SCR144

A Concurrent Resolution establishing a commission on reentry services for prisoners.

Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey (the General Assembly concurring):

1. There is established the “Commission on Reentry Services.”

a. The commission shall consist of the following 14 members:

(1) a representative of a civil rights organization, who shall be appointed by the President of the Senate;

(2) two representatives of reentry programs, one of whom shall be appointed by the President of the Senate and one of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly;

(3) a representative of organized labor, who shall be appointed by the President of the Senate;

(4) a representative of an organization committed to eradicating income inequality in this State, who shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly;

(5) a representative from a healthcare organization, who shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly;

(6) a representative of the SAA/EVI, who shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly;

(7) an attorney with expertise in prisoner reentry issues, who shall be appointed by the President of the Senate;

(8) two representatives from the business industry, one of whom shall be appointed by the President of the Senate and one of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly;

(9) a representative of an organization whose members provide mental health and substance use treatment services, who shall be appointed by the President of the Senate;

(10) a representative with expertise in neuroscience and behavioral modification, who shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly;

(11) a representative of the law enforcement community, who shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; and

(12) a representative of the employment and training industry, who by experience or training has expertise in prisoner reentry issues, who shall be appointed by the President of the Senate.

b. The members of the commission shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties to the extent that funds are made available for that purpose.

2. a. The commission shall organize within 30 days of the appointment of its members. The commission shall elect a chairperson from among its members, and the chairperson shall select a secretary who need not be a member of the commission.

b. The commission may meet at the call of its chairperson at times and in the places it may deem appropriate and necessary to fulfill its duties, and may conduct public hearings at any place it shall designate.

c. The commission may request at these hearings the appearance of officials of any State agency or political subdivision of the State and may solicit testimony of interested groups and the general public.

d. 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, and to employ stenographic and clerical assistance and incur traveling and other miscellaneous expenses necessary to perform its duties, within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to it for its purposes.

e. Five members of the commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

3. The commission shall examine issues relating to prisoner reentry, including, but not limited to, identifying specific services that are necessary for successful reentry, identifying current obstacles to prisoners receiving these services, and proposing solutions to remove these obstacles. The commission specifically shall examine the following areas and services:

a. the psychological profile of the prisoner, including the psychological health of prisoners and methods to minimize psychological damage;

b. housing, including halfway houses and residential housing;

c. employment;

d. education and training;

e. employment training and workforce development;

f. addiction and substance abuse treatment, including drug treatment for individuals released from State and county correctional facilities; specifically the length of drug treatment and access to medication assisted treatment, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), and intensive outpatient programs;

g. medical and mental health treatment;

h. access to legal assistance and current legal restrictions that create barriers to successful reentry;

i. integration of corrections, parole, and reentry, including the use of parole and supervision; and

j. coordination with faith-based services.

4. The commission shall prepare and submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including legislative proposals, to the Governor and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1) no later than 18 months after the organizational meeting of the commission. The commission shall expire upon submission of this report.

5. This concurrent resolution shall take effect immediately and shall expire when the report required in section 4 of this resolution is issued.

STATEMENT

This concurrent resolution establishes the “Commission on Reentry Services” to examine issues relating to prisoner reentry, including, but not limited to, identifying specific services that are necessary for successful reentry, identifying current obstacles to prisoners receiving these services, and proposing solutions to remove these obstacles.

Specifically, the commission is required to examine the following areas and services: (1) the psychological profile of the prisoner, including the psychological health of prisoners and methods to minimize psychological damage; (2) housing, including halfway houses and residential housing; (3) employment; (4) education and training; (5) employment training and workforce development; (6) addiction and substance abuse treatment, including drug treatment for individuals released from State and county correctional facilities; specifically the length of drug treatment and access to medication assisted treatment, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), and intensive outpatient programs; (7) medical and mental health treatment; (8) access to legal assistance and current legal restrictions that create barriers to successful reentry; (9) integration of corrections, parole, and reentry, including the use of parole and supervision; and (10) coordination with faith-based organizations.

The 14 member commission is to be comprised of a representative of a civil rights organization, appointed by the President of the Senate; two representatives of reentry programs, one of whom is to be appointed by the President of the Senate and one of whom is to be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; a representative of organized labor, appointed by the President of the Senate; a representative of an organization committed to eradicating income inequality in this State, appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; a representative from a healthcare organization, appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; a representative of the SAA/EVI, appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; an attorney with expertise in prisoner reentry issues, appointed by the President of the Senate; two representatives from the business industry, one of whom is to be appointed by the President of the Senate and one of whom is to be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; a representative of an organization whose members provide mental health and substance use treatment services, appointed by the President of the Senate; a representative with expertise in neuroscience and behavioral modification, appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; a representative of the law enforcement community, appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; and a representative of the employment and training industry, who by experience or training has expertise in prisoner reentry issues, appointed by the President of the Senate.

The commission is required to organize within 30 days of the appointment of its members. A chairperson is to be elected by its members and a secretary is to be selected by the chairperson. Five members of the commission would constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Members of the commission are to serve without compensation, but they are to be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in performing their duties for the commission.

The commission is required to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including legislative proposals, to the Governor and the Legislature within 18 months of its organizational meeting. The commission will expire upon submission of the report.