SENATE LAW AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE
STATEMENT TO
SENATE, No. 2953
with committee amendments
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
DATED: MARCH 11, 2021
The Senate Law and Public Safety Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 2953.
As amended and reported by the committee, this bill expands the scope of reentry services and benefits currently available to inmates released from incarceration in State and county correctional facilities.
The State’s Fair Release and Reentry Act of 2009, recently amended by P.L.2020, c.45, requires the Department of Corrections (DOC) to ensure inmates are provided within 10 days of their release from incarceration various documents, information, and other items to assist them in their reentry efforts, including non-driver identification cards and a two-week supply of prescription medicine. This bill extends the provisions of the act to also require inmates being released from county correctional facilities to be provided with these same documents, information, and items within 30 days of release. As amended by the committee, State correctional facilities would be required to issue a birth certificate to inmates at least 60 days prior to their release.
P.L.2020, c.45 amended the act to require that an inmate’s DOC identification card be accepted by all State, county, and municipal agencies and New Jersey nonprofit organizations for inmates to access reentry services during a public health or state of emergency. The bill continues to require this during the time of emergency, but also requires that agencies and organizations accept these cards for six months after the inmate is released, as well as extend the provision to apply to county correctional facility identification cards during emergencies and six months after release.
P.L.2020, c.45 also required the DOC to supply, in addition to two weeks of prescription medication, an additional 30 day prescription order and two additional refills to inmates released during the 2020 public health emergency or state of emergency. This bill makes this requirement permanent and extends it to county correctional facilities. As amended by the committee, the bill clarifies that these refills are to include long-acting injectables. Opioid blockers often are injected.
The bill further amends the act to require the DOC to issue to inmates being released a benefits card approved for the purpose of obtaining benefits under the Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Work First New Jersey programs and extends this requirement to county correctional facilities.
Another provision of P.L.2020, c.45 requires the DOC to ensure that an inmate is provided assistance in completing and forwarding for processing online applications for enrollment in Medicaid, SNAP, and Work First New Jersey 30 days before release. The Department of Human Services is required to accept and process these applications. The bill requires the commissioner to ensure that any required signatures or authorizations are to be obtained from the inmate when completing the applications. The bill also requires the address of the appropriate regional non-profit inmate reentry organization to be used for any inmate who is unable to identify a residence at the time of application for benefits, and requires all State, county, and municipal agencies to accept the address for the purposes of establishing proof of residence to meet any applicable eligibility requirements. This bill extends these requirements to the county correctional facilities.
Under the bill, an inmate who appears to be eligible for benefits under the Work First New Jersey program based on the inmate’s certification of income, resources, and family composition, and based on other information immediately available at the time of application, is to be deemed presumptively eligible for Work First New Jersey assistance and immediate need assistance and is to receive this assistance for a period of not less than 45 days following the inmate’s release from incarceration.
P.L.2020, c.45 further requires the DOC to provide to the appropriate county welfare agency or board of social services, in advance of an inmate's release, the inmate's name, release date, and contact information, including a telephone number or an email address. The bill, as introduced, also requires this information to be provided to the applicable regional non-profit inmate reentry organization. As amended, the bill requires this information to be provided to the nonprofit prisoner reentry program approved by the Department of Community Affairs, rather than the applicable regional program, if the inmate’s does not opt out.
In addition, this bill authorizes inmates released from State and county correctional facilities to use the address of a nonprofit prisoner reentry program as a mailing address in an application for benefits under Medicaid, SNAP, and Work First New Jersey.
Finally, the bill eliminates the provisions under current law which prohibit persons convicted of an offense involving the use, possession, or distribution of a controlled dangerous substance from receiving Work First New Jersey benefits.
According to the sponsor, this bill is necessary to assist not only those inmates currently being released from correctional facilities to obtain housing, food, and other services, but also any additional inmates who may be released pursuant to pending legislation revising criminal sentencing laws.
COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:
The committee amended the bill to:
(1) require the Commissioner of Corrections to provide to each inmate at least 60 days prior to release a copy of the inmate's birth certificate, rather than the current 10 day requirement;
(2) clarify that refills include long-acting injectables; currently, the DOC is required to supply two weeks of prescription medication, an additional 30 day prescription order, and two additional refills to inmates released during the 2020 public health or state of emergency, a requirement made permanent and extended to county correctional facilities by the bill;
(3) require the commissioner, in advance of an inmate's release, to provide the inmate's name, release date, and contact information, including a telephone number or an email address, to each non-profit inmate reentry organization approved by the Department of Community Affairs if the inmate does not opt out; as introduced, the bill required this information to be provided to the applicable regional non-profit inmate reentry organization; and
(4) require the Governor to appoint an independent investigator to evaluate the commissioner’s compliance with the provisions of P.L.2020, c.45 and this bill; the independent investigator is to report findings and conclusions to the Governor and the Legislature within six months of the bill’s effective date.