FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 10, 2021
CONTACT:
Laurie Beacham, 917.847.6000 or lbeacham@njisj.org
NEWARK — On Wednesday, August 11, Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver, on behalf of the Murphy administration, will sign into law the Restorative and Transformative Justice for Youths and Communities Pilot Program bill (A4663/S2924).
With a two-year pilot program in Newark, Camden, Paterson and Trenton, four cities disproportionately impacted by youth incarceration, this legislation will move over $8 million from our antiquated and ineffective youth incarceration system toward the proven practice of restorative justice – an approach that focuses on building healthy relationships and resolving conflicts in communities to decrease youth involvement in the youth justice system.
“This bill signing is a tremendous victory as we begin to shift funds – and our mindset – from investing in our kids’ failure to investing in their success,” said Andrea McChristian, Director of Law & Policy at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice. “This is an important step toward our larger goal of closing all three of New Jersey’s youth prisons and meaningfully investing dollars into the communities disproportionately harmed by youth incarceration.”
“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.”
WHAT: Signing by Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver of Restorative and Transformative Justice for Youths and Communities Pilot Program bill (A4663/S2924); Remarks including by Andrea McChristian, Law & Policy Director of the Institute
WHEN: Wednesday, August 11, 11 AM-12 PM
WHERE:
Virtual
https://www.youtube.com/c/NJGovernorsOffice
https://www.facebook.com/governorphilmurphy
Location
Trenton YMCA- Gymnasium
431 Pennington Avenue, Trenton, NJ 08618
To attend in-person, contact:
Kiah Lattimer, Aide to the Governor
609-777-3868
NOTE: Limited parking on-site, and parking in the strip mall across the YMCA
**Please be advised all guests are expected to wear face coverings to enter the building.
**Government issued IDs will need to be made visible for entry