FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Teresa Ruiz

November 9, 2006 973-621-4404

Anthony Puglisi

973-621-2542

ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO INTRODUCES

NEW DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR ESSEX COUNTY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY

Career Corrections Professional Has 30 Years of Experience

with NJ Department of Corrections

Newark, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. introduced Alfaro Ortiz, Jr. as the new Deputy Director at the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark. Ortiz has 30 years of experience working with the New Jersey Department of Corrections, where he most recently was the Administrator with East Jersey State Prison in Woodbridge.

“My administration is constantly working to improve the Essex County Corrections Department. We opened a cutting edge Correctional Facility, hired a professional management staff, are providing additional training for our Officers and are working diligently to have a 25-year long Federal Consent Order finally lifted,” DiVincenzo said. “Ortiz’s wealth of knowledge and experience in operating correctional facilities, managing Corrections Officers and interacting with inmates will be beneficial for Essex County,” he noted.

Ortiz was a career NJ Department of Corrections employee who worked his way up the ranks from a Corrections Officer Recruit to Administrator. Since July 2004, Ortiz was the Administrator at East Jersey State Prison, a maximum security prison, where he was responsible for 800 employees, 2,000 inmates and a budget of about $60 million. He also was responsible for establishing policy, procedures and rehabilitative programs.

“I appreciate the opportunity that County Executive DiVincenzo and Director Faunce are giving me to continue my career at the County level. I believe I will be able to utilize my 30 years of State Corrections experience to build on the improvements that already have taken place,” Ortiz said. “I have heard good things about what has been happening in Essex County and look forward to being part of the Essex County family,” he added.

Earlier, Ortiz was Administrator at Riverfront State Prison, a medium security prison in Camden, from 2002 to 2004; Northern State Prison, a maximum security prison in Newark, from 2000 to 2002; and Mountainview Youth Correctional Facility in Annandale from 1996 to 2000. Before that, he worked at East Jersey State Prison as Associate Administrator and Assistant Superintendent and at the NJ Corrections Central Office in Trenton as Principal Investigator and Certified Polygraph Examiner in the Internal Affairs unit. He began his career as a Corrections Officer at New Jersey State Prison (formerly Trenton State Prison) in Trenton in 1976. Ortiz retired from the NJ Department of Corrections on November 1st.

“I have known Al for almost 30 years. His extensive experience managing prisons makes him a good fit for Essex County,” Director Scott Faunce said. “We have made great strides here and Al will help us keep that going. He will be a good mentor for our young group of Captains, Lieutenants and Sergeants who will be the leaders of the Correctional Facility for the next 15 years,” he added.

Ortiz is a member of the American Polygraph Association and American Correctional Association, Board of Trustees member with the Middle Atlantic State Correctional Association and Board Member with the Mercer County Hispanic Association. Ortiz is currently enrolled at Caldwell College School of Criminal Justice where he is pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice. He attended Trenton State College, now the College of New Jersey, and received certification as a public manager from Rutgers University. He is a resident of Avenel.

The $416 million Correctional Facility was just 40 percent completed when DiVincenzo took office in January 2003. The County Executive restored order to the project and construction was completed in just 12 months. The transition from two antiquated jails into the new facility took just three months and about 2,100 inmates were transferred into the new facility over two weekends in March 2004. The Correctional Facility was designed to house about 2,298 inmates and is equipped with cutting edge technology.

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