March 30, 2021

 

 

Institute and 100 Groups Urge Gov. Murphy and Legislators to Support Youth Justice Reform Bill

Letter to Elected Officials and New Podcast Spell Out Necessity of Passing A4663/S2924

 

NEWARK – The New Jersey Institute for Social Justice and 100 other organizations today sent a letter to Gov. Murphy, Sen. President Steve Sweeney and Ass. Speaker Craig Coughlin urging them to support the Restorative and Transformative Justice for Youths and Communities Pilot Program bill (the “Restorative Justice bill”) (A4663/S2924). A full copy of the letter can be found here.

As part of an effort to radically transform New Jersey’s broken youth justice system, the Restorative Justice bill will establish a two-year pilot program in four communities (Camden, Newark, Trenton and Paterson) directly impacted by high rates of youth incarceration. The bill requires moving $8.4 million from New Jersey’s overfunded incarceration system to restorative justice pilot programs – an approach that focuses on building healthy relationships and resolving conflicts in communities to decrease youth involvement in the youth justice system. The bill envisions a cost-effective plan to reduce racial disparities and recidivism rates and implement less punitive and more restorative interventions. The new programs would support youth who are released from incarceration and help them – and other youth – succeed and stay out of the system.