Fugitive
Safe Surrender-New Jersey Southern Region
will NOT operate on Sunday, April 22, 2012.
New
Jersey Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa
and New Jersey State Parole Board Chairman
James T. Plousis said Fugitive Safe Surrender-New
Jersey Southern Region represents an unprecedented,
multi-agency collaboration in Atlantic,
Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem
counties. An estimated 2,500 fugitives are
expected to turn themselves during the four-day
event. A total of more than 10,000 fugitives
surrendered during the first three New Jersey
Fugitive Safe Surrender events: Fugitive
Safe Surrender-Camden in 2008 (2,245 fugitives
surrendered); Fugitive Safe Surrender-Newark
in 2009 (4,103 surrendered); and Fugitive
Safe Surrender-New Jersey Central Region
in 2010 (3,901 fugitives surrendered).
Fugitive
Safe Surrender-New Jersey Southern Region
is open to individuals wanted on warrants
by New Jersey law enforcement officials
for non-violent crimes or disorderly person
offenses, including family matters and child
support. The program is also open to those
who live out of state but have open warrants
in New Jersey. The program cannot process
out-of-state court matters. Fugitive Safe
Surrender is not an amnesty program, but
does offer favorable consideration from
the court, often in the form of reduced
fines or probation requirements instead
of incarceration. Individuals wanted for
violent crimes, or with previous convictions
for violent crimes, may also surrender;
however, those wanted for violent crimes
are more likely to be taken into custody.
At Fugitive Safe Surrender sites nationwide,
only two percent of people that surrendered
were taken into custody because the vast
majority of those who turn themselves in
are wanted for non-violent offenses and
have no history of violence.
The
initiative is only open to U.S. citizens,
legal residents or those who lawfully in
the United States. Individuals who are not
in the United States lawfully are not eligible
to participate.
Attorney
General Chiesa and State Parole Board Chairman
Plousis today announced details of the Fugitive
Safe Surrender-Southern New Jersey at a
press conference at the Grace Assembly of
God Church in Atlantic City. They were joined
by Atlantic County Prosecutor Theodore F.L.
Housel and Sheriff Frank X. Balles, Cape
May County Prosecutor Robert L. Taylor and
Sheriff Gary G. Schaffer, Cumberland County
Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae and Sheriff
Robert A. Austino, Gloucester County Prosecutor
Sean F. Dalton and Sheriff Carmel M. Morina,
Salem County Prosecutor John T. Lenahan
and Sheriff Charles M. Miller, the Minister
Thea Fitzpatrick, Grace Assembly of God
Church, Lori Scott Pickens, Director of
Community Outreach at the School of Criminal
Justice at Rutgers-Newark and other leaders
to announce the launch of this important
venture.
“Fugitives
Safe Surrender-New Jersey Southern Region
offers those wanted on New Jersey warrants
a last chance for a second chance,”
Attorney General Chiesa said. “The
previous Fugitive Safe Surrenders events
in New Jersey allowed more than 10,000 people
to stop running from the law. We encourage
anyone who is eligible to participate in
Fugitive Safe Surrender–New Jersey
Southern Region to take this opportunity,
and all of the resources provided, to get
a fresh start.”
“Those
who turn themselves in will receive favorable
consideration. Each case is different, but
if you surrender peacefully you will get
a much better outcome than if the police
have to find you and bring you in,”
State Parole Board Chairman – and
former U.S. Marshal – James T. Plousis
said. “Each participant reduces the
danger inherent in fugitive apprehensions.
They also save taxpayer dollars, and free
up the police and courts to take on other
matters.”
“I
want the people out there to know that you’re
not just names and files, that we realize
you’re real people that have to go
through life dealing with things hanging
over your head,” Atlantic County Prosecutor
Housel said. “This office [ACPO] is
here to help you get on with the rest of
your life.”
“I
thank the Attorney General’s Office
for giving Cumberland County residents who
have warrants in the State of New Jersey
the opportunity to take advantage of this
very important program to clear their warrants
and move forward not having to look over
their shoulder,” Cumberland County
Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae said. “Making
the choice to attend is a first step to
removing barriers to driving eligibility
and employment for many people. Everyone
who is eligible should make it their business
to avail themselves to Fugitive Safe Surrender–Southern
New Jersey.”
“The
Fugitive Safe Surrender Program is an opportunity
for fugitives to surrender and to receive
a more favorable outcome to their outstanding
charges than if law enforcement officers
had to exhaust our resources to search for
and apprehend them,” Cape May County
Prosecutor Robert L. Taylor said. “This
program has been proven successful in other
areas of the state and it is our hope that
many of the citizens of southern New Jersey
will take advantage of this unprecedented
opportunity to take responsibility for their
outstanding warrants.”
“Safe
Surrender will remove the stigma of ‘fugitive’
from your name safely without having to
ever look over your shoulder again,”
Gloucester County Prosecutor Sean F. Dalton
said. “Thousands of New Jersey residents
who had warrants hanging over their heads
have availed themselves of the Safe Surrender
program since 2008. Investing a few hours
of your time will pay dividends for you
and your family. This is a golden opportunity
for residents to take control of their lives
and avoid living in fear.
"At
the Salem County Prosecutor's Office, we
are embracing the program in partnership
with the ministerium to assist fugitives
and help jump start them towards a productive
life," Salem County Prosecutor John
Lenahan said.
"The
success of the Fugitive Safe Surrender program
speaks for itself,” Sheriff Balles
said. “This is an unprecedented opportunity
for fugitives to make things right –
not only for themselves but also for their
families and the community. Life is difficult
enough without having to look over your
shoulder, wondering if this is the day you’ll
be caught. This affords them the opportunity
for a fresh start and safety for all those
involved."
“We
are opening our church to Fugitive Safe
Surrender because we believe in the benefits
of offering a second chance to those who
have broken the law,” Minister Fitzpatrick
said. “By taking this big step, people
who live in hiding today can find peace
of mind, freedom within the law, and the
opportunity to take on new responsibility
for themselves and their families.”
“The
Rutgers School of Criminal Justice and the
Police Institute at Rutgers are proud to
be coordinating this effort with our law
enforcement and community partners,”
Scott-Pickens said. “Fugitive Safe
Surrender creates partnerships between law
enforcement and community groups that last
beyond the initial surrender event, and
lead to ongoing benefits.”
The
U.S. Marshals Service launched the first
Fugitive Safe Surrender initiative in 2005,
in Cleveland, Ohio, after a city police
officer was murdered in the line of duty
while attempting to capture a fugitive who
had an open warrant for a non-violent offense.
Since then, a total of 40,273 individuals
have turned themselves in at 24 Fugitive
Safe Surrender events nationwide.
In
addition to coordinating the efforts of
state and local law enforcement agencies,
the Office of the Attorney General receives
support from the Rutgers School of Criminal
Justice and the Rutgers Police Institute,
both of whom aid in convening stakeholder
meetings, facilitating the training of volunteers
and reaching out to social service agencies
to participate in the event. The Salvation
Army will also be on site to provide assistance,
including food and drinks.
Fugitive
Safe Surrender-New Jersey Southern Region
is made possible through the leadership
of the Office of the Attorney General and
from funding provided by the U.S. Department
of Justice.
More
detailed information about Fugitive Safe
Surrender-New Jersey Southern Region in
English and Spanish, as well as video statements
from law enforcement officials and from
individuals who surrendered at previous
Fugitive Safe Surrender events, can be found
at www.FSSNJ.com.
Information can also be found on Facebook
at www.facebook.com/FSSNJ.