Hudson County Correctional Facility

By Sam Barron From Daily Voice

A court in New Jersey ruled Hudson County violated the law by awarding a $13.4 contract for health care services at its correctional facility.

The three-judge panel in the New Jersey Appellate Division unanimously ruled the county repeatedly bypassed public bidding and competitive contract rules when it awarded the contract to Wellpath for the Hudson County Correctional Facility in Kearny  without public notice or competition. 

Local governments are required to submit major proposed contracts to the state comptroller's office for review and approval at least 30 days before beginning the procurement process.

Hudson County submitted the procurement in November 2023, two months after proposals had already been received. 

The comptroller's office repeatedly directed them not to proceed, saying they had circumvented transparency and public bidding requirements when it didn’t advertise the opportunity, invited a few handpicked firms to apply, and improperly entered into private negotiations with the preferred vendor.

A suit was filed by the comptroller's office in 2024, which was later appealed by the county.

The court found Hudson County used the same improper process in 2018 when it procured services from a prison healthcare company.

The county renewed that contract year after year, without advertising, resulting in an expenditure of over $39.5 million during a five-year period.

An attorney for Hudson County did not respond to a request for comment.