Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ANTHONY ANGELOZZI
District 8 (Atlantic and Burlington)
SYNOPSIS
Requires DVA to conduct study of Statewide Veterans Diversion Program.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs to conduct a study of the Statewide Veterans Diversion Program.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Affairs shall, in consultation with the Attorney General, conduct a study of the Statewide Veterans Diversion Program, established pursuant to P.L.2017, c.42 (C.2C:43-23 et al.). The study shall include, but not be limited to:
(1) an evaluation of the mental health treatment or substance use treatment and case management services provided to participants in the Veterans Diversion Program by county;
(2) an evaluation of the operational and resource capacity constraints that may limit acceptance into the Veterans Diversion Program by county;
(3) an evaluation of any resources available for assisting Veterans Diversion Program participants with procuring and retaining housing and any gaps in such services in each county;
(4) information on how each county administers the Veterans Diversion Program, including descriptions of any operational differences between counties and each county’s level of compliance with relevant guidelines issued by the Office of the Attorney General and the Department of Veterans Affairs; and
(5) measures and metrics, by county, of the Veterans Diversion Program, including but not limited to, the number of arrests where the arrestee indicates servicemember status, the number of eligible servicemembers accepted into the program, the average duration each eligible servicemember spends in the program, the number of eligible servicemembers who have successfully completed the program, and the recidivism rates of participants within the past five years.
b. Within one year of the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the commissioner shall report to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), on the findings of the study and any recommendations for legislative action.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA), in consultation with the Attorney General (AG), to conduct a study of the Statewide Veterans Diversion Program and to provide recommendations for legislative action.
The Veterans Diversion Program was established to divert eligible veterans and enlisted persons or officers of the United States Armed Forces or a Reserve Component thereof, including the National Guard, away from the criminal justice system and into appropriate case management and mental health services as early as possible when the eligible servicemember is alleged to have committed an eligible offense.
The report is required to include:
an evaluation of the mental health treatment and substance use treatment and case management services provided to participants in the program;
an evaluation of the operational and resource capacity constraints that may limit acceptance into the program by county;
an evaluation of the availability of any resources for assisting participants with procuring and retaining housing.
information on how each county administers the program, including descriptions of any operational differences between counties and each county’s level of compliance with relevant DVA and AG guidelines; and
certain measures and metrics, by county.