Union leaders representing officers at the Mercer County, N.J., Correction Center in Hopewell Township charged yesterday that gang violence inside the jail has escalated in recent months and asserted the administration isn't doing enough to protect the officers' safety.
"It used to be about one (assault) every two months, and now it's two or three a week," said Bill Lane, president of the corrections officers' union. "We can control some things, but we can't stop everything. Something has to be done."
 But Shirley Tyler, the jail's new warden, said yesterday the situation is under control. She said she had reports of only five gang-related assaults at the jail last month.
A few months ago, former Warden Archie Kline told The Times the jail had faced rising gang activity in recent years, a problem that has also gotten increased attention in Trenton.
Kline said the Hopewell jail held an average of 150 gang members out of a total of nearly 800 inmates.
Tyler, who started her new job in June, said yesterday she was unsure what the tally is now, but gang activity persists.
Sgt. Marvin James, president of the superior officers' union, said yesterday gang recruiting in the jail has increased in recent months, sparking assaults.
Unlike other jails, the Mercer County Correction Center does not specifically separate gangs inside the prison walls, Tyler said, but members are identified by trained staff, and their activity is monitored.
Inmates involved in violent incidents are separated from the main population, which is generally housed in communal areas, not individual cells. Maximum security inmates are kept in cells.
Lane said yesterday the gang violence is both between gangs and within gangs.
The union leader said the gang members have threatened corrections officers, but Tyler said yesterday she doesn't feel the gang members pose a greater threat to the officers than any other inmates.
Contracts for both the superior officers and the corrections officers are up at the end of the year.
James said yesterday safety concerns tied to the prevalence of gangs within the walls will factor into negotiations over health and safety stipulations in upcoming negotiations.
Though superior officers have received less overtime pay since Tyler took over, James said, the vocal response to the gang problem is not specifically tied to monetary concerns.
After a recent contested election, the officers union is set to hold another contest in a few weeks.
Lane, who has decided not to run for re-election, said it will be up to the union's new leader to decide whether safety concerns tied to the gangs play a big role in negotiations.