Democrats Advance Bills Lifting Parole Requirements, Job Restrictions For Convicted Felons

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Donald Barbati

 

As reported by nj.com, parole requirements would be eased for some prisoners and job restrictions lifted for convicted felons under a package of bills that Democratic sponsors said Monday would redirect State funds from incarceration to rehabilitation.

The measures, introduced last week amid the start of the new legislative session and an address by the governor, were described by State Senators, Raymond Lesniak and Sandra Cunningham, the sponsors, as a way to revamp the criminal justice system by encouraging drug treatment and removing employment barriers.

One bill, S907, would require the State Parole Board to release inmates when they reached their parole eligibility date unless they had committed a serious infraction while in prison or had not participated in rehabilitation programs. As for the others: S881 would give judges and prosecutors greater discretion on who could be tried in a drug court. S876 would repeal the ban on convicted felons working in places where alcohol is sold. S878 would prohibit public and private employers from automatically disqualifying convicted felons from jobs.

The measures differ from the proposal put forward by Governor Chris Christie in his State of the State address, which called from mandatory drug treatment for nonviolent offenders. Lesniak said his legislation would not require drug treatment for those who did not want it because that would be counterproductive and costly.

Lesniak said the changes in parole requirements proposed by him and Cunningham could reduce the prison population by 2,300 inmates a year, saving about $100 million that could instead go toward preparing inmates for release by helping find jobs, housing, counseling, and other services. He also said he would like to see a 50 percent increase in drug court participation by giving judges and prosecutors more latitude in deciding who could be admitted.

Drug courts, started more than a decade ago, divert offenders from prison as long as they complete drug treatment programs. But the current program does not admit people who have committed several offenses even if they are not considered violent.

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Gov. Christie Signs Legislation Ending Early-Release Program

Posted on May 10, 2011 by Donald Barbati

 

As reported by nj.com, after two months of stinging recriminations and heated controversy, Governor Chris Christie signed legislation to end the early release of inmates. Christie has blamed the early-release program for two killings allegedly committed by former inmates allowed out of prison months ahead of schedule.

“From a public policy and public safety point of view, the statutory early-release law was a disaster,” he said in a statement. “Repeal should have happened 10 months ago, when we predicted and warned of the tragic circumstances that would follow if this law remained in effect.” Christie added, “Our communities and the safety of our citizens must get first consideration, and repeal of this law accomplishes that.”

The governor’s signature canceled the release of four inmates yesterday and 14 scheduled to be released today. About 400 inmates had been released early since the program began on January 3. 

A war of words broke out in March between Christie and Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson-Coleman, who sponsored the program, after it was disclosed that two former inmates had been charged with homicide after being released early. Christie blamed Watson Coleman for the deaths, while she said his administration failed to properly supervise former inmates.

Watson Coleman has argued that the program would improve public safety because inmates released early would be under state supervision rather than finishing sentences with no strings attached. Yesterday, she expressed concern that the state had “taken a step backward” in its effort to reduce recidivism.

The controversy over the early-release program dates to its signing by Governor Jon Corzine on his last day in office. When he approved Watson Coleman’s bill last year, Corzine attached a signing statement saying he expects the early-release provision “will not become effective.”

Christie and Watson Coleman have fought over what that meant. Coleman said she only committed to ensuring inmates were not released before their first parole dates; Christie said she broke her promise to roll back the entire program.

The bill signed by Christie yesterday also restores more discretion to the Parole Board, allowing it to determine an inmate’s parole eligibility rather than being required to review each case every three years. “These are decisions that belong not with the lawmakers but with professionals who have taken on this responsibility for decades,” Christie said.

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