ASSEMBLY JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 2037

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: NOVEMBER 7, 1996

      The Assembly Judiciary Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 2037.

      Under the provisions of N.J.S.A.30:8-44 and N.J.S.A.30:8-44.1, certain offenders sentenced to the county jail are allowed to participate in work release and vocational training release programs, upon order of the court. However, persons who are ordered by the family court to be incarcerated in the county jail on grounds of contempt of court are not eligible to participate in such programs under the current wording of these statutes.

      Thus, persons who are incarcerated for contempt on grounds that they failed to pay child support or to pay other court-ordered financial obligations are unable to earn money during their incarceration in order to pay those obligations.

      This bill would amend N.J.S.A.30:8-44 to clarify that family court judges may, in their discretion, allow persons incarcerated for contempt for their failure to pay child support or to comply with other court-ordered obligations to participate in work release or vocational training release programs.