SENATE BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

[First Reprint]

SENATE, No. 235

with Senate committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: FEBRUARY 10, 1997

      The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 235 (1R) of 1996 with amendments.

      Senate Bill No. 235 (1R), as amended, appropriates $7 million from the General Fund to the Department of Corrections for enhanced parole supervision in general ($5.4 million) and for the establishment of a sex offender parole unit within the Bureau of Parole ($1.6 million).

        The purpose of the appropriation for enhanced parole supervision is to enable the department to reduce the parole officer caseload by one-third. With these funds, the department could hire additional officers and provide them with needed equipment to perform the duties of their position.

      This committee amended the bill to specifically provide funds for a new sex offender parole unit. It is anticipated that the funds would be used for the salaries of parole officers, supervisors, and clerical staff, specialized training for the officers assigned to the unit, and vehicles and radios for each officer. It is anticipated that the officers in this new unit would have a maximum caseload of 25 persons.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS

      The committee amended the bill to designate $1.6 million of the $7 million appropriation specifically for the establishment of a sex offender parole unit within the Bureau of Parole.

FISCAL IMPACT

      This bill appropriates $7 million from the General Fund to the Department of Corrections: $5.4 million for enhanced parole supervision through the hiring of additional parole officers and purchase of needed equipment for those officers, and $1.4 million for the establishment of a new sex offender parole unit within the Bureau of Parole.