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 Report on Prison Construction, Criminal Justice Costs, and Crime Rates>>
- New Justice Policy Institute Study Finds Negative Impact of Pre-Trial Juvenile Detention>>
- Research Briefs on Juvenile Justice>>
- Second Chance Act Update>>
- National Offender Workforce Development Conference: Call for Presentations>>
- Reminder: New York State Reentry and Employment Policy Conference on December 6>>
- New Jersey Update: Assembly Members Introduce Certificate of Rehabilitation Bill>>, Assemblyman Introduces "Expungement Reform Act" Bill>>, State Parole Board, Department of Corrections, and Social Security Administration Finalize Agreement to Expedite Processing of Benefits Applications for Parolees>>
New Report on Prison Construction, Criminal Justice Costs, and Crime Rates
The Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) has released a new report, “Evidence-Based Public Policy Options to Reduce Future Prison Construction, Criminal Justice Costs, and Crime Rates.” The WSIPP researchers analyzed several hundred comparison-group evaluations of adult corrections, juvenile corrections, and prevention programs to estimate the benefits and costs of these evidence-based options as they affect future prison construction, criminal justice expenditure, and crime rates. The researchers conclude that if the State of Washington implements a “moderate-to-aggressive” mix of the evaluated options – including the targeted use of alternative sanctions and drug courts where appropriate – a significant level of future prison construction can be avoided, taxpayers will save approximately two billion dollars, and crime rates can be reduced.
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New Justice Policy Institute Study Finds Negative Impact of Pre-Trial Juvenile Detention
The Washington, D.C.-based Justice Policy Institute has issued a new study, "The Dangers of Detention," which identifies counter-productive effects of pre-trial juvenile detention. Based upon a review of existing literature and reports from detention centers around the country, the researchers found that instead of reducing crime, the act of incarcerating high numbers of youth may in fact facilitate increased crime by aggravating the recidivism of youth who are detained. According to the study's key finding, jailing juvenile suspects who are waiting for court dates can increase their likelihood of committing future offenses compared to those who are placed in treatment or not detained at all. The study also found that youths held in detention centers are more likely to attempt suicide, become drug users, experience difficulty staying in school, and earn less later in life than those released pending their court appearances. The researchers propose expanded utilization of the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) model, which promotes non-detention alternatives through rigorous 'front-end' screening and application of objective criteria, as a way to achieve better outcomes. In New Jersey, five counties have implemented the JDAI model and have reduced the daily population in their juvenile detention centers by 43 percent.
Read newspaper coverage of the study and New Jersey's JDAI implementation efforts
Research Briefs on Juvenile Justice
The MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Adolescent Development and Juvenile Justice has released a series of issue briefs that present findings from the Network's past and ongoing research. The briefs address a range of juvenile justice-related topics, including: adolescent legal competence; pathways to desistance for serious juvenile offenders; youth culpability and criminal blameworthiness; assessing juvenile psychopathology; and the transfer of adolescents to adult criminal courts.
Second Chance Act Update
As Members of Congress return to Washington for the lame duck session to elect leadership for the newly Democratic-controlled Congress, the Senate is coming closer to passing the Second Chance Act (S. 1934, H.R. 1704) – the first piece of comprehensive federal legislation to address the multiple challenges formerly incarcerated individuals face as they reenter their communities. Senators Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Joe Biden (D-DE) led the effort to queue up the measure, positioning the Second Chance Act for a vote in early December when Members return to work on federal spending bills. If the bill is not passed during the lame duck session, bill sponsors plan to reintroduce the measure in the 110th Congress. House leaders have committed to act on the legislation if the Senate is successful.
Read more about the Second Chance Act and download the bill
National Offender Workforce Development Conference: Call for Presentations
The 3rd Annual National Offender Workforce Development Conference, to be held on April 2-5 in Charlotte, NC, has released a call for presentations around the theme of “Making Successful Reentry a Reality.” The Conference is seeking presentations that address issues, legislation, best practices, and programs that relate to advancing the successful reentry of formerly incarcerated individuals. The submission deadline is December 15.
Click here for more information
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Reminder: New York State Reentry and Employment Policy Conference on December 6
The Legal Action Center’s National H.I.R.E. Network, in partnership with The Doe Fund, the Reentry Clinic at NYU School of Law, and the Center for Community Problem Solving at NYU, will host its 2nd annual conference on employment and reentry on December 6. To be held at NYU, “NYS, Reentry and Employment: A Current Snapshot and Recommendations for the Future” will be a series of facilitated panels between practitioners, advocates, people directly affected by the criminal justice system, policymakers, and other stakeholders. Invited speakers include Chauncey Parker, Director of the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services, Martin Horn, NYC Commissioner of Correction and Probation, Elizabeth Gaynes, Executive Director of the Osborne Association, Mindy Tarlow, Executive Director of the Center for Employment Opportunities, and New York Times journalist Clyde Haberman.
NEW JERSEY UPDATE:
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Assembly Members Introduce Certificate of Rehabilitation Bill
Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Mercer) and Assemblyman William Payne (D-Essex) have introduced a certificate of rehabilitation bill (A3623) intended to relieve people with criminal records from undue bars to public and private employment. Under the bill's provisions, grounds for employment bars must have a "direct relationship" between the job or license sought and the crime committed, otherwise they would be considered unlawful discrimination. The bill empowers the State Parole Board to issue a certificate of rehabilitation at the time the individual is released or anytime thereafter. Private employers violating the anti-discrimination sections of the bill would be fined up to $10,000 if the employer has not committed any prior violation within a five-year period; $25,000 if the employer has committed one other violation within a five-year period; and $50,000 if the employer has committed two or more violations within a seven-year period.
Assemblyman Introduces "Expungement Reform Act" Bill
In an effort to make expungement law a more effective tool for accomplishing a ‘clean slate,’ New Jersey Assemblyman Louis Manzo (D-Hudson) has introduced the Expungement Reform Act (A3684). The proposed bill would shorten the period of time required to expunge the criminal record of a non-violent offender from ten years to five years or less and would require the parole board to petition for expungement on that person’s behalf. It would also require the state to automatically ask the court to expunge the record of someone who was arrested but not convicted of that crime; currently, all arrests show up on a criminal record, even if the person was acquitted or the charges were dismissed. Individuals convicted of drug possession charges could have their records cleared in three months instead of twelve. Youth offenders would also benefit from the bill’s provisions, as their juvenile records could be expunged after staying out of trouble for one year instead of the current five.
State Parole Board, Department of Corrections, and Social Security Administration Finalize Agreement to Expedite Processing of Benefits Applications for Parolees
New Jersey State Parole Board Chairman John D'Amico announced that the State Parole Board, the New Jersey Department of Corrections, and the U.S. Social Security Administration have signed a memorandum of agreement that will allow for more rapid processing of applications for benefits for eligible New Jersey parolees. The agreement establishes guidelines for the processing of applications for benefits for Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, and Food Stamps for eligible inmates in anticipation of their release from prison either on parole or at their max date. According to Chairman D’Amico, the agreement will reduce the time gap between the date of release and the date benefits commence.
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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.