Did you know that 70,000 people will return from state prison to their New Jersey communities over the next 5 years? For more facts about reentry in New Jersey,
download the fact sheet
[PDF: 135KB/1Page]
Civil Consequences of
Criminal Convictions in New Jersey:
Fact Sheets
Individuals leaving prison in New Jersey face many legal barriers to successful reintegration. To learn about specific restrictions in various areas, click on the links below.
The New Jersey Institute
For Social Justice, Inc.
IN THIS ISSUE
-
Research to Test the Effectiveness of Transitional Employment Programs for Men Leaving Prison>>
- New Resource on Jail Reentry>>
- California Law Offers Reduced Parole Time in Exchange for Treatment Attendance>>
- New Report on Felony Disenfranchisement Policy in the U.S.>>
- New York State Reentry and Employment Policy Conference>>
- Research Examines Reentry of Formerly Incarcerated Women>>
- New Reports on Managing Child Support Obligations for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Parents>>
- BJA Announces Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Grants>>
- Congress Still Considering Second Chance Act>>
- New Jersey Update: NJ Senate Committee Approves Needle Exchange Bill>>, Passaic County Probation Employment Program Set to Expand into Other Counties>>
Research to Test the Effectiveness of Transitional Employment Programs for Men Leaving Prison
In January, the Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation will launch a study to test the effectiveness of transitional employment programs for men leaving prison. Funded by the Joyce Foundation, the Transitional Jobs Reentry Demonstration study will track the employment and recidivism rates of 2,000 newly released male prisoners in Detroit, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Chicago. Formerly incarcerated individuals who agree to participate in the study will be randomly assigned to a program group that has access to a transitional jobs program or to a control group that receives basic job search assistance.
Read the New York Times article
_____________________________________________________________
New Resource on Jail Reentry
The Urban Institute has launched a new website featuring compiled research from its Jail Reentry Roundtable, convened in June, including papers, presentations, and a national scan of best practices. In partnership with John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the Montgomery County Department of Correction and Rehabilitation, the Roundtable focused attention on the 12 million individuals released from local jails each year and the associated challenges faced by individuals, families, and communities around the country. The convening was part of the Urban Institute’s Reentry Roundtable series, an ongoing forum that brings together academics, practitioners, community leaders, policymakers, advocates, and formerly incarcerated individuals to conduct reentry research and examine practice.
Download papers and presentations from the Jail Reentry Roundtable
Learn more about the Reentry Roundtable series
California Law Offers Reduced Parole Time in Exchange for Treatment Attendance
A new law signed by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will allow nonviolent offenders to shorten their time on parole by attending addiction treatment. Parolees must complete at least six months of treatment to have their sentences reduced. Individuals who qualify will be sent to treatment upon release from prison and discharged from parole upon completion of the program. Those who do not participate typically stay on parole for up to three years.
New Report on Felony Disenfranchisement Policy in the U.S.
The Sentencing Project has released a new report revealing a broad wave of reforms of state felony voting laws and growing momentum toward restoring voting rights. Findings published in “A Decade of Reform: Felony Disenfranchisement Policy in the United States” show that since 1997 sixteen states have implemented policy reforms that have reduced the restrictiveness of these laws and more than 600,000 people have regained their voting rights. Nevertheless, the report points out that more than 5 million Americans remain banned from voting and an estimated 1 in 12 African Americans is disenfranchised, nearly five times the rate of non-African Americans.
Read New York Times article about the report's findings
Read local coverage of ongoing reenfranchisement efforts in Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, and Rhode Island
New York State Reentry and Employment Policy Conference
The Legal Action Center’s National Hire Network, in partnership with The Doe Fund, the Reentry Clinic at NYU School of Law, and the Center for Community Problem Solving at NYU, will host its 2nd annual conference on employment and reentry on December 6. To be held at NYU, “NYS, Reentry and Employment: A Current Snapshot and Recommendations for the Future” will be a series of facilitated panels between practitioners, advocates, people directly affected by the criminal justice system, policymakers, and other stakeholders. Invited speakers include Chauncey Parker, Director of the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services, Martin Horn, NYC Commissioner of Correction and Probation, Elizabeth Gaynes, Executive Director of the Osborne Association, Mindy Tarlow, Executive Director of the Center for Employment Opportunities, and New York Times journalist Clyde Haberman.
Read New York Times and Oakland Tribune articles on expungement, background checks and hiring
_____________________________________________________________
Research Examines Reentry of Formerly Incarcerated Women
A report by a University of Chicago researcher, “People, Places, and Things: The Social Process of Reentry for Female Ex-Offenders,” examines the reintegration process as experienced by a group of women in Chicago. Funded by the National Institute of Justice, the study focuses on how various social groups impacted by reentry – the formerly incarcerated women themselves, their employers, childcare providers, friends, and family – manage the reintegration process.
New Reports on Managing Child Support Obligations for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Parents
The Office of Child Support Enforcement, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, recently released two reports that outline strategies for working with parents who are incarcerated or who have been released from prison or jail to ensure that they meet their child support responsibilities. “Working with Incarcerated and Released Parents: Lessons from OCSE Grants and State Programs” presents promising practices that states have employed to help parents make payments towards child support and to ensure successful reentry. “Incarceration, Reentry and Child Support Issues: National and State Research Overview” describes characteristics of incarcerated and released noncustodial parents and their families.
Download “Working with Incarcerated and Released Parents”
Download “Incarceration, Reentry and Child Support Issues”
_____________________________________________________________
BJA Announces Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Grants
The Bureau of Justice Assistance has announced its solicitation for fiscal year 2007 applications for Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program grants. The Program promotes coordination among criminal justice, juvenile justice, mental health, and substance abuse agencies and seeks applicants interested in supporting cross-system collaborations to improve responses to people with mental illnesses who come into contact with the criminal justice system. Eligible applicants include states, units of local government, Native American tribes, and tribal organizations. The deadline for applications is December 12.
Download grant guidelines and application
Read the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act
____________________________________________________________
Congress Still Considering Second Chance Act
Attempts to pass the Second Chance Act (H.R. 1704, S. 1934), federal prisoner reentry legislation, before the Congressional recess in early October were not successful. Key sponsors are currently examining options to ensure passage of the bill during the lame duck session in mid-November. In July, the Second Chance Act passed the House Judiciary Committee by voice vote. The bill enjoys broad bipartisan support, with 112 co-sponsors in the House and 34 co-sponsors in the Senate.
Read more about the Second Chance Act
____________________________________________________________
NEW JERSEY UPDATE:
_____________________________________________________________
New Jersey Senate Committee Approves Needle Exchange Bill
The New Jersey Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee has passed a needle exchange bill on a 9-5 vote, although without a recommendation that the full Senate approve the measure. The legislation would authorize a $10-million needle exchange pilot program to be set up in six communities. The Assembly will vote on the bill by the end of the year; in past years, the Assembly passed similar legislation only to see it fail in the Senate. A Senate vote is expected after the November elections.
Passaic County Probation Employment Program Set to Expand into Other Counties
The Passaic County Probation Vo-Tech Program, an experimental program aimed at getting high-risk offenders into the job market, has received favorable attention of late. Pointing to the program's holistic approach and low recidivism rates, state officials want to expand it into other counties. In existence since 2004, the program’s participants train for 15 weeks in a variety of trades and those without high school diplomas enroll in GED-preparation classes.
________________________________________________
For more information about news or event sharing contact rgreenberg@njisj.org. To subscribe or unsubscribe to the New Jersey Reentry Digest, visit the subscription page.