Exciting things are happening in criminal justice reform in New Jersey. It has been said that New Jersey is leading the nation in this area, and crime is decreasing.

Assemblywoman Shavonda E. Sumter is a sponsor of the bill Earn Your Way Out. Its purpose is to keep inmates out of jail after release. It could save the State $69 million over 2 years. (Click to view full blog)

I keep a casual eye on the local New Jersey news, and sometimes I hear some interesting things related to what I wrote in “Reducing Recidivism” (chapter 104). As an example, the Executive Director of the Trenton Housing Authority – W. Oliver Leggett – recently hired ex-cons as security guards in his 1500-unit complex (PBS NJTV News 12/2/2016). His reasoning is that if you put a person back into the community with no means for gainful employment, that person may very well turn to crime to support himself. (Click to view full blog)

Recently there was an article in Time magazine (Nov. 7, 2016 – New Chances at Life) about several prisoners among the hundreds who were pardoned by President Obama and how they are adjusting to their new-found freedom. I found that many of the problems they face are similar to the ones I experienced at my initial release from the hospital: getting a job, getting a place to live, starting a new social life, adjusting to all of the changes in society, and so on. (Click to view full blog)