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
-
Hawaii Supreme Court Overturns Firing Over Past Crimes
>> - Alabama: Court Declares Disenfranchisement Policy Unconstitutional >>
- New Jersey: Justices Let Judges Sentence Repeat Offenders to Extended Terms >>
- Governor Corzine Signs Executive Order Creating Advisory Committee on Police Standards >>
- Drug Court Training Conference Promotes Successful Partnering for Recovery >>
- Seed Grants for Counties to Divert Mentally Ill Offenders from Jail to Treatment >>
- John Jay College of Criminal Justice Announces Fall Series on Reentry Research >>
Hawaii Supreme Court Overturns Firing Over Past Crimes
Employers cannot terminate workers just because they have a past criminal conviction, the Hawaii Supreme Court has ruled. The high court overturned a lower court decision Wednesday that threw out an anti-discrimination complaint filed by Jon S. Logan Wright in April 2004. In it he claimed the Kahului Home Depot fired him after a background check conducted more than a year after he began working revealed he had a 1996 Nevada drug conviction. In that case he served no jail time and was placed on probation, which ended in November 1997.Read an L.A. Times Op-Ed about employers use of criminal records
Alabama: Court Declares Disenfranchisement Policy Unconstitutional
A Jefferson County circuit court judge in Alabama ruled this week that the state’s felon disenfranchisement policy is unconstitutional due to the failure of the legislature to define which crimes are considered ones of “moral turpitude.” Alabama law calls for the loss of voting rights only for crimes involving moral turpitude, but the state has never developed a clear list of which crimes fall in that category. In practice, disenfranchisement has generally been applied to all felony convictions. In his ruling, in the case of Gooden v. Worley, Judge Robert Vance Jr. stated that “neither this Court nor any other court has the constitutional authority to decide whether an individual must surrender his right to vote,” and ordered registrars to cease enforcing disenfranchisement until the legislature defines which crimes are to be covered. The judge also stayed implementation of the order pending review by the Justice Department under provisions of the Voting Rights Act. (Sentencing Project)
Read the decision
Read the Birmingham News article
Read related articles about reenfranchisement in Tennessee and Oklahoma
New Jersey Supreme Court Permits Judges to Sentence Repeat Offenders to Extended Terms
According to an August 2 ruling handed down by the New Jersey Supreme Court, judges may sentence repeat offenders to extended prison terms, rejecting arguments that only juries can make such determinations. In a pair of rulings, the justices upheld the constitutionality of statutes subjecting repeat offenders to longer prison terms than a first-time offender would face. In both of the cases, the justices rejected arguments that only juries, not judges, have the power to determine whether the defendant qualifies for the longer term. (NJ Sentencing Commission)
Read the NJ Star-Ledger article
Governor Corzine Signs Executive Order Creating Advisory Committee on Police Standards
Governor Jon S. Corzine today signed an Executive Order establishing an Advisory Committee on Police Standards to recommend whether New Jersey should terminate the 1999 consent decree concerning the practice of racial profiling by the New Jersey State Police. The 21-member panel is charged with making recommendations to ensure racial profiling does not occur and is not tolerated if the consent decree is terminated. The committee will also consider whether it would be appropriate to retain outside auditors or consultants to continue to independently examine data and video recordings of motor vehicle stops. It will also make recommendations on how the programs developed by the New Jersey State Police can assist other law enforcement agencies throughout the state in preventing racial profiling.
Read the press release
Drug Court Training Conference Promotes Successful Partnering for Recovery
The National Association of Drug Court Professionals held its annual drug court training conference, "Successful Partnering for Recovery," on June 22-24, 2006, in Seattle, WA. Topics included family dependency courts, drug-endangered children, driving while intoxicated, federal drug courts, and cultural proficiency. The June 21 pre-conference session focused on juvenile justice programs and juvenile drug courts.
Read more about the conference and drug courts, as well as OJJDP-supported gang reduction program, Homeboy Industries.
Seed Grants for Counties to Divert Mentally Ill Offenders from Jail to Treatment
The National Association of Counties (NACo) is now accepting applications for its Seed Grants Program to Divert Mentally Ill Offenders from Jail to Treatment. Grants will be awarded to help NACo member counties that demonstrate readiness to move forward with developing jail diversion programs. Applicants are encouraged to develop projects that demonstrate county leadership and include one or more evidence-based practices including crisis intervention teams, mental health courts, and re-entry / jail discharge planning. The application deadline is September 15, 2006.
John Jay College of Criminal Justice Announces Fall Series on Reentry Research
The Prisoner Reentry Institute at John Jay College of Criminal Justice will be hosting a fall series on reentry research, including Joan Petersilia and other practitioner experts. Topics will include California’s prison reform efforts, domestic violence and reentry, and women and incarceration. All events will be held at John Jay's main campus in New York City.
RSVP for any of the events