New Jersey-2024-A4568-Introduced

An Act establishing a task force to examine certain issues related to juvenile justice.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. a. There is established the "Task Force on the Status of Juvenile Delinquency and Remediation."

b. The task force shall consist of 23 members as follows:

(1) four legislative members, who shall include two members of the Senate, who shall not be of the same political party, and two members of the General Assembly, who shall not be of the same political party. The President of the Senate, the Speaker of the General Assembly, the Minority Leader of the Senate and the Minority Leader of the General Assembly each shall appoint one legislative member.

(2) ten ex officio members or their designees, who shall include the following:

(a) the Attorney General;

(b) the Administrative Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts;

(d) the Commissioner of Education;

(e) the Commissioner of Children and Families;

(f) the Commissioner of Human Services;

(g) the Public Defender;

(h) the Superintendent of the Division of State Police;

(i) the Director of the Division of Criminal Justice; and

(j) the chair of the Governor's Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Committee;

(3) six public members appointed by the Governor, who shall include the following:

(a) a county prosecutor who has been recommended by the County Prosecutors Association of New Jersey;

(b) a representative of the New Jersey Association of County Youth Services Commission Administrators who has been recommended by the Juvenile Justice Commission;

(c) a representative of the Office of Local Programs and Services in the Juvenile Justice Commission who has been recommended by the Juvenile Justice Commission;

(d) a representative of the New Jersey Juvenile Officers Association;

(e) a person who, by training or experience, is knowledgeable regarding motor vehicle theft, and has been recommended by the Superintendent of the State Police;

(f) a representative of an organization that defends civil rights or promotes social justice; and

(4) three members of the public with experience in processing juvenile offenders, who may be retired Family Court judges or attorneys in private practice, to be appointed by the Administrative Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts.

c. The members of the task force shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties to the extent that funds are made available for that purpose.

2. a. All appointments to the task force shall be made within 90 days of the effective date of this act. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments. The task force shall elect a chairperson from among its members. The Juvenile Justice Commission shall provide staff and administrative support to the task force.

b. The chairperson shall call an initial meeting of the task force within 120 days of the effective date of this act. The task force may meet at the call of its chairperson at the times, and in the places it may deem appropriate and necessary to fulfill its duties, and may conduct public hearings at any place it shall designate. The presence of a majority of its members shall constitute a quorum.

c. The task force shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county or municipal department, board, bureau, commission, or agency as it may require and as may be available to it for its purposes.

d. The task force shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including legislative proposals, to the Governor and to the Legislature, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1) within 18 months of its initial organizational meeting.

3. The charge of the task force shall be to examine the cause of the recent increase in juvenile delinquency cases; identify possible legislative, executive and judicial remedies; and to assess coordination in the processing and rehabilitation of juvenile offenders. Specifically, the task force shall evaluate:

a. the increase in juveniles charged with serious offenses and the increase in repeat offenders, as assessed by the Judiciary;

b. the coordination and availability of noncustodial, post adjudication services, across all counties and vicinages in the State, including the needs of the Juvenile Justice Commission in meeting those demands;

c. the capability of existing detention and rehabilitation facilities, including contracted partner organization facilities, in meeting the current needs of the State's adjudicated delinquents; and

d. any other issue related to the furtherance of the State's commitment to the Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative, including a minimum age for adjudication, a legislatively mandated review of mitigating factors of youth for the purpose of sentencing, and the possibility of resentencing juveniles serving lengthy sentences that amount to lifetime incarceration without the possibility of parole.

4. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire 30 days after the submission of the report pursuant to subsection d. of section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

STATEMENT

This bill establishes the "Task Force on the Status Juvenile Delinquency and Remediation."

The task force is to consist of 23 members. Four legislative members are to be appointed to the task force including two members of the Senate and two members of the General Assembly. The task force is to have ten ex-officio members, including: the Administrative Director of the Courts; the Attorney General; the Executive Director of the Juvenile Justice Commission; the Commissioners of Education, Children and Families, and Human Services; the Public Defender; the Superintendent of the State Police; the Director of the Division of Criminal Justice; and the chair of the Governor's Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Committee. An additional six public members are to be appointed to the task force by the Governor, including a person knowledgeable of motor vehicle theft, and representatives of: the County Prosecutors Association of the State of New Jersey; the County Youth Services Commission Administrators; the Office of Local and Program Services within the Juvenile Justice Commission; the New Jersey Juvenile Officers Association; and an organization that defends civil rights or promotes social justice. Finally, three public members with experience in processing juvenile offenders, such as retired Family Court judges or attorneys in private practice, are to be appointed by the Administrative Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts.

The charge of the task force is to examine the cause of the recent increase in juvenile criminal activity and to identify legislative, executive and judicial remedies. Specifically, the task force is required to evaluate the increase in juvenile offenders charged with serious offenses and repeat offenders, the coordination and availability of post adjudication services across the State, the capability of existing facilities in meeting the current needs of adjudicated delinquents, and any other issues related to the furtherance of the State's commitment to the Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative.

This bill becomes effective immediately upon enactment. All appointments to the task force are to be made within 90 days of the bill's effective date and the task force will organize within 120 days of the bill's effective date. The task force will choose a chairperson from among its membership and will have administrative support from the Juvenile Justice Commission. The task force is entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county, or municipal department, board, bureau, commission or agency as it may require and as may be available to it for its purposes. Within 18 months of its initial organization meeting, the task force is required to submit a report of its findings, including any legislative proposals, to the Governor and the Legislature. The task force will expire 30 days after the submission of its report.