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
-
New Record Sealing Law in New York State>>
- BJS Report on Felons Convicted in State Courts>>
- Study Finds Mental Health Court Reduces Recidivism and Violence>>
- Report on Incentives for Employment Retention of Formerly Incarcerated Individuals>>
- New Report on the Impact of the 'War on Drugs'>>
- New Jersey Update: Drug Court Eligibility Ruling>>
New Record Sealing Law in New York State
In New York State, Governor Spitzer has signed S.3092/A.03379 into law, prohibiting private and public employers and licensing agencies from asking job-seekers about youthful offender adjudications and sealed violations. The bill’s provisions specifically state that employers and licensing agencies cannot “make any inquiry about, whether in any form of application of otherwise, or to act upon adversely to the individual involved” any youthful offender adjudication or sealed violation. The advocacy around the new law was led by the Legal Action Center, with the support of other advocacy organizations around the state.
Visit the Legal Action Center to learn more
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BJS Report on Felons Convicted in State Courts
The Bureau of Justice Statistics has released a statistical analysis of felons convicted in state courts from 1994 to 2004. “Felony Sentences in State Courts” presents trends from 1994 to 2004 highlighting the number of adults convicted of felonies, type of conviction offenses, and sentence lengths.
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Study Finds Mental Health Court Reduces Recidivism and Violence
A new study has found that use of the San Francisco Behavioral Health Court (BHC) can reduce the risk of recidivism and violence by people with mental illnesses involved with the criminal justice system. Recently published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, the study retroactively compared the occurrence of new criminal charges for 170 BHC participants with 8,067 adults with mental illnesses booked into the county jail during the same period. After compensating for selection bias, demographics, prior charges and clinical diagnoses, researchers concluded that participation in the BHC resulted in longer time without any new charges; BHC participants had approximately a 26 percent lower risk of new criminal charges and a 55 percent lower risk for violent crimes than the group of comparable individuals.
View a profile of the San Francisco Behavioral Health Court
Report on Incentives for Employment Retention of Formerly Incarcerated Individuals
The Center for Employment Opportunities has released a report on incentives for employment retention of formerly incarcerated individuals, “Using Incentives to Promote Employment Retention for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals.” The report addresses the relationship between work and crime by providing employment services to people coming home from prison and jail, including immediate, paid transitional work.
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New Report on the Impact of the 'War on Drugs'
The Sentencing Project has released a new report that examines the impact of the ‘war on drugs’ on the criminal justice system and American communities. “A 25-Year Quagmire: The War on Drugs and Its Impact on American Society” assesses the strategy of combating drug abuse primarily with enhanced punishments at the expense of investments in treatment and prevention.
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NEW JERSEY UPDATE:
Drug Court Eligibility Ruling
In a recent ruling, State v. Meyer, the New Jersey Supreme Court restored to drug court eligibility approximately half of the program’s historic participants who, two years earlier, had been deemed ineligible by a ruling of a lower court. As the Court noted, the New Jersey drug court program is both effective in terms of criminal recidivism rates and cost-effective as compared to the cost of imprisonment. The New Jersey Institute for Social Justice participated as amicus curiae, with pro bono partner counsel from Lowenstein Sandler.
Download the brief and statement
Read news coverage and editorial
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