As reported by nj.com, Governor Chris Christie told a town hall crowd in Westwood why he thinks reforming the state’s criminal justice system will save money and reduce the number of repeat offenders.

This week he said he will release details about the mandatory drug treatment program for nonviolent offenders first unveiled in his State of the State address. He’s also pushed for a constitutional amendment that would give judges at the state level the discretion to consider not only “risk of flight” but also “dangerousness to the community” when setting bail, as federal judges do today.

Violent criminals often make bail immediately, “and oftentimes they’re back out on the street before the officer who arrested them leaves their shift,” he said. “This is incredibly demoralizing to the police.” The situation also leads to witness intimidation and makes it more difficult for prosecutors to win convictions.

Christie joked that when he was U.S. Attorney, people would ask him if New Jersey was the most corrupt state, and he would say, “Thank God for Illinois and Louisiana.”