Gloucester County To Begin Moving Inmates To Other Counties' Jails Next Week

By Kim Glovas

MOUNT HOLLY, NJ (CBS) -- Gloucester County will begin moving inmates out of the county jail next Monday, despite a hearing in an effort to stop the move.

Gloucester County wants to close the jail and move pre-trial detainees to four other counties, including Essex in northern Jersey, in an effort to save money, possibly $3-million this year alone.

But the Office of Public Defenders argued at a hearing that the transportation of those inmates, and their right to meet with attorneys and their families would be compromised.

Justin Loughry, the attorney for the public defenders says, "I don't think there's really been a transportation plan that has been articulated. There's been a promise, there's been a notion -- a concept. But it's far short of what we really mean by a plan."

However, the judge said this was a future matter to consider, with nothing now to base it on.

William Tamussi, Labor Counsel for Gloucester County says, "The judge denied the request for an injunction, which means the county of Gloucester will start moving pre-trial detainees, and other prisoners in the county jail, beginning next week, to other facilities."

An attorney for the Public defenders says he is considering an appeal.