Bergen County Jail

To schedule a visit at Bergen County Jail, use the Bergen County Sheriff's visiting scheduling system or the GTL VisitMe portal to sign in, reserve a time, and manage upcoming visits. Visits run daily from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM and require at least 24 hours' advance notice—each visit lasts at least 15 minutes. Only two adult visitors are allowed at one time. Professional visitors have separate access from 8:00 AM to 9:30 PM, but must be approved by the Tour Commander on duty and show proper identification. S1 (highest security) housing follows its own schedule: Sunday and Thursday, 8:30–11:00 and 19:00–21:30. Before entering secure areas, store phones, coats, keys, tobacco, and other prohibited items in lockers. Only soft-sided file folders are allowed inside, and inmates may receive only legal papers.

Sending mail to someone at Bergen County Jail is straightforward, but expect screening. Staff inspect all incoming correspondence and packages for contraband and security threats. Publications—magazines, newspapers, and books—are accepted only when shipped directly from the publisher. Certain content will get mail rejected: information about explosives, weapons, controlled dangerous substances, escape plans, or anything that could facilitate criminal activity. Letters written in code aren't allowed, and neither is mail that may incite violence or disruptive behavior. Sexually explicit material without serious artistic, literary, political, or scientific value is also prohibited. For legal or privileged mail, follow the jail's special handling instructions before sending.

Need to contact Bergen County Jail for visit planning or general questions? Start with the housing-unit-specific visiting schedule (effective February 10, 2020), which includes the facility address and phone number. For jail tours, submit completed Jail Tour Release Forms to the Bergen County Sheriff's Office Community Outreach Unit at 2 Bergen County Plaza, Hackensack, NJ 07601. Have a complaint or question about staff conduct? Call the Office of Professional Standards at (201) 336-3500 ext. 4540 and consider using the Internal Affairs Report Form. You can mail or drop it off at 160 S River St, BCI Building, Hackensack, NJ 07601, or submit it through the fillable online form at www.bcsd.us. Check the county contact page for updates.

Bergen County Jail serves as the county's central reception and processing center for pre-trial adult inmates. The facility also houses federal detainees through a U.S. Marshals Service contract. With more than 1,150 beds and over 280 correctional officers, it operates under a Direct Supervision management philosophy. The jail meets American Correctional Association and New Jersey State Department of Corrections accreditation standards, plus NCCHC health care standards. Attorneys submitting electronic discovery must use a USB with a completed manifest that includes the inmate name and booking number, attorney contact details, a file list, and any proprietary player instructions. Accepted formats include PDF, CSV, MP3, and MP4—files must open with VLC or Windows Media Player. Remove any personal, non-case content before submitting. Non-compliant submissions are returned.