SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 1188

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: NOVEMBER 17, 1997

      The Senate Judiciary Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 1188.

      Under the provisions of N.J.S.A.30:8-44 certain offenders sentenced to the county jail are allowed, under court order, to participate in work release and vocational training release programs. 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. 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.