The New Jersey Office of the Corrections Ombudsperson recently announced that Sherri Goldberg has been appointed to fill a vacancy on the office’s Advisory Board.
Established in the Dignity Act signed into law in January 2020, the Advisory Board offers support and guidance to the Corrections Ombudsperson Office as it carries out its duties related to inspecting state prison facilities and investigating complaints that impact the health and safety of incarcerated people.
Goldberg is the director of Community and Family Services at the Jewish Renaissance Foundation, an organization dedicated to alleviating poverty by providing health, education, and social services in communities across Middlesex County. She also serves as a member of the statewide Commission on Reentry Services for Women and the Middlesex County Workforce Development Board.
In her current and previous roles, Goldberg has focused attention on building resilience among incarcerated people and their families and improving the culture of correctional systems.
Goldberg has taught criminal justice and corrections classes at Rutgers University-Camden. She’s led training for the Police Training Commission on conflict resolution and anger management. She’s also held previous positions in juvenile justice as the performance-based standards state coordinator and assistant superintendent at the Juvenile Reception and Assessment Center for the New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission.
Earlier in her career, Goldberg worked as a social worker in adult prisons, including the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility and Albert C. Wagner Correctional Facility. She also has had lived experience with the criminal justice system and had an incarcerated loved one in New Jersey.
“Sherri is immensely qualified to help the Ombudsperson office make monitoring tools, strategic plans, and budgetary decisions,” said Terry Schuster, the state’s Corrections Ombudsperson. “She understands the stakes of correctional oversight and has very strong instincts related to mediation and navigating difficult conversations. I’m so excited to work with her.”
Goldberg said she was grateful for the confidence that Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin has shown in her by appointing her to the Corrections Ombudsperson Advisory Board.
“I believe the combination of the groundbreaking legislation of the 2020 Dignity Act, the outstanding staff in the Office of the Corrections Ombudsperson, and Terry Schuster’s leadership, hold much promise for the future of our corrections system,” Goldberg said.
“I am looking forward to adding my voice to the committed and accomplished board of advisors. I am energized by the many possibilities to help improve and positively impact the conditions in our prisons for those who live, work, and visit,” she said.
The Advisory Board consists of nine members, with the Governor, Assembly Speaker, and Senate President each appointing three members. Goldberg’s appointment took effect Oct. 25.
