Bill Text: NJ A1403 | 2016-2017 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires halfway house employees to complete police training course.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-01-27 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee [A1403 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2016-A1403-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
217th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2016 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman GORDON M. JOHNSON
District 37 (Bergen)
SYNOPSIS
Requires halfway house employees to complete police training course.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning employees of halfway houses and supplementing chapter 17B of Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Within 180 days of the effective date of this act, the Police Training Commission in the Division of Criminal Justice in the Department of Law and Public Safety, in consultation with the Commissioner of Corrections, shall develop a training course for persons employed by a residential community release program in this State. The course shall, at a minimum, provide comprehensive and consistent training in maintaining a safe and secure environment, preventing violence, protecting inmates and staff, and limiting escapes and absconding. Every employee of a residential community release program whose duties involve regular contact with inmates, including employees who provide drug treatment, education, job training, medical, and other services preparing inmates to return to society, shall be required to satisfactorily complete the course.
b. The training course developed by the commission pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall be offered at each school approved by the commission to provide police training courses pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1961, c.56 (C.52:17B-66 et seq.). The commission shall ensure that a person assigned to instruct the course is proficient and experienced in the administration of residential community release programs.
c. The commission shall approve a training course for persons employed by a residential community release program offered by an entity other than the commission if the requirements of that course are substantially equivalent to the requirements set forth for the training course established by the commission as required by subsection a. of this section.
d. The commission shall award a certificate to each person who successfully completes the course.
e. The Police Training Commission, in consultation with the Commissioner of Corrections, shall adopt rules and regulations pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), to implement the provisions of this section.
2. a. Following the development of the training course required by section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) or 180 days following the effective date of this act, whichever occurs first, every person employed by a residential community release program shall satisfactorily complete the training within 90 days.
b. Following the development of the training course required by section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) or 180 days following the effective date of this act, whichever occurs first, any person hired by a residential community release program shall satisfactorily complete the training course prior to commencing employment at the facility.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would require employees in this State's residential community release programs, commonly referred to as halfway houses, to satisfactorily complete a training course developed by the Police Training Commission or a substantially equivalent course offered by another entity.
The training course must provide comprehensive and consistent training in maintaining a safe and secure environment, preventing violence, protecting inmates and staff, and limiting inmate escapes. Every employee of a residential community release program whose duties involve regular contact with inmates, including employees who provide drug treatment, education, job training, medical, and other services preparing inmates to return to society, would be required to take the course developed by the commission or a substantially equivalent course.
The Police Training Commission is required to develop the course within six months of the effective date of the bill. Once the course is developed, current halfway house employees would be required to complete the course within 90 days. Prospective employees would have to complete the course before commencing employment.
