The New Jersey Institute for Social Justice is a non-partisan urban research and advocacy organization founded in 1999 by the Amy and Alan V. Lowenstein Foundation. Based in Newark, the Institute promotes the development of economically healthy and vibrant urban communities and challenges practices and policies that prevent urban New Jersey from achieving its full potential.
Click here for more info on the Institute's Reentry Initiative, as well as its other programs and publications: www.njisj.orgNew Jersey Prisoner Reentry Fact Sheet
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IN THIS ISSUE
- New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission Public Hearings Regarding the Economic and Social Impact of Driver's License Suspension
- New Research on the Role of Medicaid in Prisoner Reentry
- Panel Discussion tonight: "A World Apart: Women, Prison and Life Behind Bars"
- New Journal Article by Marc Mauer: "Prison and Its Impact on the 21st Century"
- National Workshop on Adult & Juvenile Women in the Criminal Justice System
- Government Accountability Office Finds That Drug Courts Can Be Effective
- Mentors Needed for Children of Incarcerated Parents
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission Public Hearings Regarding the Economic and Social Impact of Driver's License Suspension
The Motor Vehicle Commission has scheduled public meetings as part of its mandate to review the social and economic impacts of driver's license suspension for the legislatively-established Affordability and Fairness Task Force. The meetings will provide an opportunity for citizens to express their opinions on the Parking Offense Adjudication and other non-driving infractions, the Point System, and the Surcharge Suspension program. Individuals who have or work with those who have driver’s license suspensions are encouraged to share their information and experiences with the Task Force. Citizen opinions will be included in the Task Force final report in February 2006.
Meetings are scheduled for four consecutive Wednesdays:
- NJ Transit Headquarters, next door to Newark Penn Station, June 22, 1-4pm
- Bloustein School, 33 Livingston Ave., near New Brunswick Train Station, June 29, 5-8pm
- Rutgers Campus Center, 326 Penn St., Camden, Rutgers’ Light Rail Station, July 6, 1-4pm
- Atlantic City Convention Center, next door to Atlantic City Train Station, July 13, 5-8pm
New Research on the Role of Medicaid in Prisoner Reentry
New resources to help policymakers address soaring corrections and correctional health care costs and reduce recidivism among people with mental illness were released on May 25th by the Council of State Governments (CSG). CSG coordinates the Criminal Justice / Mental Health Consensus Project and the Re-Entry Policy Council. Several new documents profile efforts in four states-Texas, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and New York-to promote continuity of care for this population by ensuring their prompt enrollment in Medicaid and SSI/SSDI upon release. An additional document provides an overview of this issue and explains what is known about the impact of enrollment in Medicaid for people with mental illness released from county jail.
Panel Discussion Tonight:
"A World Apart: Women, Prison and Life Behind Bars"
A panel discussion marks the publication of Soros Justice Fellow Cristina Rathbone's new book, A World Apart: Women, Prison and Life Behind Bars. Panel will feature Cristina Rathbone, Investigative Journalist and Author; Eve Ensler, Author and Activist, V-Day, The Vagina Monologues; Vivian Nixon, Executive Director, College and Community Fellowship, CUNY Graduate Center; and Moderated by Deborah Small, Executive Director, Break the Chains. Panel is on Thursday, June 2nd 2005 from 5:00 – 7:30PM at the Open Society Institute, 400 W. 59th Street. RSVP to Nidia Cordova Vazquez at ncordova@sorosny.org
New Journal Article by Marc Mauer of the Sentencing Project
"Thinking About Prison and its Impact in the Twenty-first Century," a journal article by Marc Mauer, Assistant Director of the Washington, D.C.-based Sentencing Project, has been published in the Ohio State Journal of Criminal Law. The essay provides an overview of the collateral consequences of mass imprisonment, calling attention to the ways in which our understanding of the impact of prison on society is different than in previous times. This includes an assessment of barriers to reintegration for people with felony convictions, and the impact of imprisonment on families and communities, public safety, democratic life, and economics.
National Workshop on Adult & Juvenile Women in the Criminal Justice System
The 11th National Workshop on Adult & Juvenile Female Offenders, co-sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Corrections and the Association on Programs for Female Offenders, will be held on Oct. 15-19 in Bloomington, Minnesota. The topic is "Clearing the Path for Girls and Women: A Call for Action." The conference is for administrators, funders, policymakers, facility directors or anyone who works girls and women in the criminal justice system. The call for proposals is due on June 10th, 2005.
Government Accountability Office (GAO) Finds That Drug Courts Can Be Effective
Drug court programs allow eligible defendants to be diverted from traditional sentencing and participate in a program that involves intense judicial supervision, substance abuse treatment, and sanctions for drug use. As of September 2004 there were approximately 1,040 adult drug court programs operating or being planned nationwide. The federal GAO recently conducted a review of empirical evaluations of adult drug court programs. Some highlights from the analysis are: that drug courts reduce recidivism, as participants are less likely to be rearrested or reconvicted; evidence of reductions in substance use is promising but limited, in that while only eight drug courts were evaluated for effectiveness in reducing drug use, test results generally showed significant reductions; and that drug courts are cost effective, due to the reduced costs of crime associated with recidivism and indirect benefits, such as reduced medical costs of participants.
Mentors Needed for Children of Incarcerated Parents
The Youth Consultation Service (YCS) Mentoring Program needs mentors for the children of incarcerated parents, who range in age from 4 to 15 years old, and reside in Newark, Irvington, Orange or East Orange. Mentors receive 6 hours of pre-match training, and access to a Mentor Support Coordinator. For more information contact Cari Macfie at (973) 854-3605 or go to the web for more information.
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© 2005 New Jersey Institute for Social Justice
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