Justice Department and New Jersey agree on reforms for notorious women's prison

Washington — The Justice Department and New Jersey have reached an agreement to implement a series of reforms to better protect inmates from sexual abuse by staff at a notorious women's prison, officials announced Tuesday. 

If approved by a federal judge, the agreement would implement new policies at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility such as confidential reporting methods for sexual abuse and improved measures to hold staff accountable. An independent monitor would oversee and assess the state's compliance with the agreement.  "All prisoners, whether male or female, deserve to be safe from sexual assault and other forms of sexual abuse by staff and to be protected from retaliation for reporting abuse," Kristen Clarke, the assistant attorney general for civil rights, told reporters Tuesday.