ASSEMBLY, No. 244

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

By Assemblyman GARCIA

An Act establishing the Office of Hispanic Services within the Department of Corrections and making an appropriation therefor.

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1. a. There is hereby established in the Department of Corrections the Office of Hispanic Services.

    b. The Office of Hispanic Services shall :

    (1) Provide for program assistance, monitoring, and evaluation in order to meet the specific needs of the department's Hispanic population;

    (2) Provide technical assistance in the development of programs designed to meet the social rehabilitative needs of Hispanic offenders incarcerated in the State or county correctional facilities;

    (3) Assist with the orientation and clinical assessment of Hispanic inmates at the department's inmate reception centers;

    (4) Enhance the provision of psychological and other services to the Hispanic inmate population;

    (5) Provide translation services, on behalf of the department to Hispanic inmates and their families and communities;

    (6) Provide research and data analysis information for the department's planning efforts for special inmate populations;

    (7) Provide educational and training experiences to the staff to assist them in servicing Hispanic inmates;

    (8) Assist in the development of an effective marketing and recruitment program to attract Hispanic employees to the department;

    (9) Provide the department's personnel with an information center regarding issues and concerns with respect to Hispanics and other people of color; and

    (10) Provide the Hispanic community, and other interested entities, with an authorized, identifiable unit within the department concerned with matters pertaining to corrections and Hispanics.

    c. As used in this act, "Hispanic" means a person of Spanish or

Portuguese culture, with origins in Mexico, South or Central America, or the Caribbean Islands, regardless of race.

    2. There is appropriated the sum of $350,000.00 to effectuate the purposes of this act.

    3. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This bill statutorily establishes the Office of Hispanic Services within the Department of Corrections. This office, which has been operated by the department with the aid of federal funding until FY 1995, was not recommended to receive State funding in FY 1995. As a result, it is in danger of elimination. By statutorily establishing this office, the bill guarantees that the Department of Corrections will continue the activities conducted by the Office of Hispanic Services, despite the loss of federal funds. The bill appropriates $350,000 to replace the lost federal funding.

Statutorily establishes the Office of Hispanic Services within the Department of Corrections and appropriates $350,000.