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
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IN THIS ISSUE
- "Second Chance Act" Receives Hearing in House of Representatives
- New Report by Bureau of Justice Statistics: Increase of Women in Prison is Tied to Drugs and Sentencing Policies
- Online Event: "Prisoner Reentry: Facing the Challenges of Returning Home" on Nov. 9
- New Report from the Urban Institute: "Texas Prisoner's Reflections Returning Home"
- National Prison Commission Convenes in St. Louis
- Amnesty International Report: "Stonewalled: Police Abuse and Misconduct Against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People in the US"
- Occasional Series on Reentry Research: "The Role of Community Supervision in Prisoner Reentry" on Thursday, December 8
- 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
- New Jersey Appellate Division Decision Upholds Statute Denying Parolees and Probationers the Right to Vote
- Advancement Project: Information About Rules and Regulations for New Jersey Voting Requirements
"Second Chance Act" Will Receive Hearing in House of Representatives
The Second Chance Act of 2005 was recently introduced in the U.S. Senate and is scheduled to receive a hearing today, November 3rd, in the House of Representatives. The bill is designed to promote safe and successful prisoner re-entry. Its provisions include, among others: authorization of re-entry demonstration and mentoring grants to states; creation of a federal re-entry taskforce; and establishment of a national re-entry resource center. The Second Chance Act of 2005was introduced as H.R. 1704 earlier this year and has the broad bipartisan support of 88 co-sponsors.
New Report by Bureau of Justice Statistics: Increase of Women in Prison is Tied to Drugs and Sentencing Policies
Women made up 7 percent of all inmates in state and federal prisons last year and accounted for nearly one in four arrests, according to a new report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. The number of women incarcerated in state and federal prisons in 2004 was up 4 percent compared with 2003, nearly double the 1.8 percent increase among men, the study said. A co-author of the report, Paige Harrison, linked an upswing in the rate of arrest for women to increased participation in drug crimes, violent crimes and fraud. The Sentencing Project issued a statement that "The number of incarcerated women has been growing at a rate nearly double that of men, due in large part to sentencing policies in the war in drugs."
- » Download the report
- » Download the AP article
- » Download "Caught in the Net: the Impact of Drug Policies on Women and Families"
Online Event: "Prisoner Reentry: Facing the Challenges of Returning Home" on Nov. 9
A free online event to discuss the challenges former prisoners face in reintegrating into society and finding adequate housing upon release from prison is scheduled for November 9, 2005, from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. EDT. This online forum will tap the knowledge and experience of key leaders in reentry research and program development, highlight housing programs designed to assist returning prisoners, and discuss the resulting policy challenges for lawmakers. The forum will then be opened to allow attendees to ask questions of the panelists, and will feature: Jeremy Travis, President of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice; Terry Donahue, Associate Director of the Community Capacity Development Office, U.S. Department of Justice; and Georgia Lerner, Associate Executive Director for Program Operations at the Women's Prison Association.
National Prison Commission Convenes in St. Louis
The Commission on Safety and Abuse in America's Prisons held its third public hearing on November 1 - 2 in St. Louis, Missouri. The two-day hearing focused on corrections officers, their work environment, and conditions that jeopardize the safety of both officers and prisoners. Officers, administrators, former prisoners, and others described their personal experiences inside correctional facilities. Leading experts in the field will testify about problems and solutions nationally.
- » Go to the Prison Commission website for updates on the hearing
- » Get press release and other information about the hearing
New Report from the Urban Institute: "Texas Prisoner's Reflections Returning Home"
In 2002, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice released 58,949 people from prison across the state, nearly six times the number of people released in 1980. This report from the Urban Institute presents findings from surveys completed by 676 prisoners shortly before their release from Texas prisons and state jails and their return to the Houston area. It presents descriptive statistics on respondents' criminal, substance abuse, and employment histories; current health problems; in-prison programming experiences; relationships with family members; and expectation for release. The report's findings describe a population with extensive histories of substance use and criminal behavior, yet strong family ties and great optimism for what life will be like on the outside.
Amnesty International Report: "Stonewalled: Police Abuse and Misconduct Against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People in the US"
In a new report "Stonewalled: Police Abuse and Misconduct Against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People in the US," Amnesty International documents serious patterns of police misconduct and brutality-including abuses that amount to torture and ill-treatment-against LGBT individuals. Report findings include the profiling of LGBT individuals as criminal; selective enforcement of laws; sexual, physical and verbal abuse; and inappropriate searches and mistreatment in detention that remain commonplace, as does a lack of accountability.
Occasional Series on Reentry Research: "Families and Reentry" on Thurs., Dec. 8
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. Johnna Christian, Assistant Professor at Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice, will present her research focused on the impact of incarceration. Discussants will be Jeffrion Aubry, New York Assemblyman from the 35th Assembly District and the Chair of the Corrections Committee, and Elizabeth Gaynes, the Executive Director of the Osborne Association, a community-based organization in New York City serving individuals affected by incarceration. This series will take at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, located at 899 Tenth Ave (between 58th and 59th Sts.) in Room 630. RSVP to 212-484-1327 or write to dmukamal@jjay.cuny.edu.
Reminders!
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.
New Jersey Update:
New Jersey Appellate Division Decision Upholds Statute Denying Parolees and Probationers the Right to Vote
A New Jersey Appellate Division Court affirmed a lower court decision that upholds New Jersey's ban on voting for people serving a sentence for indictable offenses, or on probation or on parole. The plaintiffs had argued that the statute denied African-Americans and Hispanics equal protection under the law by diluting their political power due to the disproportionate impact of incarceration in those communities. The court opined that the New Jersey Constitution expressly permitted the ban despite its disproportionate impact, so long as the statute was "facially neutral" and was not enacted with the "invidious purpose" of denying suffrage to African Americans and Hispanics. The plaintiffs plan to appeal the decision.
- » Download the Appellate Court's Decision
- » Invitation to Join the Unlock the Vote Campaign (information about felony re-enfranchisement)
Advancement Project: Information About Rules and Regulations for New Jersey Voting Requirements
According to the Advancement Project, there is no uniform standard on how states should handle provisional ballots (i.e. if a person's name is not on the list of voters). For example, some states allow them to be counted even if they are cast in the wrong polling place. At least 16 states, including New Jersey, throw out the ballots if they are filed in the wrong precinct. Other requirements are outlined as well in the report, which is especially important for formerly incarcerated individuals whose voting rights have been recently restored.
- » Download the Advancement Projects Rules and Regulations
- » Get the form from the Attorney General's website
- » Related article: Advocacy Groups Tackle the Challenge of Registering NY Jail Inmates to Vote
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