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
- Commission on Safety and Abuse in America's Prisons Releases Report of Findings and Recommendations >>
- Vera Institute of Justice Event: "Marked: The Effects of Race and Criminal Background on Finding a Job" on June 20 >>
- Reentry.Net Offers Two New Resources on Collateral Consequences >>
- Ballot Initiative in Rhode Island Could Restore Voting Rights to People with Criminal Convictions >>
- Open Society Institute Forum on Felon Disenfranchisement on June 20 >>
- Funding: Community Capacity Development Office is Seeking Applications for FY2007 Weed and Seed Programs >>
- ABC News Series Focuses on Prisoner Reentry Initiatives in Kansas >>
- Occasional Series on Reentry Research: "Locked Out: Felon Disenfranchisement and American Democracy" on June 16 >>
New Jersey Update:
- Package of Proposed Bills Targets Gangs >>
- NJISJ Job Opportunity: Reentry Policy Fellow, Prisoner Reentry Project >>
Commission on Safety and Abuse in America's Prisons Releases Report of Findings and Recommendations
On June 8, the Commission on Safety and Abuse in America's Prisons released "Confronting Confinement", a report of the Commission's findings and recommendations regarding violence and abuse in U.S. jails and prisons, the broad impact of those problems on public safety and public health, and how correctional facilities nationwide can become safer and more effective. The report reflects the Commission's work over more than a year - an inquiry that featured four public hearings in cities around the country where nearly 100 people testified, visits to jails and prisons, conversations with people about their experience of life behind bars, discussions with current and former corrections officials and experts working outside the profession, and a thorough review of available research and data.
- » Download the full report
- » Download the summary of findings and recommendations
- » Go to the website for more information
Vera Institute of Justice Event: "Marked: The Effects of Race and Criminal Background on Finding a Job" on June 20
Devah Pager, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Faculty Associate of the Office of Population Research at Princeton University, will present results from a novel study of employer behavior that sheds light on the extent of employment discrimination against minorities and people with criminal convictions. Teams of male testers with equivalent resumes were sent to apply for entry-level jobs in New York City. The study's findings suggest that employer discrimination along the lines of race, ethnicity, and criminal conviction status remains a salient source of inequality in contemporary urban labor markets. The event will take place at the Vera Institute of Justice at 233 Broadway, 12th Floor, NYC from 12:30 - 2:00 p.m. RSVP to zdinzeyflores@vera.org. Space is limited.
Reentry.Net Offers Two New Resources on Collateral Consequences
Visit Reentry.Net to access two important new resources on collateral consequences and reentry in New York State: "Reentry and Reintegration: The Road to Public Safety -- Report and Recommendations of the Special Committee on Collateral Consequences of the New York State Bar Association", and "Collateral Consequences of Non Criminal Adjudications", a report by the New York County Lawyer's Association which calls for the immediate creation of a procedure to address the collateral consequences of non-criminal convictions to petty offenses, and details the worsening problem of collateral consequences for non-criminals, particularly with the advent of electronic databases.
- » Go to Reentry.net
- » Go to "Reentry and Reintegration"
- » Go to "Collateral Consequences of Non Criminal Adjudications"
Ballot Initiative in Rhode Island Could Restore Voting Rights to People with Criminal Convictions
This coming November, Rhode Island voters will decide whether to restore the right to vote for persons with felony convictions after they leave prison. Rhode Island is joining several other states (Nebraska, Iowa, Kentucky) where lawmakers and advocacy groups are working to change laws that disenfranchise individuals with felony convictions who are on probation or parole. In May, the Senate approved the Rhode Island Restoration of Voting Rights Act, which, pending voter approval of the upcoming November ballot initiative, would require the Department of Corrections to initiate and streamline the restoration process. [The Sentencing Project]
- » Download the Rhode Island Restoration of Voting Rights Act
- » Read an article about a study of racial profiling in Rhode Island
Open Society Institute Forum on Felon Disenfranchisement on June 20
The Open Society Institute will host a panel discussion to address the effects of mass imprisonment on voting rights and democracy, along with national campaigns underway to challenge felon disenfranchisement policies in the courts, legislatures, and communities. Panelists include Sasha Abramsky, author; Monifa Bandele, The Right to Vote Campaign; Joseph "Jazz" Hayden, Lead Plaintiff in Hayden vs. Pataki; Marc Mauer, The Sentencing Project; and will be moderated by Kristen Levingston, Criminal Justice Program of the Brennan Center for Justice. Tuesday, June 20th 2006 at Open Society Institute, 3rd floor (Room 3AB) 400 West 59th Street, New York 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.RSVP to Nidia Córdova Vázquez at ncordova@sorosny.org
Funding: Community Capacity Development Office is Seeking Applications for FY2007 Weed and Seed Programs
The Community Capacity Development Office (CCDO), a division of the U.S. Department of Justice, has just announced that it is seeking applications for the FY 2007 Weed and Seed Communities Competitive Program, a community-based, comprehensive multi-agency approach to law enforcement, crime prevention, and neighborhood restoration. It is designed for neighborhoods with persistent high levels of serious crime and corresponding social problems. The Notice of Intent Deadline: June 29, 2006. Applications are not due until January 2007. [Reentry Policy Council]
ABC News Series Focuses on Prisoner Reentry Initiatives in Kansas
This week ABC News aired the first segment in a four-part series on prisoner re-entry. The ongoing series will discuss the wide range of challenges that people released from prison and jail face, as well as the increasing attention that prisoner re-entry has generated among policymakers across the country. The series will feature prisoner re-entry initiatives in Kansas, in particular the Shawnee County Reentry Program. In addition to following one person through the program, the story will spotlight U.S. Senator Sam Brownback, who has rallied a broad bipartisan coalition in both the House and Senate behind the Second Chance Act, federal legislation that would provide grants to states to develop prisoner re-entry programs.
Occasional Series on Reentry Research: "Locked Out: Felon Disenfranchisement and American Democracy" on June 16
The Occasional 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. On June 16, Professors Jeff Manza and Christopher Uggen will speak about their new book, "Locked Out: Felon Disenfranchisement and American Democracy (2006)". Brent Staples of The New York Times editorial board and Joseph "Jazz" Hayden, the lead plaintiff in the class action lawsuit challenging New York State's felon disenfranchisement laws, will also participate in the discussion. Books will be available for sale. This event will take place at 8:30am in Room 630 of the main building of John Jay College (899 Tenth Avenue, between 58th and 59th Streets). Space is limited. RSVP to Debbie Mukamal at dmukamal@jjay.cuny.edu or 212-484-1327).
New Jersey Update:
Package of Proposed Bills Targets Gangs
On May 22 a package of bills aimed at curtailing gang and gun violence in cities and towns throughout the state advanced through the Assembly. Taken together, the 17-bill package would toughen gun laws, offer more protection to crime witnesses and educate children about the perils of street gangs before the gangs lure them in. Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman, who spearheaded the bills through the lower house, called the measures "triage" for a gang violence epidemic. The bills now head to the Senate Law, Public Safety and Veterans Affairs Committee for consideration.
- » Go to the Senate Law, Public Safety and Veterans Affairs Committee
- » Read the article in North Jersey.com
NJISJ Job Opportunity: Reentry Policy Fellow, Prisoner Reentry Project
The New Jersey Institute for Social Justice is seeking a Reentry Policy Fellow to help drive its continuing Prisoner Reentry Project. The Fellow will assist in the development of new advocacy initiatives and implement of a diverse range of current projects. The position is described more fully in the attached job description.
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