Andover Responsible Development (ARD) recently delivered a clear message to our Township Committee: we don’t want for-profit prisons or detention centers in our backyard.
Earlier this year, our local leaders showed great leadership by passing Ordinance #2026-13, effectively banning High-Capacity Data Centers. That move put Andover on the map as the first in Sussex County to take such a stand.
Now, ARD is asking the Committee to take the next logical step. We are urging them to adopt an ordinance that bans the construction or renovation of buildings for detention, correction, or any carceral purposes.
Sparta Township has already led the way on this issue, unanimously passing a similar ban in February 2026. The reasons are compelling. Beyond the strain these facilities place on local infrastructure like water, waste disposal, and traffic, there is a deep moral imperative. We do not want our neighborhoods to become the next Delaney Hall, nor do we want to face the kind of costly, protracted fight currently happening in Roxbury.
We are asking the Township Committee to put this discussion on the agenda for the September 17, 2026 meeting.
Your Voice Matters
The Committee was responsive to us before because residents spoke up. We need them to hear from us again.
Please take a moment to email the Township Committee members and the Township Administrator. Let them know you support a ban on detention centers in Andover Township. A few sentences from you can make a real difference in protecting the character and safety of our community.
The Letter to the Committee
Here is the full letter submitted by ARD regarding this important request.
Contact the Committee
The Anodver Township Committee is comprised of five members; Mayor Thomas D. Walsh Jr., Deputy Mayor Krista Gilchrist, Ellsworth E. Bensley, Jr., Suzanne Howell, Roderick M. Mosner, and Administrator Patricia Bussow.