Bill Text: NJ S3355 | 2022-2023 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes "Task Force for Community Based Juvenile Rehabilitation."
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-12-01 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Law and Public Safety Committee [S3355 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2022-S3355-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator SHIRLEY K. TURNER
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes "Task Force for Community Based Juvenile Rehabilitation."
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing a "Task Force for Community Based Juvenile Rehabilitation."
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. There is established a task force to be known as the "Task Force for Community Based Juvenile Rehabilitation" whose charge shall be to provide recommendations for minimum and maximum ages for prosecution in juvenile court, consistent with developmental science and practices in other states. The task force shall also examine and make recommendations to address any ongoing racial disparities in the prosecution and sentencing of juveniles.
b. The task force shall consist of 17 members as follows:
(1) The Attorney General, ex-officio, or a designee;
(2) A representative of the Juvenile Justice Commission, appointed by the Governor;
(3) A representative of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, appointed by the Governor;
(4) A representative of the Division of Criminal Justice, appointed by the Governor;
(5) The Public Defender, ex-officio, or a designee;
(6) The Commissioner of the Department of Children and Families, ex-officio, or a designee;
(7) The Commissioner of Education, ex-officio, or a designee;
(8) A retired Family Court Judge, to be chosen by the Administrative Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts;
(9) The Chair of the Governor's Juvenile Justice Delinquency and Prevention Committee;
(10) One member appointed by the President of the Senate;
(11) One member appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly;
(12) A representative from the County Youth Services Commission Administrators, appointed by the Governor; and
(13) Two representatives who have been involved with the New Jersey juvenile justice system, appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the General Assembly;
(14) A representative from the New Jersey State Policemen's Benevolent Association Local 105, the Correctional Police Officer's Union, appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the President of the New Jersey State Policemen's Benevolent Association Local 105;
(15) A representative from the Criminal and Youth Justice Clinic at Rutgers, The State University, School of Law, Newark, appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; and
(16) A representative of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, appointed by the President of the Senate.
c. All appointments to the task force shall be made within 30 days of the effective date of this act. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments. The task force shall choose a chairperson from among its members. The chairperson shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the task force. The members of the task force shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed, within the limits of funds made available to the task force, for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.
d. The chairperson shall call an initial meeting of the task force within 60 days of the effective date of this act and hold hearings at the times and in the places it may deem appropriate and necessary to fulfill its charge. 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. The presence of a majority of the members shall constitute a quorum.
e. The task force may seek the advice of experts as deemed appropriate by the membership of the task force.
f. The task force shall hold three public hearings: one hearing in each of the northern, central, and southern regions of the State.
g. The task force shall issue a report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and to the Legislature, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), within one year of the effective date of this act.
2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire upon the submission of the report pursuant to subsection g. of section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
STATEMENT
This bill establishes the "Task Force for Community Based Juvenile Rehabilitation." Under the bill, the charge of the task force is to provide recommendations for minimum and maximum ages for prosecution in juvenile court, consistent with developmental science and practices in other states. The task force is also required to examine and provide recommendations to address any ongoing racial disparities in the prosecution and sentencing of juveniles.
The task force is to consist of the following 17 members: 1) the Attorney General, ex-officio, or a designee; 2) a representative of the Juvenile Justice Commission, appointed by the Governor; 3) a representative of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, appointed by the Governor; 4) a representative of the Division of Criminal Justice, appointed by the Governor; 5) the Public Defender, ex-officio, or a designee; 6) the Commissioner of the Department of Children and Families, ex-officio, or a designee; 7) the Commissioner of Education, ex-officio, or a designee; 8) a retired Family Court Judge, to be chosen by the Administrative Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts; 9) the Chair of the Governor's Juvenile Justice Delinquency and Prevention Committee; 10) one member appointed by the President of the Senate; 11) one member appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; 12) a representative from the County Youth Services Commission Administrators, appointed by the Governor; 13) two representatives who have been involved with the New Jersey juvenile justice system, appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the General Assembly; 14) a representative from the New Jersey State Policemen's Benevolent Association Local 105, the Correctional Police Officer's Union, appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the President of the New Jersey State Policemen's Benevolent Association Local 105; 15) a representative from the Criminal and Youth Justice Clinic at Rutgers, The State University, School of Law, Newark, appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; 16) a representative of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, appointed by the President of the Senate.
Under the bill, the task force is to hold three public hearings, one hearing in each of the northern, central, and southern regions of the State. Finally, the bill requires the task force to issue a report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature within one year of the bill's effective date.
According to the Sentencing Project, in every state, black youth are more likely to be incarcerated than their white peers. New Jersey has the highest black-white disparity in youth incarceration with black youth being more than 20 times more likely than their white peers to be incarcerated. In addition, according to the Youth Justice Task Force Report, despite dramatic overall reductions in the number of youth detained, efforts to eliminate disproportionate minority representation in detention have not been as successful, and troubling inequities continue to characterize this State.
Further, as noted in the Youth Justice Task Force Report, as known from brain science, adolescence continues into the mid-20s. Therefore, this is a time of significant growth and maturation and presents a critical opportunity for redirection.
