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
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Training on Bill of Rights for Children of Incarcerated Parents >>
- Probationers Regain Voting Rights in California>>
- Report Finds High Mortality Rates for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals >>
- Ex-Offender Workforce Development Conference>>
- New Jersey Update: Initial Results of Parole Board Recidivism Study Find Benefits of Supervision>> State Senator Introduces Bill to Limit Revocation of Professional and Driver's Licenses for Individuals in Child Support Arrears>> Senate Approves Acting Corrections Commissioner Hayman>>
Training on Bill of Rights for Children of Incarcerated Parents
The National Resource Center on Children and Families of the Incarcerated (NRCCFI) of the Family and Corrections Network (FCN) will host a series of telephone trainings focused on the Bill of Rights for Children of Incarcerated Parents. Beginning January 24, 2007, each ‘right’ from the Children’s Bill of Rights will be explored in a bi-monthly series of 90-minute training-by-telephone sessions. Sessions will be moderated by Ann Adalist-Estrin, Director of the NRCCFI at FCN. Each session will include a facilitator and guests who come from the discipline or system most involved in the specific right. The trainings will also include children of incarcerated parents, their parents, and caregivers.
Click here for more information and registration details
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Probationers Regain Voting Rights in California
Voting rights have been restored to as many as 100,000 Californians on probation for felony convictions who were disenfranchised by the State of California in 2005. Secretary of State Bruce McPherson recently notified county election officials about the newly eligible voters, who were granted their rights by a California appeals court decision on December 21, 2006. The ACLU of Northern California represented the plaintiffs in the case.
Learn more about the ACLU campaign
Report Finds High Mortality Rates for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals
According to a recent report by researchers at the University of Colorado, “Release From Prison – A High Risk of Death for Former Inmates,” individuals released from prisons in the state of Washington were 12 times more likely to die of drug overdoses and 10 times more likely to be murdered than other Americans. The researchers tracked more than 30,000 prisoners for two years after their release between 1999 and 2003. They found that the first few weeks after release were the most dangerous and, overall, formerly incarcerated individuals were four times more likely to die of any cause in the year after release. The researchers speculated that the high number of overdoses might be due to heroin and cocaine users overestimating their dosages after a period of enforced abstinence.
Ex-Offender Workforce Development Conference
“The Road to Reentry: 2007 Defendant/Offender Workforce Development Conference” will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina on March 5-7, 2007. Hosted by the U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office, Western District of North Carolina, in partnership with the Office of Probation and Pretrial Services Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Federal Bureau of Prisons, National Institute of Corrections, U.S. Probation Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, and the National Career Development Association, the conference will explore practices and tools to implement ex-offender workforce development initiatives and provide structured networking opportunities with those who are implementing best practices.
Click here for more information and registration details
NEW JERSEY UPDATE:
Initial Results of Parole Board Recidivism Study Find Benefits of Supervision
Last week the New Jersey State Parole Board released the initial results of a two-year recidivism study, which found that 73% of inmates who served their entire sentences without any parole supervision (those who “maxed out”) were rearrested within two years compared to 51% for those inmates whose transition from prison was subject to supervision by the Parole Board. The study also found that inmates who “maxed out” were reconvicted and reincarcerated at higher rates as well. The study, conducted by the State Parole Board’s Policy and Planning Unit, tracked the progress of 325 ex-inmates released in 2004. The two populations, however, were significantly different across a range of factors which may have influenced the divergent recidivism rates, including number of prior parole terms, number of prior parole violations, and the length of their terms for the most recent offense prior to release.
Download executive summary and media advisory
State Senator Introduces Bill to Limit Revocation of Professional and Driver's Licenses for Individuals in Child Support Arrears
On January 9, State Senator Ron Rice introduced a bill (S2473) that would authorize the courts to waive the revocation of professional and driver’s licenses for individuals in child support arrears provided that the individual make a “satisfactory showing” that he or she is employed and is currently making child support payments. According to the bill’s statement, suspending professional or driver’s licenses makes it harder for individuals to earn wages and therefore less likely to pay any child support at all.
Senate Approves Acting Corrections Commissioner Hayman
On January 8, the State Senate voted 26-6 to approve the nomination of George Hayman as New Jersey’s Corrections Commissioner. Following the vote, the new Commissioner said he will focus on developing programs to help prisoners prepare themselves for life after incarceration.
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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.