ASSEMBLY, No. 198
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
211th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2004 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman MARY T. PREVITE
District 6 (Camden)
Assemblyman WILLIAM D. PAYNE
District 29 (Essex and Union)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Weinberg, Assemblymen Greenwald, Barnes, Diegnan, Egan, Assemblywoman Watson Coleman, Assemblymen Conaway, Hackett, Green, Cryan, Assemblywomen Pou, Cruz-Perez, Assemblymen Steele, Conners, Gusciora, Roberts, R.Smith, Stanley, McKeon, Assemblywoman Stender, Assemblymen Caraballo, Blee, Chivukula, Fisher and Assemblywoman Greenstein
SYNOPSIS
Establishes "Commission to Examine Strategies for Strengthening Familial Bond Between Children and Incarcerated Parents."
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning children and incarcerated parents.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. There is established a Commission to Examine Strategies for Strengthening the Familial Bond Between Children and Incarcerated Parents.
The commission shall consist of 21 members as follows:
(1) two members of the Senate to be appointed by the President of the Senate who shall each be of different political parties;
(2) two members of the General Assembly to be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly who shall each be of different political parties;
(3) the Commissioners of Corrections, Education ,Community Affairs and Human Services ,the Chairman of the State Parole Board, and the Executive Director of the Juvenile Justice Commission, or their designees, who shall serve ex-officio;
(4) eight public members appointed by the Governor who shall include a representative of the Association for Children of New Jersey, a representative of Foster and Adoptive Family Services, a representative of Legal Services of New Jersey, a representative of the law enforcement community, a child protection services caseworker with experience in working with children of incarcerated parents, a licensed social worker with experience or expertise in working with incarcerated parents and their families, a parent of a child whose other parent is incarcerated, and a member of the clergy;
(5) a county probation officer appointed by the Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts with experience in working with incarcerated parents and their families; and
(6) two public members with an interest in children's issues, one of whom one shall be appointed by the President of the Senate and one shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly.
b. Vacancies in the membership of the commission shall be filled in the same manner provided for the original appointments. The public members of the commission shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for traveling and other miscellaneous expenses necessary to perform their duties, within the limits of funds made available to the commission for its purposes.
c. The commission shall organize as soon as practicable but no later than 60 days following the appointment of its members and shall select a chairperson and vice-chairperson from among the members. The chairperson shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the commission.
d. The commission may meet at the call of its chair and hold hearings at the times and in the places it may deem appropriate and necessary to fulfill its charge. The commission shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county or municipal department, board, bureau, commission or agency as it may require and as may be available to it for its purposes.
e. The commission may seek the advice of experts, such as persons specializing in the fields of psychology, education, criminal or family law or other related fields as deemed appropriate by the membership of the commission.
f. The Department of Corrections shall provide staff services to the commission.
2. a. The commission shall examine the policies, procedures and operations of the State and county correctional systems in order to develop recommendations regarding the most effective methods of: (1) developing strategies for strengthening the familial bond between children and incarcerated parents, when strengthening the familial bond is in the best interests of the child; and (2) reducing antisocial behavior and attachment disorders of children of incarcerated parents and the intergenerational cycle of criminality common among families of incarcerated parents.
b. The commission shall present a report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature no later than 12 months after the date of its initial meeting.
3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire on the 30th day after the commission presents its report to the Governor and the Legislature.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes a 21-member Commission to Examine Strategies for Strengthening the Familial Bond Between Children and Incarcerated Parents.
The membership of the commission shall consist of: two members each from the Senate and the General Assembly, including one member from each political party; the Commissioners of Corrections, Education, Community Affairs and Human Services, the Chairman of the State Parole Board and the Executive Director of the Juvenile Justice Commission, or their designees; eight public members appointed by the Governor who include: a representative of the Association for Children of New Jersey, a representative of Foster and Adoptive Family Services, a representative of Legal Services of New Jersey, a representative of the law enforcement community, a child protection services caseworker, a parent of a child whose other parent is incarcerated, a licensed social worker and a member of the clergy; a county probation officer appointed by the Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts; and two members of the general public with an interest in children's issues who shall be appointed by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the General Assembly, respectively.
The bill directs the commission to examine the policies, procedures and operations of the State and county correctional systems in order to develop recommendations regarding the most effective methods of: (1) developing strategies for strengthening the familial bond between children and incarcerated parents; and (2) reducing antisocial behavior and attachment disorders of children of incarcerated parents and the intergenerational cycle of criminality common among families of incarcerated parents.
The bill requires the commission to present a report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature no later than 12 months after its initial meeting and the commission shall dissolve 30 days after the issuance of the report.