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For Immediate Release:
For Further Information:
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April 23, 2010

Office of The Attorney General
- Paula T. Dow, Attorney General

Media Inquiries-
Paul Loriquet
609-292-4791
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609-292-4925

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County Prisoner Re-Entry Program to Receive $1 Million in Federal Funding
Attorney General Announces Grant Awards to Four County Correctional Facilities

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BRIDGETON -- Attorney General Paula T. Dow today announced the distribution of $1 million in federal grant funding for jail-based prisoner re-entry programs that support ex-offenders’ return to their communities.

The grant funding, the first of its kind to be offered by the Office of the Attorney General and made available through the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), will assist four county correctional facilities institute programs targeted at those returning to the community from jail. The four facilities were selected via a competitive grant application process. Each site will receive up to $250,000 in grant funding.

“Providing assistance to those transitioning out of jail through a holistic programmatic approach including: mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment, housing assistance, employment readiness assessments and other needed services pays dividends by lowering the recidivism rate and increases safety to our neighborhoods,” said Attorney General Dow. “Programs like these provide hope to ex-offenders who aim to break the cycle of recidivism and stride towards becoming productive law-abiding citizens.”

According to Attorney General Dow, each of the winning grant recipients offered various local-based strategies to address their specific prisoner re-entry needs.

The four winning applications were submitted by:

  • Hudson County: Hudson will expand its existing re-entry program by hiring two community case managers who will assist transitioning inmates in finding housing, medication, photo IDs and transportation for those ineligible for public assistance and/or lack other resources. Hudson’s program will serve up to 115 inmates annually with a goal of preventing up to 90 percent of those served from returning to custody;
  • Cumberland County: Cumberland’s program will provide social, economic and health-related services to up to 150 inmates per year upon release into the community. The Cumberland team will utilize assessment tools to determine inmate needs, life skills and
    employment readiness assistance and a referral system for inmates to a local health care facility for post-release treatment;
  • Camden County: Camden will provide discharge planning for up to 725 returning inmates each year. The discharge plan will include an evaluation of the inmate conducted by a case manager, referrals to community resource agencies for aftercare services, and information regarding post-release support groups, housing, family reunification services and substance abuse treatment centers. Camden also anticipates offering short-term housing to a limited number of inmates with a designated need and vocational training;
  • Atlantic County: Atlantic targets so-called “frequent flyers,” those who have returned to custody five or more times in a year and who are diagnosed with a substance abuse dependency disorder. These inmates will be evaluated by an advanced nurse practitioner and follow-up medical/mental health appointments upon release, counseling from a Certified Alcohol Drug Counselor both inside jail and after release and employment specialists who will work with employers and program participants to make firm employment connections in the community. Roughly 200 inmates will be served each year under the program.

The Attorney General’s announcement was made at a press conference held at the Cumberland County Courthouse in Bridgeton, New Jersey.

“The commitment of funds to the State’s county correctional facilities reflects our commitment to expand our re-entry assistance efforts to the local level,” said State Prisoner Re-entry Director Wanda Moore. “We are committed to evidence-based strategies at the local level that demonstrate successful results in lowering recidivism among the formerly incarcerated.

Through collaboration with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, who funds The Community Oriented Correctional Health Services (COCHS), the OAG was able to secure technical assistance at no cost to the grantees and reflects an ongoing effort to expand outreach and partnership with non-profit organizations interested in working with at-risk individuals. COCHS is a non-profit organization, established to help communities around the country connect the health care provided in local correctional centers with health care provided in the community.

Today’s announcement builds on additional community justice funded programs being offered by the Attorney General’s office. These programs focus on outreach and engagement with those who are at-risk of, and/or are currently engaged in, the criminal justice system. This includes ex-offenders, inmates approaching release, and youth/young adults who are most at risk of becoming involved with gangs and criminal activity.

Among the programs being funded by the Attorney General’s Office are:

  • FORGE (Female Offender Reentry Group Effort), a program led by the State Parole Board that, through a $200,000 pass-through of ARRA funds from OAG, is expanding into Camden and Passaic Counties. Approximately 100 female parolees will be served each year through this funding;
  • Justice-Involved Services (JIS) Program: OAG has provided the Division of Mental Health Services with $1.2 million to expand its jail-based mental health screening program in Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Morris Counties. JIS screens soon-to-be released inmates for mental health disabilities and, where appropriate, refers inmates to service providers upon release. Funding will allow counties to hire or elevate 4-8 employees to full-time positions and serve roughly 180 inmates per year.
  • Project HOME (Helping Offenders by Mentoring Effectively), a $300,000 initiative with the Department of Corrections to expand their existing mentoring program which links interested inmates with DOC-approved mentors. Mentors provide guidance and assistance in areas such as educational and vocational training, mental health counseling, job placement and family counseling. This grant will help DOC serve up to 200 inmates per year.

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