female inmates from both Passaic and Bergen are actually sent even further out—usually to the Hudson County facility or Middlesex, depending on the current contracts.
This move saved Passaic taxpayers something like $10 million a year right out of the gate. It also stopped the endless cycle of lawsuits from the horrific conditions at the old Paterson site.
How to find someone in the system
Because the Passaic County Jail Paterson is no longer a "jail" in the traditional sense, the logistics of finding a loved one have shifted. You can't just walk up to Marshall Street with a bag of clothes.
Honestly, the best way to track someone down is through the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office website or the Bergen County Inmate Lookup. Even though they are in a Bergen building, they are still technically Passaic County prisoners.
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Visiting and Contact
You’re looking at video visitation mostly. The days of sitting behind glass in Paterson are over. Most visits are handled through services like ConnectNetwork (GTL). You have to register an account, get approved, and then schedule a time to chat via a screen.
If you need to mail a letter, you don't send it to Paterson. You send it to:
Inmate Name, ID Number
c/o Bergen County Jail
160 South River Street
Hackensack, NJ 07601
The Future of the Paterson Site
So, what happens to that block on Marshall Street?
Demolition has been the plan for a while. The county is looking to turn that space into something actually useful—think office space for county workers and a massive parking deck to help with the nightmare that is Paterson street parking. It’s a weird ending for a place that saw so much history, but most people who spent time inside are just glad the "Jungle" is finally being torn down.
It’s worth noting that while the jail is closed, the Passaic County Courthouse and the Sheriff’s administrative offices are still right there in the neighborhood. Don't confuse the two. You might still go to Paterson for a hearing, but you'll be riding a transport bus back to Hackensack when it's over.
Actionable Steps for Families
If you have someone currently involved in the Passaic County justice system, here is what you need to do:
- Verify Location: Use the Bergen County Sheriff's Inmate Search immediately. Do not rely on old Paterson address listings.
- Set up GTL: Go to the ConnectNetwork website. This is the only way you're going to get phone calls or video visits.
- Check the Wallet: If they were arrested recently, their personal property is often held at the Paterson Sheriff's office initially before being processed. Call (973) 881-4620 to confirm where to pick up keys or wallets.
- Legal Mail: Attorneys should still check the Passaic County Bar Association updates, as some "professional" visits are still being coordinated via specific remote booths in Paterson to save lawyers the drive to Hackensack.
The system is a lot more spread out than it used to be. It’s a bit of a headache, but compared to the old conditions in Paterson, it's a massive shift in how the county handles its business.