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
-
New Jersey Institute for Social Justice Appoints New Executive Director>>
- U.S. House Passes the Second Chance Act>>
- Congress Fails to Repeal Federal Ban on College Financial Assistance for Individuals Convicted of Drug-Related Offenses>>
- New Demonstration Project to Provide Career Development Services to College Students and Graduates with Criminal Records>>
- Conference for Professionals Working with Reentering Individuals>>
- New Jersey Update: New Jersey Institute for Social Justice Accepting Applications for Equal Justice Director Position>> State Reentry Coordinator Position>>
New Jersey Institute for Social Justice Appoints New Executive Director
Following an extensive national search, the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice has appointed Cornell William Brooks, Esq., a civil rights litigator and communications attorney from Washington, DC, as its new Executive Director effective immediately. Mr. Brooks previously worked as a Senior Counsel with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), where he worked on legal and policy matters promoting small business and media ownership diversity and also directed the FCC’s Office of Communication Business Opportunities. Serving in this capacity, he led efforts to increase financing available to small, minority- and woman-owned businesses through regulatory and industry initiatives. Prior to his FCC service, as a U.S. Department of Justice trial attorney, Mr. Brooks secured the then largest government settlement for victims of housing discrimination based on testing and filed the government’s first law suit against a nursing home alleging housing discrimination based on race. His civil rights experience includes serving as Executive Director of the Fair Housing Council of Greater Washington and as trial attorney with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. As the Executive Director of the Fair Housing Council, Mr. Brooks oversaw a regional program of fair housing testing and public education in Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, and metropolitan Maryland that served as the basis of impact litigation. In 1998, Mr. Brooks ran as the Democratic Nominee for U.S. Congress for the 10th District of Virginia. As a graduate of both Head Start and Yale, he campaigned as an advocate for public education, affordable healthcare, and fiscal responsibility.
Download the full press release
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U.S. House Passes the Second Chance Act
On November 13, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Second Chance Act of 2007, H.R. 1593. The bill, introduced by Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL) and Rep. Chris Cannon (R-UT), received broad bipartisan support, passing the House 347-62. The legislation authorizes up to $55 million dollars in grants to state and local governments to develop reentry initiatives to help keep people released from prisons and jails from re-offending and a $15 million reentry program for community and faith-based organizations to deliver mentoring and transitional services.
Click here to learn more about the Second Chance Act
Click here to learn about the Second Chance Campaign of NJ
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Congress Fails to Repeal Federal Ban on College Financial Assistance for Individuals Convicted of Drug-Related Offenses
Last week, Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) was prepared to offer an amendment in committee to the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act that would repeal the Aid Elimination Penalty, which bars people with drug law convictions from receiving student financial assistance for specified time periods – a year to life, depending on the severity and number of drug-related offenses. The amendment was co-sponsored by Danny Davis (D-IL), Donald Payne (D-NJ), and Yvette Clarke (D-NY), and supported by other members of Congress, including Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) and Lynn Woolsey (D-CA). However, they were asked by Rep. George Miller (D-CA), Chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, not to offer it. Since the ban took effect in 1998, more than 200,000 people have been denied student loans and other assistance due to the law’s provisions.
New Demonstration Project to Provide Career Development Services to College Students and Graduates with Criminal Records
The Prisoner Reentry Institute at John Jay College of Criminal Justice is seeking qualified individuals to launch a demonstration project, funded by the New York City Department of Small Business Services, to provide career development services to college students and graduates with criminal records. The Career Development Team, comprised of a Career Development Team Director, Employer Relations Coordinator, and Career Developer, will serve an unmet need by providing career services complementary to students’ academic pursuits and legal services currently unavailable to this population.
Download the job descriptions for Career Development Team Director, Employer Relations Coordinator, and Career Developer
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Conference for Professionals Working with Reentering Individuals
On December 6-7 in Washington D.C., the National Association of Social Workers will hold a conference targeted at the professional frontline reentry workforce. The “Washington Metropolitan Regional Conference on Reentry: Impact on the Professional Frontline Reentry Workforce” will explore success and challenges of reentry programs from a national and regional perspective and the degree to which returning individuals are being linked to community-based services, including health care, behavioral health, housing, family reintegration, and others. The conference is intended for social workers, medical professionals, behavioral health specialists, faith-based providers, corrections professionals, and housing providers.
Click here for more information and registration details
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NEW JERSEY UPDATE:
New Jersey Institute for Social Justice Accepting Applications for Equal Justice Director Position
The New Jersey Institute for Social Justice is accepting applications for its Equal Justice Director position. To date, the Equal Justice portfolio of work has included: addressing structural and policy barriers to the success of those involved with the criminal or juvenile justice system; model program development; legislative advocacy; policy analysis; state and local government education and consulting; research and report writing, including commissioning research; development of programs and tools for criminal justice-involved persons and service providers; development and maintenance of partnerships, collaborations, and coalitions; organizing conferences and forums; community education; and development and oversight of direct service demonstration projects. A qualified candidate will have the following attributes: strong commitment to social justice; creativity; effective advocacy skills; strong written and oral communication skills; five to seven years of relevant professional experience with increasing responsibility and at least some management experience; and the ability to work effectively in a collaborative context, both internally and externally. Additional desirable but not required attributes include experience in New Jersey and a graduate degree in a relevant field (e.g., law, criminology, public policy, etc.).
Download the full job description
State Reentry Coordinator Position
The State of New Jersey is seeking an experienced professional to serve as the Reentry Coordinator for the Department of Law and Public Safety. The Coordinator will oversee the State’s reentry programs and efforts to ensure their focus on reducing recidivism, and the work of the reentry coordinating council, to broaden engagement with reentry programs throughout State government, and work to engage community organizations and form collaborative relationships as appropriate.
Download the full job description
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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.