On June 29, the House passed its fiscal year 2007 Science, State, Justice, Commerce (SSJC) appropriations bill. Highlights from the bill include: $5 million for mental health courts and adult and juvenile collaboration program grants; $2 million for prisoner re-entry initiatives (unspecified); and $5 million for grants for residential substance abuse treatment for state prisoners. (Reentry Policy Council).
The New Jersey Institute for Social Justice is a non-partisan urban research and advocacy organization founded in 1999 by the Amy and Alan V. Lowenstein Foundation. Based in Newark, the Institute promotes the development of economically healthy and vibrant urban communities and challenges practices and policies that prevent urban New Jersey from achieving its full potential.
Click here for more info on the Institute's Reentry Initiative, as well as its other programs and publications: www.njisj.org
New Jersey Prisoner Reentry Fact Sheet
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IN THIS ISSUE
- Reentry Policy Council Develops New Resources to Promote Law Enforcement Involvement in Reentry Initiatives>>
- Federal Court Holds that Washington State’s Felon Disenfranchisement Laws Do Not Violate the Voting Rights Act >>
- California Lawmakers Amend Proposition 36 >>
- Prisoner Re-Entry Receives $2 Million for FY 2007 in House Appropriations Bill >>
- New Report on Prisoner Reentry in the City of Philadelphia>>
- Jail Reentry Roundtable at the Urban Institute >>
- Technical Assistance Opportunity >>
New Jersey Update:
- Mayor Cory Booker of Newark Sets Goals for Prisoner Reentry in his First 100 Days >>
- Governor Corzine appoints George W. Hayman as Commissioner of Corrections >>
Reentry Policy Council Develops New Resources to Promote Law Enforcement Involvement in Reentry Initiatives
To identify and promote a range of effective strategies for law enforcement involvement, the Re-Entry Policy Council (RPC) has partnered with the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) and the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). The RPC, PERF, and COPS Office are developing a toolkit to help law enforcement leaders and their partners identify which practices and policies can be used in a jurisdiction to improve prisoner reentry procedures. The toolkit is designed for both law enforcement agencies that are planning a reentry initiative and agencies that already have such an initiative. (Re-Entry Policy Council)Read a report by the Urban Institute on prisoner reentry and community policing
Federal Court Holds that Washington State’s Felon Disenfranchisement Laws Do Not Violate the Voting Rights Act
On July 7, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington dismissed Farrakhan v. Gregoire, which challenged the state’s felon disenfranchisement and restoration laws under the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The Court held that while there was racial discrimination in Washington’s criminal justice system and that this hindered the ability of racial minorities to participate in the political process, there was no federal violation because there was no history of official discrimination in Washington’s electoral process. (Sentencing Project)
Read the ACLU’s international comparative analysis of felon disenfranchisement policies
California Lawmakers Amend Proposition 36
California lawmakers approved a measure that will modify state law passed under Proposition 36, which directed the state to provide addiction treatment rather than prison for low-level drug offenders. The new measure will give judges the ability to sentence drug offenders to 2 to 5 days of jail time if they fail a drug test or miss treatment. Governor Schwarzenegger had threatened to veto the $151 million treatment budget under Proposition 36 unless the jail measure was passed. Treatment advocates plan to sue the state for violating the voter-approved Proposition, which did not encompass incarceration as a punishment for relapse. If the court challenge succeeds, the new law requires that the issue be put before California voters.
Prisoner Reentry Receives $2 Million for FY 2007 in U.S. House Appropriations Bill
Read the bill and related material
New Report on Prisoner Reentry in the City of Philadelphia
A new report from the Urban Institute examines the prisoner reentry phenomenon in the city of Philadelphia, focusing on the return of prisoners from the Philadelphia Prison System (PPS). As part of the mandate given by the PPS, the report, “Instituting Lasting Reforms for Prisoner Reentry in Philadelphia”, describes the process of prisoner reentry in Philadelphia by examining trends in incarceration and prison releases within the city, the characteristics of the city’s returning prisoners, self-reported experiences with rehabilitative programming while incarcerated, prisoners’ expectations for their post-release experiences, the geographic distribution of returning prisoners, trends in community supervision, and characteristics of selected neighborhoods with high concentrations of returning inmates.Jail Reentry Roundtable at the Urban Institute
On June 27 and 28, 2006, the Urban Institute convened the Jail Reentry Roundtable, in partnership with John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the Montgomery County Department of Correction and Rehabilitation. The meeting brought together leading jail administrators, researchers, corrections and law enforcement professionals, county and community leaders, service providers and former inmates to discuss the various dimensions of reentry from local jails. Forthcoming products from this jail reentry meeting will include a scan of innovative jail reentry practice currently underway around the country, a national report on reentry from jails, and a training curriculum for jail administrators interested in implementing reentry initiatives. (Urban Institute Justice Policy Center)
Technical Assistance Opportunity
The Children's Bill of Rights Project seeks 10 statewide, regional, or local collaboratives to pursue policy reforms and systemic changes that best insure the well-being of children of incarcerated parents. Free technical assistance to selected applicants. Applications due July 31, 2006.
New Jersey Update:
Mayor Cory Booker of Newark Sets Goals for Prisoner Reentry in his First 100 Days
On July 10th, newly elected Mayor of Newark Cory Booker released a 100-Day Plan for the city that included significant steps to improve reentry outcomes for Newark residents returning home from incarceration. The Mayor committed himself and the City Council to reducing municipally imposed legal restrictions on hiring and contracting of residents with criminal records. The Mayor also plans to hire a Reentry Coordinator for the city and to create transitional employment opportunities for former prisoners.
Governor Corzine appoints George W. Hayman as Commissioner of Corrections
Governor Corzine has picked George W. Hayman, currently the Acting Commissioner of Corrections, to fill the post permanently. Commissioner Hayman first joined the department as a social worker in 1983, and has held a range of positions since then, serving as Assistant Commissioner for the Division of Operations immediately prior to becoming Acting Commissioner.
Read more about the new commissioner
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