FISCAL NOTE TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 373

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: July 2, 1996

      Assembly Bill No. 373 of 1996 would require that guilty sex offenders found to be compulsive and repetitive be sentenced to a facility other than the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center (ADTC) until such time as the Commissioner and the Special Classification Review Board (SCRB) find the offender amenable to treatment. At such time, the offender would be required to return to court for imposition of a sentence to ADTC for specialized treatment or placed on probation with a requirement for outpatient psychological or psychiatric treatment.

      The Department of Corrections states that during calendar year 1994 a total of 144 offenders were admitted to ADTC. Under the bill, a similar number of ADTC commitments would be required to begin their sentences at other facilities until found amenable to treatment.

      According to the department, this bill could significantly reduce overcrowding at ADTC within a year of its implementation. A continued decrease in the ADTC population would follow, which would stabilize at some unknown point. There may be some savings in operational costs related to shelter, however, the cost of therapeutic services would remain the same as it would be desirable to decrease the ratios of psychological personnel to inmates for more effective therapy. The current rate of inmate participation is more than 90 percent.

      The department notes that it cannot estimate the actual costs of implementing this bill. However, the following factors would influence these costs:

1) Currently, 94 inmates are housed in county jails awaiting a space at the ADTC. Space would have to be found for these inmates in other facilities to accommodate the diversion of repetitive, compulsive sex offenders until the offender is found to be amenable to treatment.

2) It would be necessary to hire additional counselors and/or psychologists at existing facilities to determine the inmates' amenability to treatment at ADTC.

3) Additional SCRB support staff would be necessary to monitor the treatment status of sex offenders housed at various facilities.

      The Office of Legislative Services concurs, but notes that because of the treatment offered at the ADTC, the cost of housing an inmate in the ADTC during FY 1996 was about $31,000, as compared to $26,000 to house an inmate in the general population. Therefore, a savings would be accrued by housing these inmates in other institutions until they prove to be amenable to treatment. The OLS also notes that because the department plans to reduce the therapist patient ratio, the cost per inmate at the ADTC should increase as a result of this bill.

This fiscal note has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67.