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.org
New Jersey Prisoner Reentry Fact Sheet
Previous Editions of the
NJ Reentry Digest:
NJ Reentry Digest:
The New Jersey Institute
For Social Justice, Inc.
IN THIS ISSUE
- Boston City Council Adopts Ordinance Requiring Vendors to Adopt Fair Hiring Standards for People with Criminal Records
- New Online Resources from the Re-Entry Policy Council
New Reports:
- Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch Issue a Joint Report: "The Rest of Their Lives: Life without Parole for Child Offenders in the United States"
- Report from the National Association of Professional Background Screeners Says that FBI Records Aren't Accurate
- Report from the American Journal of Public Health: "Coming Home from Jail: The Social and Health Consequences of Community Reentry for Women, Male Adolescents, and Their Families and Communities"
Upcoming Conferences and Panel Discussions:
- Reminder! Occasional Series on Reentry Research: "The Role of Community Supervision in Prisoner Reentry" on Friday, Oct. 21
- Long Island University's Brooklyn Campus Will Host a Panel Discussion on the Reentry Challenges Facing Formerly Incarcerated Women on Nov. 8
- University of Maryland Law School Hosts Working Conference on the Collateral Consequences of Criminal Convictions on Nov. 18
NJ Updates:
- The New Jersey Office of Faith Based Initiatives Announces the Release of Fiscal Year 06 Request for Proposal (RFP)
- New! Job Opportunities Available for the New Careers Project at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice
Boston City Council Adopts Ordinance Requiring Vendors to Adopt Fair Hiring Standards for People with Criminal Records
In a unanimous vote, the City Council of Boston, MA adopted an ordinance that would require vendors who do business with the city to adopt fair hiring standards related to jobseekers with criminal records. The city would cease contracting with any vendor that has an absolute policy of refusing to hire any applicant with any form of a criminal record, regardless of the job or its relevance to the crime, and requires hiring in accordance with standards set forth in the state's CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) Law. Implementation will be effective on July 1, 2006.
- » Download a copy of the ordinance
- » See a related training: New York Training and CLE Credits, "Criminal Records and Employment: Overcoming Barriers" on Nov.4
New Online Resources from the Re-Entry Policy Council
The website of the Reentry Policy Council has posted updated informational resources related to prisoner reentry including; a chart of housing resources for people released from correctional facilities; the National Governors Association (NGA) policy brief on best practices for addressing prisoner reentry; and information about a Minnesota bill that would define and categorize collateral sanctions for people convicted of crimes.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch Issue a Joint Report: "The Rest of Their Lives: Life without Parole for Child Offenders in the United States"
On October 12, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch released a report on juveniles serving life sentences without parole in the United States. The report finds that, while serious crimes by youth are decreasing, the percentage of children receiving (LWOP) life without parole sentences is increasing. The survey notes that 59% were first time offenders, and that black children were sentenced to life without parole ten times more often than white children.
- » Go to the website to download the report
- » Read the NY Times article about juveniles serving life in prison
- » See the Justice Policy Institute Brief: "Crime, Race, and Juvenile Justice Policy in Perspective"
Report from the National Association of Professional Background Screeners Says that FBI Records Aren't Accurate
A report completed for the National Association of Background Screeners has identified a host of inaccuracies in FBI criminal records including: failure of states to report dispositions (outcomes) of arrests following fingerprinting; lack of timeliness in reporting dispositions; ineffective linking of individuals and cases; false positives, attributing criminal records to individuals that don't have one; and false negatives, where people with criminal convictions are not identified as such. Of the 174 million arrests on file, only 45% had final dispositions (proof of the outcome in an arrest), which are necessary in order for screeners to make hiring and other decisions.
Report from the American Journal of Public Health: "Coming Home from Jail: The Social and Health Consequences of Community Reentry for Women, Male Adolescents, and Their Families and Communities"
This article describes the experiences of about 1,000 young men and adult women who left New York City jails between 1997 and 2001. Some reported findings: For young men, having a job in the year after they were released reduced the likelihood of re-arrest by two-thirds; and for adult women in the sample, having health insurance was associated with an 80% lower risk of re-arrest.
- » Download the report
- » Download: "School to Prison Pipeline" from the Poverty and Race Research Action Council
Reminder! Occasional Series on Reentry Research: "The Role of Community Supervision in Prisoner Reentry" on Friday, Oct. 21
This next lecture in the Occasional Series on Reentry Research will take place tomorrow at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, located at 899 Tenth Ave (between 58th and 59th Sts.) in Room 630. The series is designed to serve as a vehicle for disseminating emerging research and generating conversation to improve policy and practice within the field of prisoner reentry. RSVP to 212-484-1327 or write to dmukamal@jjay.cuny.edu.
Long Island University's Brooklyn Campus Will Host a Panel Discussion on the Reentry Challenges Facing Formerly Incarcerated Women on Nov. 8
The LIU Department of Social Work and the Common Ground Service Learning Program are presenting a panel discussion, "Challenges Facing Formerly Incarcerated Women: Overcoming Obstacles to Successful Reentry." The discussion will center around: employment and housing; reunification with children; model reentry programs; national approaches to policy change; and grass roots movements and social change. For further information call Amy Krentzman at 718-488-3372 or download the flyer.
University of Maryland Law School Hosts Working Conference on the Collateral Consequences of Criminal Convictions on Nov. 18
The University of Maryland Law School and the Reentry of Ex-Offenders Clinic will bring together community stakeholders including: public defenders; prosecutors; legal services attorneys; legislative advocates; corrections personnel; reentry services providers; and representatives from community groups to discuss issues surrounding reentry of formerly incarcerated individuals into Maryland's communities. Contact Lu Ann Marshall at 410-706-4128 or lmarshal@law.maryland.edu for more information.
The New Jersey Office of Faith Based Initiatives Announces the Release of Fiscal Year 06 Request for Proposal (RFP)
The New Jersey Office of Faith Based Initiatives provides funding for prisoner reentry projects in New Jersey. Attendance at the technical assistance session by the lead agency is mandatory in order to be eligible to submit an application.
New! Job Opportunities Available for the New Careers Project at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice
New Careers is a case management driven reentry program with an employment focus for men and women returning to the greater Newark area from NJ state prisons.
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