Lt. Governor Oliver signs $8.4M restorative justice bill into law
Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver signs the Restorative and Transformative Justice for Youths and Communities Pilot Program bill (A4663) into law early Wednesday.
Early Wednesday, the Restorative and Transformative Justice for Youths and Communities Pilot Program bill (A4663) was officially signed into law. With Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver’s signature, the state is allocating $8.4 million toward creating a two-year pilot program in the Juvenile Justice Commission, focused on reducing youth involvement with the youth justice system by bolstering more community-based reentry programs, wraparound services and restorative justice hubs. The passage of A4663 marks a significant step toward comprehensive restorative justice change in New Jersey and is a testament to the work of local Community-Based Organizations (CBOs).
“Over the years, we have seen firsthand how local CBOs have been cutting recidivism rates, increasing attainment of industry recognized certifications, and increasing rates of post-secondary success,” said Robert Clark, CEO of Newark Opportunity Youth Network. “Today’s bill signing is a historic acknowledgment of the work CBOs do on behalf of the community and will ultimately lead to better outcomes for young people across the state.”
“This legislation will be transformative for young people of color in New Jersey whose lives have been devastated by our broken youth justice system,” said Retha Onitiri, Director of Community Engagement at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice. “This is an important step on the road to declaring for once and for all that there are no throwaway kids in New Jersey.”
Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson thanks her colleagues and local activists for their support of bill A4663.
The Institute previously released the Youth Justice Toolkit: A Community-Led Restorative Justice Approach, which provided a roadmap for community-based restorative justice, a process of rehabilitation within the community instead of punishment through the criminal justice system. The toolkit formed the foundation for A4663 and today’s signing.
Early this year, 2020 LEAD Charter School graduate So’Nya Jordan penned the op-ed, “I’m More Than My Mistakes,” where she described her story of transformation and urged legislators and policymakers to support common sense bills, including A4663, to support and grow restorative justice programs to keep changing young people’s lives.
Jordan wrote in her op-ed, “It's hard to make good choices when you don’t have good choices. By supporting community-based organizations and prioritizing restorative justice, young people will have more choices, more opportunities, more pathways to success. And our young people are proof that success is possible.”
The phrase, “Investing in our Youth” sits on the speaker podium at Wednesday’s bill signing.
Currently, New Jersey spends nearly $300,000 a year per incarcerated young person while simultaneously reaching recidivism rates of over 75% (2014), while local Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) achieve more post-secondary placements, lower recidivism rates, all with a fraction of the state’s budget.
In addition to Jordan’s op-ed, Mark Comesañas, Executive Director of My Brother’s Keeper Newark, testified at committee hearings in favor of A4663 earlier this summer.
“I’ve witnessed how Community-Based Organizations throughout the city of Newark and beyond work to re-engage, develop, and transition these young people to sustained post-secondary placements and better life outcomes,” said Comesañas.
A4663 will fund a two-year pilot program in Newark, Paterson, Trenton, and Camden. The bill passed both houses in the state legislature in June with bipartisan support.