Essex County to pay $8M in settlement to individual assaulted at Essex County Correctional Facility

Essex County to pay more than $8 million in a lawsuit settlement with an individual who was physically assaulted in Newark’s Essex County Correctional Facility, county documents show. Seven people assaulted the individual in September 2021, leading to brain injuries and permanent disabilities, according to the jail’s video surveillance. One correctional officer was on duty and testified to exiting the scene to call for assistance. The civil lawsuit was filed in 2024 and claims that unsafe and unsuitable jail conditions led to the assault. It names several jail administrators and the county’s medical contractor, CFG Health Systems, which contributed $1 million to the settlement.

From Patch Newark.