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Introduction. Prisoner reentry—the
process of leaving prison and returning to society—has
become a pressing issue both in New Jersey and nationwide,
and with good reason. Rising incarceration rates over the
past quarter century have resulted in more and more inmates
being released from prison each year. Released prisoners,
their families, and the communities to which they return
must cope with the challenges of reentry on a much greater
scale than ever before. This program will consider the role
of mandatory sentencing and strict drug laws, the high cost
of incarceration to the state, as well as the impact on
families, communities, and economic and political life.
The impact of juvenile incarceration will also be addressed.8
Historical Incarceration and Release Trends.
New Jersey's incarceration and reentry trends are similar
to those observed at the national level. Between 1977 and
2002, the New Jersey prison population more than quadrupled,
increasing from 6,017 to 27,891 people. The per capita rate
of imprisonment in New Jersey rose from 76 to 331 per 100,000
residents in the state between 1980 and 2002, an increase
of over 336 percent.
The Growth in New Jersey's Prison Population is
Attributable to:
• longer lengths of stay in prison
• rise in arrests for drug offenses
• increased use of mandatory minimum sentences in
New Jersey
• rising number of individuals returned to prison
as a result of parole revocations (violations)
New Jersey's release patterns reflect these admission and
population trends: 14,849 prisoners were released from New
Jersey prisons in 2002, nearly four times the number released
in 1980 (3,910).
Profile of Prisoners Released in 2002.
The majority of released prisoners were male (91 percent)
and black (62 percent). The median age at release was 34
years. Over one-third had been serving time for drug offenses.
The average time served for those released for the first
time was just under two years. Thirty-nine percent were
incarcerated for a violation of parole. One-third had been
diagnosed with a physical or mental health condition. Educational
skills are severely limited. A vast majority had a history
of drug or alcohol abuse.
How Prisoners are Prepared for Release.
In-prison program availability is limited in New Jersey.
In 2001, 17 percent of all prison and jail inmates participated
in academic programming and six percent participated in
vocational programming provided by the Department of Corrections'
Office of Educational Services. Other work programs can
accommodate about 12 percent of the population. Therapeutic
substance abuse beds are available for about 6 percent of
the population.
How New Jersey Prisoners are Released.
In 2002, a majority, two-thirds, of all prisoners released
were released to a period of supervision. However, the number
and share of prisoners released without supervision in New
Jersey increased over the 1990s.
Geographic Distribution of Released Prisoners.
Almost one-third of prisoners released in 2002 came from
two counties—Essex (Newark) and Camden (Camden)—that
already face great economic and social disadvantage. The
median household income in the central cities of these two
counties is less than 50 percent of the statewide median
household income. Unemployment in the central cities of
these two counties is significantly higher than in the rest
of the state, and large shares of the population live in
poverty and in single parent households.
Cost to the Community. These high concentrations
of returning prisoners generate great costs to those communities,
including potential increases in costs associated with crime
and public safety, greater public health risks, and high
rates of unemployment and homelessness.
Cost to the State. Over the past 25 years,
spending on corrections and parole has grown at twice the
rate of the rest of the state budget. In fiscal year 1983,
the state spent just under $200 million on corrections,
parole, and the juvenile justice system. By fiscal year
2003, annual budgets for these departments had risen almost
six-fold to $1.1 billion. The state budget as a whole increased
threefold over this period. In fiscal year 2003, the budget
for the Department of Corrections was $858 million, or about
$28,000 per inmate.
New Jersey Awarded Grants. In July 2002,
the New Jersey State Parole Board was awarded $2 million
over three years from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office
of Justice Programs, as part of the federal government's
Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative, which supports
reentry initiatives nationwide. New Jersey will focus the
efforts of a number of state agencies on 200 juvenile and
100 adult offenders who are being released by the Juvenile
Justice Commission or the Department of Corrections.
New Jersey has also been selected as one of seven states
to participate in the Reentry Policy Academy of the National
Governors Association (NGA). The goal of this academy is
for state teams to craft reentry strategies for their respective
states. The aim is to reduce recidivism rates by improving
services provided to inmates and ex-offenders.
Topics for Discussion
• What are the reasons for the state's high incarceration
rates?
• What is the policy context surrounding prisoner
reentry in New Jersey?
• Are our policies keeping us safe?
• How do state sentencing and post-release supervision
practices affect reentry in New Jersey?
• What are the characteristics of New Jersey's returning
inmates?
• How are New Jersey prisoners prepared for reentry?
• What are the New Jersey communities with the greatest
concentrations of returning inmates?
• What are the economic and social climates of those
communities?
• What is the cost to the state for incarceration
of an inmate per year?
• What are alternative ways to spend monies to reduce
recidivism?
BACKGROUND
Comprehensive Drug Reform Act and Drug Free School Zones
In 1987, in response to what was seen as an escalating drug
problem, Governor Kean signed the Comprehensive Drug Reform
Act (CDRA), setting stringent mandatory minimum sentences
for drug offenders in New Jersey. This law has had a substantial
impact on the size and nature of the New Jersey prison population
by increasing the number of admissions for drug convictions,
and thereby increasing the share of the prison population
that consists of drug offenders. Under the CDRA, prison
sentences of three and five years are mandated for the distribution
of small amounts of controlled substances. Shorter sentences
are mandated for simple possession of controlled substances.
The expectation of the CDRA was that more drug offenders
would spend more time behind bars. Many offenders who would
have previously received a sanction of community service
or probation are subject to a mandatory a prison term under
CDRA.
One specific component of CDRA—the establishment
of Drug Free School Zones—contributed significantly
to the changing size and composition of the prison population.
The CDRA made the crime of possessing or distributing drugs
within 1,000 feet of a school subject to a mandatory prison
sentence. The definition of "drug free zones"
has since been expanded to include areas within 500 feet
of a public building, including public housing complexes
and areas around playgrounds and moving school buses.
Questions for Students:
• What are the reasons for the state's high incarceration
rates?
• What is the policy context surrounding prisoner
reentry in New Jersey?
• Are our policies keeping us safe?
• How do state sentencing and post-release supervision
practices affect reentry in New Jersey?
• What are the characteristics of New Jersey's returning
inmates?
• How are New Jersey prisoners prepared for reentry?
• What are the New Jersey communities with the greatest
concentrations of returning inmates?
• What are the economic and social climates of those
communities?
• What is the cost to the state for incarceration
of an inmate per year?
• What are alternative ways to spend monies to reduce
recidivism?
NEW JERSEY REENTRY ROUNDTABLE RECOMMENDATIONS:
"In order for any change to move forward there
must be sufficient political will, which depends in part
on greater public awareness and understanding of the issues
involved." (NJRR Report p. 8)
• Begin reentry preparation at entry.
It is suggested that a comprehensive screening and assessment
at intake including health and mental health issues. This
risk-assessment should be done at three points: intake,
during incarceration, and as part of the parole decision-making
process and transition planning.
• Manage the transition back home.
It is suggested that six to nine months prior to release
and for six to nine months post-release supervision is needed.
Community corrections beds need to be expanded to accommodate
more prisoners in transitioning back. Discharge planning
should occur for all prisoners.
• Remove unnecessary barriers to reentry
success.
Collateral sanctions barring participation in activities
and public welfare programs should be revisited. Current
statues prevent most ex-prisoners from participating in
state and federal educational loan programs and public welfare
assistance programs (TANF and GA) and suspending driver's
licenses, voting and jury service.
• Support neighborhood and families.
Create neighborhood-based interventions. Almost all individuals
incarcerated in the state of New Jersey - 95 to 97% - will
eventually return home. They return to poor and working
class urban neighborhoods that are already under considerable
economic and social strain.
• Use opportunities to cut costs and reallocate
resources.
Reduce returns to prison for "technical" parole
violations. Expanded services are needed including drug
treatment options, "halfway back programs," day
reporting centers. Sentencing reform is a key element in
this process.
• Create separate strategies for juvenile
reentry.
Families - broadly defined - need to be deeply involved
in the reentry process from the moment the juvenile is detained.
New Jersey should engage in a county-based statewide detention
alternatives initiative. Instead, half-way houses, etc.
should be developed as well as a greater use of drug courts".
Too often young people, especially minority youth from poorer
urban areas, are placed in detention unnecessarily.
• Address racial and ethnic disparities.
86% of prisoners are people of color. 18% are Hispanic and
the remaining 60% are African Americans.
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