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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New York Times Editorial: "A Second Chance for Ex-Offenders">>
- Justice Reinvestment Policies in Kansas and Texas>>
- Texas Explores Changes to Juvenile Detention System, Modeling Missouri Reforms>>
- Policy Brief on Public Safety and Affordable Housing>>
- New York State Guide for Families of the Incarcerated>>
- Gang Reentry Initiative Information Sought>>
- White House Summit on Prisoner Reentry>>
- New Jersey Update: New Jersey Institute for Social Justice Accepting Applications for Equal Justice Director Position>> State Reentry Coordinator Position>>
New York Times Editorial: "A Second Chance for Ex-Offenders"
On November 7, the New York Times ran an editorial titled, “A Second Chance for Ex-Offenders,” stating (excerpt): “If past patterns hold true, more than half of the 650,000 prisoners released this year will be back behind bars by 2010. With the prison population exploding and the price of incarceration now topping $60 billion a year, states are rightly focusing on ways to reduce recidivism. Congress can give these efforts a boost by passing the Second Chance Act, which would provide crucial help to people who have paid their debts to society. Newly released inmates are often driven right back to prison by difficulty in obtaining jobs, education and housing, as well as by the social stigma that comes from having been in prison. In addition, many of these people suffer from mental illnesses but have no access to treatment. Some states have begun offering assistance in these areas, but much more needs to be done.”
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Justice Reinvestment Policies in Kansas and Texas
The Council of State Governments Justice Center has released two briefs describing how bipartisan groups of policymakers in Texas and Kansas employed a data-driven strategy, known as ‘justice reinvestment,’ during the 2007 legislative session to avert the projected growth in their state’s prison population and increase public safety. In Kansas, policymakers enacted legislation to reduce recidivism rates, including a sixty-day credit for those in prison completing risk reduction programs and a grant program for local community corrections agencies to increase success rates by twenty percent among those under supervision. In Texas, the state legislature enacted legislation to improve success rates for people on community supervision, expand the capacity of treatment and diversion programs, and enhance the use of parole for low-risk offenders.
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Texas Explores Changes to Juvenile Detention System, Modeling Missouri Reforms
According to an NPR story from October 31, the Texas juvenile corrections system, plagued by allegations of unsafe conditions, abuse, and mismanagement, is exploring reform akin to changes that Missouri has made to its juvenile system, based upon the use of small, treatment-oriented group homes. Tim Decker, Director of the Missouri Division of Youth Services, says Missouri’s recidivism rate is less than ten percent; according to the Texas Youth Commission, the recidivism rate in Texas is higher than fifty percent.
Policy Brief on Public Safety and Affordable Housing
The Justice Policy Institute has released the third in a series of research briefs that examine the impact of positive social investments on public safety. “Housing and Public Safety” finds that increased availability of quality affordable or supportive housing is associated with public safety benefits.
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New York State Guide for Families of the Incarcerated
The New York State Department of Correctional Services’ “Family Guide,” which includes detailed information to help relatives and friends of the incarcerated maintain contact with their loved ones, is now available for download.
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Gang Reentry Initiative Information Sought
The Bureau of Justice Assistance is supporting the development of “Gang Member Reentry Informational Guides” and PowerPoint tutorials intended for corrections, law enforcement, parole and probation, social service providers, and others. Agencies and organizations running or planning gang reentry initiatives may complete the questionnaire below.
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White House Summit on Prisoner Reentry
On November 27-28 in Los Angeles, the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives will host a “National Summit on Prisoner Reentry.” The purpose of the conference is to expose faith-based and community organizations, federal, state and local corrections authorities, policymakers, social scientists, and other front-line reentry practitioners to promising program models, new research, recent data, best practices, financial and other resources, and to one another.
Click here for more information and registration guidelines
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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. The application deadline is November 9.
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.