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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NJ Reentry Digest:
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IN THIS ISSUE
New Jersey Update:- New Jersey Commission to Review Criminal Sentencing will Announce Findings at Dec. 7 Press Conference
- State Assembly's Law and Public Safety Committee Will Hold Hearings on Monday, Dec. 5
- NYC Commission on Human Rights to Host "Race at Work - Realities of Race and Criminal Record in the NYC Job Market" on Dec. 9
- National Commission on Safety and Abuse in America's Prisons Releases Transcript of November Hearings
- Proposals Solicited for the W.E.B. DuBois Fellowship from the National Institute of Justice
- Update from Re-Entry Policy Online: Congressional Action Delayed on the Second Chance Act of 2005
- New Report Highlights Limited Impact of Incarceration on Crime
- Reminder! Occasional Series on Reentry Research: "Families and Reentry" on Thurs., Dec. 8
New Jersey Update:
New Jersey Commission to Review Criminal Sentencing will Announce Findings at Dec. 7 Press Conference
In 2004, the Legislature established the New Jersey Commission to Review Criminal Sentencing to evaluate this state's sentencing laws for fairness and proportionality. The Commission has finalized a comprehensive report on the impact and effectiveness of, among other things, New Jersey's controversial "drug-free zone" laws. This represents the first study of these provisions since their enactment, and will be formally released by the Commission during a press-conference on Wednesday, December 7, 1:30 p.m. at the New Jersey State House, Conference Room 1.
State Assembly's Law and Public Safety Committee Will Hold Hearings on Monday, Dec. 5
The New Jersey State Assembly's Law and Public Safety Committee will hold hearings on Monday, Dec. 5 at the State House Annex in Trenton. The meeting will take place in Committee Room 12 on the 4th floor. On tap are proposed bills A4465 (Reducing Certain Drug Free School Zones); A4466 (Revises Juvenile Detention Criteria); and A4467 (Creates Permanent Sentencing Commission).
NYC Commission on Human Rights to Host "Race at Work - Realities of Race and Criminal Record in the NYC Job Market" on Dec. 9
The New York City Commission on Human Rights will host this discussion, which will include Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton; Professors Bruce Western and Devah Pager from Princeton University; Glen Martin, co-director of the National H.I.R.E. Network; and others. The event will take place on Dec. 9 from 9:00 am to 11:30 am at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture located at 135th Street and Malcolm X Blvd in New York. To RSVP call 212-306-7427.
National Commission on Safety and Abuse in America's Prisons Releases Transcript of November Hearings
On November 1st and 2nd, the Commission on Safety and Abuse in America's Prisons convened in St. Louis, Missouri, to hear testimony about issues surrounding the work of corrections officers, with a focus on the conditions that jeopardize the health and safety of both officers and prisoners and how to remedy those problems. A transcript of the proceedings is now available on the Commission's web site.
Proposals Solicited for the W.E.B. DuBois Fellowship from the National Institute of Justice
Proposals are being accepted for the 2006 The W.E.B. DuBois Fellowship Program. The Program seeks to advance the field of knowledge regarding the confluence of crime, justice, and culture in various societal contexts and places particular emphasis on crime, violence, and the administration of justice in diverse cultural contexts. The deadline is February 1, 2006.
Update from Re-Entry Policy Online:
Congressional Action Delayed on the Second Chance Act of 2005
Following recent Congressional activity on the Second Chance Act of 2005 (H.R. 1704/S. 1934), including the bill's introduction in the Senate and a hearing before the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, Congressional leaders have indicated that further action on the bill will be delayed until Congress reconvenes in 2006. Although the bill enjoys broad bipartisan support from members in both the House and Senate, the Second Chance Act will not be passed in either Chamber before the end of this calendar year. Despite the delay, key Congressional leaders expect the bill to pass sometime during the 109th Congressional session, which ends December 2006.
- » Go to Re-Entry Policy Online's Second Chance Act informational resources
- » Get more information from co-sponsor Rep. Danny Davis on the Second Chance Act of 2005
New Report Highlights Limited Impact of Incarceration on Crime
A new report by The Sentencing Project, "Incarceration and Crime: A Complex Relationship" provides a comprehensive analysis of research conducted on the relationship between incarceration and crime, and concludes that assertions of the impact of prison on the reduction of criminal offending have been overstated. As policymakers continue to struggle with the legacy of a prison population that has been growing steadily for more than three decades, this report suggests an urgent need for the reconsideration of the current sentencing and parole policies.
Reminder: 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.
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