Plain-language summary (this site, from the cited record only)
On April 1, 2022, while working a hospital detail guarding an inmate, Officer Elena Rivera allowed the inmate to escape her custody, according to the Middlesex County Sheriffs Office. Rivera failed to check the inmate's shackles, position herself to prevent escape, immediately notify a supervisor, and fully report the incident in the hospital log. The inmate gained access to a cell phone used in furtherance of the attempted escape. Rivera was suspended for 15 days, and the sustained charge was failure to perform duties.
On 04/01/2022, while Elena Rivera was working a hospital detail guarding an inmate, she allowed the inmate to escape her custody. Additionally, she failed to check the inmates shackles as required, properly position herself to prevent escape, failed to immediately notify a supervisor or call out the escape, failed to fully report the incident in the hospital log, and while under her watch, the inmate was able to gain access to her cell phone which was not reported to a supervisor. The phone was used in furtherance of the inmates attempted escape.
Compensation and pension
No confident pension match found. This site links a pension record to a named officer only when the name and the exact employing agency both match a New Jersey Treasury record. Where that bar is not met, nothing is shown rather than a guess. See methodology for how these matches are made and what is withheld.
Similar records
AnalysisComputed by this site from shared agency, year, charge category, and sanction outcome. Not a legal or factual equivalence.
David Demaio · Middlesex County Sheriff's Department · 2022
Suspended 45 days
Sustained charge(s): Neglect of Duty
same agency · same year · similar sanction outcome
Lakia Torres · Middlesex County Sheriff's Department · 2022
Suspended 6 days
Sustained charge(s): Excessive absenteeism.
same agency · same year · similar sanction outcome
Raymond Smith · Middlesex County Sheriff's Department · 2022
Suspended 15 days
Sustained charge(s): Failure to perform Duties
same agency · same year · similar sanction outcome
Sustained charge(s): Standard of Conduct, Neglect of Duty, Performance of Duty, Incompetency, Inefficiency, or failure to Perform duties, Conduct Unbecoming a…
same agency · similar sanction outcome
Edwin Mata · Middlesex County Sheriff's Department · 2025
Suspended 20 days
Sustained charge(s): Other Sufficient Cause, Prohibited Activity on Duty, Use of Recording and Electronic Transmissions
same agency · similar sanction outcome
Questions and answers
What is a summary of Elena Rivera's major discipline record?
On April 1, 2022, while working a hospital detail guarding an inmate, Officer Elena Rivera allowed the inmate to escape her custody, according to the Middlesex County Sheriffs Office. Rivera failed to check the inmate's shackles, position herself to prevent escape, immediately notify a supervisor, and fully report the incident in the hospital log. The inmate gained access to a cell phone used in furtherance of the attempted escape. Rivera was suspended for 15 days, and the sustained charge was failure to perform duties.
What is Elena Rivera's major discipline record at Middlesex County Sheriff's Department?
Elena Rivera has one major discipline record at Middlesex County Sheriff's Department in the New Jersey Attorney General's 2020-2025 releases, from 2022. These are final, adjudicated actions, not allegations.
Does Elena Rivera's record show a termination?
The major discipline records shown here do not report a termination for Elena Rivera at Middlesex County Sheriff's Department.
How does Middlesex County Sheriff's Department score on this site's report card?
This site's report card places Middlesex County Sheriff's Department in the highest fifth of peers of its peer group on reported internal affairs volume and discipline severity. The grade is analysis by this site, not an official rating, and it describes the department, not Elena Rivera individually.
Sources
[1]New Jersey Major Discipline Data, 2020-2025. New Jersey Office of the Attorney General. Sheet "Major Discipline Data", row 2243. Snapshot retrieved 2026-07-03. ↩