SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

 

STATEMENT TO

 

SENATE, No. 1179

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

DATED: FEBRUARY 10, 1997

 

      The Senate Judiciary Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 1179.

      P.L.1995, c.9, created a comprehensive enforcement program to provide for the enforcement of court orders and to oversee the collection of court-ordered fines, assessments, surcharges and judgments. This bill would authorize the Office of the Public Defender to utilize the comprehensive enforcement program as a means of collecting moneys due to the State by way of reimbursement for services rendered by the Public Defender and filed as liens with the Superior Court.

      P.L.1995, c.9 also provided that no more than $550,000.00 per year of the funds deposited in the "Comprehensive Enforcement Program Fund" could be allocated for the comprehensive enforcement program. The bill would eliminate this provision.

      In addition to the establishment of the comprehensive enforcement court program, P.L.1995, c.9 authorized counties to establish labor assistance programs under the supervision of the sheriff to provide supervised physical labor as a sentencing alternative to incarceration or as a sentencing option if an offender fails to meet court imposed financial penalties. In counties which do not establish labor assistance programs, similar programs to be known as enforced community service supervised by the probation division have been established. Both types of programs presently charge offenders a $15.00 enrollment fee and a $2.00 per day fee for the offender's each day sentenced to the program. The bill would raise the enrollment fee to $25.00 and the per diem fee to $8.00.