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
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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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Congressional Committee Holds Hearing on the Economic Costs of the Surge in U.S. Prison Populations>>
- Report on the Financial Indebtedness of Reentering Individuals>>
- Census Bureau Data on Disproportionate Incarceration of Minority Populations>>
- Research Brief on Employment and Public Safety>>
- International Community Corrections Association Conference >>
- New Jersey Update: Governor Unveils Crime Plan>> Sentencing Commission Issues Report on Changes to New Jersey Sentencing Law Since 1979>> Op-Ed on Barriers to Employment at Newark Warehouses>>
Congressional Committee Holds Hearing on the Economic Costs of the Surge in U.S. Prison Populations
On October 4, the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee held a hearing entitled “Mass Incarceration in the United States: At What Cost?” The hearing focused on the costs of maintaining a large prison system and the long-term labor market and social consequences of mass incarceration. The hearing also explored whether the increase in the prison population correlates with decreases in crime and what alternative sentencing strategies and post-prison reentry programs have been the most successful at reducing incarceration rates in states and local communities. Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) and Committee Vice Chair Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) ran the hearing. Senators Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Bob Casey (D-PA) and Representatives Bobby Scott (D-VA), Philip English (R-PA), and Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) were in attendance. Witnesses included Dr. Glenn Loury, Economics and Social Sciences Professor at Brown University; Dr. Bruce Western, Director of the Inequality and Social Policy Program at Harvard University; Alphonso Albert, Executive Director of Second Chances; Michael Jacobson, Executive Director of the Vera Institute for Justice; and Pat Nolan, Vice President of Justice Fellowship, Prison Fellowship Ministries.
Download the full witness list and submitted testimony
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Report on the Financial Indebtedness of Reentering Individuals
The Council of State Governments Justice Center has released a report, “Repaying Debts,” detailing how policymakers can increase financial accountability among people leaving correctional facilities, improve rates of child support collection and victim restitution, and make individuals’ transition from prisons and jails to the community more successful. The report demonstrates that people released from prisons and jails typically must make payments to a host of agencies, including probation departments, courts, attorney generals’ offices, and child support enforcement offices. The report advocates for coordinated collections efforts among these agencies to increase rates of repayment to victims, families, and criminal justice agencies.
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Census Bureau Data on Disproportionate Incarceration of Minority Populations
On September 27, the U.S. Census Bureau released 2006 data on the social, racial, and economic characteristics of people living in adult correctional facilities, college housing, and nursing homes. It is the first in-depth look at people living in “group quarters” since the 1980 census. According to the report’s findings, more than three times as many black people live in prison cells as in college dorms; the ratio is only slightly lower for Hispanics, at 2.7 inmates for every Latino in college housing. Among non-Hispanic whites, more than twice as many live in college housing as in prison or jail.
Research Brief on Employment and Public Safety
The Justice Policy Institute has released the second in a series of research briefs that examine the impact of positive social investments on public safety. “Employment, Wages and Public Safety” finds that increased employment rates and wages are associated with public safety benefits.
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International Community Corrections Association Conference
The ICCA will hold its annual research conference on October 28-31 in San Diego. The theme is “Collaborating for Community Justice: A Local Public Safety Imperative” and the program will include research plenaries featuring Shadd Maruna of Belfast, Ireland, on restorative justice, Patricia Van Voorhis of the University of Cincinnati on classifying women offenders, and Steve Aos of the Washington State Institute for Public Policy on cost-effectiveness of best practices. Opening remarks will be provided by the Honorable James Tilton, Secretary, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the opening keynote will be given by Dr. Mario Paparozzi, Chair of the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at The University of North Carolina-Pembroke and former Chairman of the New Jersey State Parole Board.
Download the program and registration details
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NEW JERSEY UPDATE:
Governor Unveils Crime Plan
On October 9, Governor Corzine introduced the first piece of a three-part strategy to, “enhance public safety and combat violent street crime in the Garden State.” The strategy addresses issues of enforcement, prevention, and reentry, with an emphasis on reducing gang violence, violent crime, and recidivism.
Sentencing Commission Issues Report on Changes to New Jersey Sentencing Law Since 1979
The New Jersey Commission to Review Criminal Sentencing has released a report outlining legislative changes relevant to the sentencing of adult criminal offenders since the enactment of the Code of Criminal Justice in 1979. The report explains the sentencing system and discusses how subsequent statutory changes to the Code during the intervening twenty-eight years have altered thee Code in terms of the amount of punishment authorized and the process by which sentences are imposed.
Op-Ed on Barriers to Employment at Newark Warehouses
An op-ed that appeared in the Star-Ledger on October 9, “Lift Bars that Keep Parolees Jobless,” calls for removing barriers (unrelated to public safety) that exclude reentering individuals from employment at Newark’s port warehouses
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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.