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
- New Report from the Justice Policy Institute: "Disparity by Design: How Drug-Free School Zone Laws Impact Racial Disparity - and Fail to protect Youth" >>
- Urban Institute: Research Portfolio on Prisoner Reentry >>
- Re-Entry Policy Council: New Information and Resources on Housing and Reentry >>
- New Report from P/PV: "Just Out: Early Lessons from the Ready4Work Prisoner Reentry Initiative" >>
- U.S. Sentencing Commission: More Judges Deviate from Mandatory Sentences >>
- Funding: Department of Labor Announces Competition for $4 Million in Funding for Grassroots Organizations >>
- Nell Bernstein, Author of "All Alone in the World: Children of the Incarcerated" at John Jay College on April 3 >>
- Barnard Conference: "Engendering Justice: Prisons, Activism and Change," on April 7-8 >>
New Jersey Update:
- Cornwall Center at Rutgers-Newark: "Imprisonment's Social Consequences: Children, Family, Community" on April 10
- New Jersey's Breath-Test Switch Halted by Supreme Court
- Job Opportunity at The New Jersey Institute for Social Justice
New Report from the Justice Policy Institute: "Disparity by Design: How Drug-Free School Zone Laws Impact Racial Disparity - and Fail to protect Youth"
A new national report, authored by the Justice Policy Institute and commissioned by the Drug Policy Alliance, finds that drug-free zones fail to protect youth from drug activity, while creating high levels of racial disparity in the criminal justice system. "Disparity by Design: How drug-free zone laws impact racial disparity - and fail to protect youth" looks at drug-free zone laws across the country, including in Connecticut and New Jersey.
Urban Institute: Research Portfolio on Prisoner Reentry
In 2000, the Urban Institute launched a project to understand better the pathways of successful prisoner reintegration into society, the social and fiscal costs of current policies, and the effects of incarceration and reentry on former prisoners, their families, and communities. "Understanding the Challenges of Prisoner Reentry: Research Findings from the Urban Institute's Prisoner Reentry Portfolio," highlights UI's original research findings across several key dimensions of prisoner reentry. In addition, it points to recent and relevant reports published by UI that provide more in-depth research and related findings.
- » Download summary of findings
- » Download the full report
- » "A Portrait of Prisoner Reentry in New Jersey"
Re-Entry Policy Council: New Information and Resources on Housing and Reentry
Ensuring that people released from prison or jail find safe places to live is critical to reducing existing rates of homelessness and crime and to ensuring stable housing situations for the children, families, and neighbors of each released prisoner. But these same people often struggle to get and maintain access to appropriate housing because of individual and systemic obstacles. Several new resources are now available from the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH), the Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC), the Re-Entry Policy Council (RPC), and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for policymakers and practitioners seeking to address housing and re-entry issues.
New Report from P/PV: "Just Out: Early Lessons from the Ready4Work Prisoner Reentry Initiative"
"Just Out" examines the early implementation of Public/Private Ventures' prisoner reentry demonstration, Ready4Work, and reports on emerging best practices in four key program areas. While P/PV provided the basic program design to the 17 lead organizations participating in the project, each site was given creative latitude to build programs unique to their own organizations, resources, partnerships and missions. Through this work, many innovative and promising approaches to effective prisoner reentry emerged, as did challenges for which solutions were sought. "Just Out" offers practical advice about recruitment, case management, mentoring and employment, and documents early lessons in this growing area of study, policy and advocacy.
U.S. Sentencing Commission: More Judges Deviate from Mandatory Sentences
More judges appear to be using leeway granted by the U.S. Supreme Court to deviate from mandatory-minimum sentencing guidelines. A U.S. Sentencing Commission study of sentencing in the 13 months following the Supreme Court's advisory in the Booker case shows that deviations from the guidelines rose 10 percent, with most judges opting to issue sentences that are less harsh than those called for in mandatory-minimums statutes.
Funding: Department of Labor Announces Competition for $4 Million in Funding for Grassroots Organizations
The U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration has announced a $4 million grant competition for faith-based and community organizations to help hard-to-serve populations prepare for and succeed in employment opportunities. Services funded by the grants will focus on individuals who face significant hurdles to employment, including welfare recipients, high school dropouts and ex-offenders. Grantees will provide personalized care and supportive services, such as mentoring or life skills coaching, to enable individuals to fully utilize the employment services offered at local One-Stop Career Centers. The competition will close on May 2, 2006.
Nell Bernstein, Author of "All Alone in the World: Children of the Incarcerated" at John Jay College on April 3
On April 3, 2006, Nell Bernstein, author of "All Alone in the World: Children of the Incarcerated" will discuss her research with the children of incarcerated parents at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, located at 899 Tenth Avenue (between 58th and 59th Streets). This event, which will include a book signing, is being co-sponsored with the Women's Center and Women's Studies Committee at John Jay College and Justice Works and will take place between 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
Barnard Conference: "Engendering Justice: Prisons, Activism and Change," on April 7-8
The Barnard Center for Research on Women will host "Engendering Justice: Prisons, Activism and Change" on April 7th and 8th, a conference to investigate the causes and consequences of women's imprisonment both domestically and abroad. The conference will also seek to consider the ways in which incarceration is linked to race, class, education, national identity and gender conformity.
New Jersey Update:
Cornwall Center at Rutgers-Newark: "Imprisonment's Social Consequences: Children, Family, Community" on April 10
Dr. Paul Shane, Associate Professor, Department of Social Work, Rutgers University - Newark will present "Imprisonment's Social Consequences: Children, Family, Community," a "brown bag" luncheon seminar on Monday, April 10th between 12:00 and 1:30 pm at the Cornwall Center, Rutgers University at 47 Bleeker Street, Newark. RSVP to Irene Welch at 973-353-1750 ext. 221, or at irenew@andromeda.rutgers.edu.
New Jersey's Breath-Test Switch Halted by Supreme Court
According to the Star Ledger, New Jersey officials were poised to switch their roadside alcohol breath-testing technology from Breathalyzers to "Alcotest" devices, but the state's highest court put the brakes on the plan. The New Jersey Supreme Court put the change on hold until judges decide if the Alcotest 7110 is as accurate at identifying drunk drivers as the Breathalyzer was. Eleven of the states' 21 counties had made the switch in December when the Supreme Court announced that it would resolve controversy over the accuracy of the new device.
Job Opportunity at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice: Seeking An Employment Specialist for the "New Careers" Project
As part of its new Newark-based employment initiative for people returning to Essex County from state and federal prisons, NJISJ announces a unique opportunity for a motivated individual who has a background in human resources, marketing, or developing jobs for persons disadvantaged in the job market.
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