NEW JERSEY PASSES SWEEPING REENTRY LEGISLATION

To Stop the Revolving Door of Recidivism, Strengthen Families and Cut Costs to Taxpayers

TRENTON, NJ – The New Jersey Legislature passed a historic package of bills – with broad bipartisan support – that will stop the revolving door of recidivism, strengthen families and cut costs to taxpayers by preparing incarcerated individuals for work and removing barriers to work after they are released from prison. The bills have been sent to Governor Corzine for his signature into law.

The sponsor of the three bills (A4197/S1347, A4202/S11, and A4201/S502), Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Mercer), partnered with the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice and its Second Chance Campaign of New Jersey to convene a year-long series of ‘Counting the Costs’ public hearings to create the legislation, which The New York Times called, “a model for the rest of the nation.” The Institute has been the state leader on these issues since 2002, when it convened the New Jersey Reentry Roundtable, which provided policymakers and practitioners with a comprehensive blueprint of reforms designed to enhance public safety and save taxpayer dollars.

“After a certain point, the public can’t sustain throwing money at a problem and failing all the while talking about being tough on crime,” says Cornell William Brooks, Executive Director of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice. “The best way to be tough on crime is to reduce it – this historic legislation is tough on crime because it will do just that: reduce it. We do not have lives or tax dollars to waste. Equipping ex-offenders to become responsible citizens, productive workers, and taxpayers means not only safety but savings.”

“Those who violate our laws will still serve their time – that will not change under these new laws,” says Assembly Majority Leader Watson Coleman. “But the way they serve prison time will change as they will be prepared to reenter society as productive citizens, which will save lives and taxpayer dollars.” Highlights of the bill provisions include:

Strengthening Women and Families Act (A4197/S1347)

• Lifts the ban on food stamps and TANF benefits for individuals with felony drug convictions who have dependent children, which will leverage federal funding, saving state dollars, to support families as well as provide federal dollars to support treatment to keep addicts off drugs, away from crime, and from returning to prison.

• Establishes a commission to strengthen bonds between incarcerated parents and their children.

• Encourages incarcerated individuals to be placed in facilities as close as possible to family.

Education and Rehabilitation Act (A4202/S11)

• Requires the New Jersey Department of Corrections (NJDOC) to ensure that incarcerated individuals attain the 12th-grade education proficiency level.

• Reviews vocational programs in order to meet demand job skills and standards.

• Places all incarcerated individuals with less than two years before release in community corrections.

Reduction of Recidivism Act (A4201/S502)

• Provides individuals leaving prison with written notification of fines, outstanding warrants, voting rights, and expungement options; a government-issued ID card; birth certificate; a list of prison programs participated in; medical records; Social Security card; medication; a one-day bus or rail pass; and a rap sheet.

• Eliminates the post-release Medicaid enrollment gap.

• Requires the NJDOC to report to the Governor and Legislature on the results of recidivism-reducing measures.

Read News Stories:

N.J. Legislature approves welfare benefits, job training for ex-offenders

By Chris Megerian/Statehouse Bureau

January 11, 2010, 6:44PM

TRENTON -- Lawmakers approved today three bills aimed at reducing the number of former inmates returning to prison. The legislation (A4202 and A4197) would allow ex-offenders to receive welfare benefits and require most inmates to receive job training and high school educations while behind bars. The third bill (A4201) would ensure inmates receive copies of personal documents like birth certificates upon release.

~~~

N.J. job training programs reduce risk of relapse, ex-inmate says

By Sharon Adarlo/The Star-Ledger

January 10, 2010, 5:05PM

TRENTON -- Arthur Townes robbed people to feed his drug habit and landed in prison as a result. While incarcerated, he received counseling and job training that helped him turn his life around. Now Townes and other ex-inmates are encouraging the state Legislature to approve a package of bills tomorrow that would create and expand similar counseling and job training programs to help others and reduce the recidivism rate. See Arthur Townes in Voices of Hope Productions Video on reentry.

SIGN THE PETITION FOR PRISONER RE-ENTRY REFORM IN NJ

To: The Governor of NJ, The NJ State Senate and The NJ State House

A sweeping bill package sponsored by six Assembly Democratic legislators, lead by Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, to improve rehabilitation in New Jersey prisons and to save taxpayer dollars by cutting recidivism and giving released inmates an improved chance of success was advanced Monday November 22, 2009 by an NJ Assembly panel. Make sure that needed criminal justice policy changes take place under this administration!

Show NJ Legislators the support for YOUR Public Safety and Prisoner Reentry Bills:

A4197 – Strengthening Women and Families Act
A4198 – Post-Release Employment Act
A4199 – Administration of Correctional Facilities Act
A4201 – Reduction of Recidivism Act
A4202 – Education and Rehabilitation Act
A4203 – Criminal Penalties Act

or, Start a Petition

Change.org

NOVEMBER 20: PUBLIC SAFETY & RE-ENTRY PANEL DISCUSSION

~Frank Talk Panel Discussion Series~
Arrested Development: Prison vs. Education, Who’s Footing the Bill?

Friday, November 20th @ 7:00 p.m.
FRANK TALK ART, BISTRO & BOOKS
163 Shrewsbury Avenue, Red Bank, NJ

• 95% of those incarcerated will be released

• $1.2 billion/yr. on corrections with a 67% re-arrested within 3 years of release (costing $39k/inmate)

• People of color comprise just 28% of the population but account for 83% of the prison population

• The average person in NJ prisons functions at grade 6th reading level and grade 5th math level; only 2% of corrections budget is spent on educational programming

• NJ ranked 44/50 US States in a national report card for the number of barriers to successful reentry/reintegration

• 50% are nonviolent and New Jersey has the highest proportion of nonviolent drug offenders in the nation

Such alarming statistics should be enough to arouse your interest.
This is a very important topic in righting societal ills. Learn about how you can help support legislation that is being put forth to aid in the re-entry process for inmates. A coalition to reform our prison system starts here. Short film to be screened with community discussion to follow.

PANELISTS:

• NJ State Senator Jennifer Beck, District 12, Judiciary Committee
• Vincent Baker, Owner, Jennies Restaurant
• Lori Ersolmaz, President, Voices of Hope Productions











WHERE: FRANK TALK ART BISTRO & BOOKS
Friday, November 20th @ 7:00 p.m.
163 Shrewsbury Avenue, Red Bank, NJ
Where art, culture and good conversation are always on the menu

Snacks and refreshments to be served

Call (201) 320-4920 or email lorihope732@gmail.com to get more information and to RESERVE YOUR SEAT

Sponsors: Frank Talk Art, Bistro and Books and Voices of Hope Productions

Illustrations by: Todd Hyung-Rae Tarselli

RE-ENTRY LEGISLATION

After years of work, Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman has put together a comprehensive package of bills, which reflects the tremendous outpouring of information, experience, expertise, and recommendations that were made by citizens across the state at the “Counting the Costs” public hearings.

These bills simply cannot make it through both houses of the Legislature without your help! To ensure that the bills get passed, you need to take action now by doing two simple and immediate things:

1) The legislative leadership needs to hear from you directly. They will be the first to see these bills and so it is critical for them to know the level of strong support behind the bills. Therefore, it is urgent that you call your local legislators and soon as possible and tell them: “Please support the following six bills, which will enhance our public safety and save our taxpayer dollars: A4197, A4198, A4199, A4201, A4202, A4203.”

Find local legislators in your municipality.

An attached handout has detailed information about the bills as well as speaking points that can be used to educate others.

2) Forward this information to as many of your colleagues, friends and family as you possibly can, including placing in list servs, newsletters, blogs, fliers, meeting agendas, etc.

Read what some people who participated in the Counting the Costs public hearings had to say.

Proposed Bills
Strengthening Women and Families Act (A4197)
Post-Release Employment Act (A4198)
Administration of Correctional Facilities Act (A4199)
Reduction of Recidivism Act (A4201)
Education and Rehabilitation Act (A4202)
Criminal Penalties Act (A4203)

For more information visit the Second Chance Campaign website.

Carrying on a Legacy - Representative Patrick Kennedy

I first met Congressman Patrick Kennedy a few years ago at a hearing in Trenton. At that time he was traveling around the country meeting with ordinary citizens to hear their mental health and addiction-related stories as well as their difficulties in getting appropriate healthcare treatment. The Congressman was the chief sponsor of and reintroduced a bill named The Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act, a landmark legislation that became law in 2008. The Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act ensures that mental health benefits are offered at parity with medical benefits, providing access to mental health services for approximately 113 million Americans. This legislation sought the breakdown of discrimination in insurance coverage for mental health compared to physical health care. No small feat. Especially since it took over ten years to pass the legislation.

Patrick Kennedy, a Democrat of Rhode Island saw the bill as a civil rights issue and openly described his own drug dependence and depression as a mental illness and felt fortunate as a Congressman to get the best healthcare treatment for his own problems and wanted to make sure every American could receive the same level of healthcare. This sounds quite reminiscent of his father Edward Kennedy.

The media eulogies abound this week for Senator Ted Kennedy, rightly so. However, repeatedly we are being told that the Senator is the last in the line of the Kennedy family legacy. Why do they not refer to Patrick Kennedy? If anyone will continue the work of Senator Teddy Kennedy it will be his son, Patrick. Patrick Kennedy sits on the Subcommittees on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; and on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs. He is also a member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and has introduced several bills which would strengthen laws regarding handguns. He may not have the same dynamic personality as his father, but I can say he was very warm and kind when I met him.

The next time someone in the media acts like there is no one left in the Kennedy family to continue the legacy or replace Edward, let us consider Patrick Kennedy and recognize that he has the political where-with-all to continue empathetic and realistic work on healthcare reform and other social issues. But the values and principles of Senator Ted Kennedy can-and-should be realized in each of us as American citizens, as well.

VOICES OF HOPE LAUNCHES 2 VIDEOS FOR NONPROFIT GROUPS

Voices of Hope Production has had a busy 4th quarter.

Working with New Jersey Community Capital we directed and produced Invest in Change, recently screened at their 20th Anniversary event held at the Newark Museum in October. New Jersey Community Capital (NJCC) is a community development financial institution (CDFI) that invests in communities throughout New Jersey by providing loans to Non profit organizations, small businesses and Charter schools. They provide capital for affordable housing, education, as well as cultural and health services in low income communities that are in need of development funding. This short film serves to educate individuals, foundations, non profit organizations, NGOs, faith-based groups and corporations about how to invest in the state, get back a rate of return on their investment, as well as how to become a socially responsible investor. The video is being used as part of a larger strategy to encourage more people to invest in change in New Jersey. Download NJCC's Annual Report to learn about social investing.




Voices of Hope Productions also worked with NCADD-NJ and Parent to Parent to develop a grassroots video of a rally held in southern New Jersey. Parent to Parent Moms, some of whom have had their children die of addiction because of treatment limits imposed by health insurers, rallied outside Speaker Joe Roberts legislative district office. They delivered a letter urging mental health and parity legislation be posted for a vote and that no amendments be included that would compromise the coverage and protections the bill provides for. This grassroots video illustrates the importance of ordinary citizens getting their message out to elected officials and then using the media tools available today to get wider coverage than they if they relied only on traditional news media. The video and the news coverage was emailed to over 10,000 people, including all the legislators in New Jersey, and is also posted on Youtube.