Bill > A3703

This bill establishes the "Earn Your Way Out of Prison Into Supervision, Treatment, and Recovery Program" (Program) within the New Jersey Department of Corrections to address substance abuse among offenders by combining clinical treatment with strict supervision, aiming to reduce public costs and crime. The Program will be overseen by a Director appointed by the Governor, who must have specific qualifications in substance abuse counseling and management experience. Inmates must meet preliminary eligibility criteria, including a diagnosis of drug or alcohol dependency and no prior convictions for serious offenses like arson or sex crimes, and then undergo a rigorous evaluation 24 months before parole eligibility to determine final eligibility, which includes demonstrating progress in a self-guided recovery curriculum and participating in various rehabilitative activities. Those accepted into the Program will first go to an Assessment and Treatment Center for 60-90 days, then to a residential treatment facility, followed by a phased reintegration into the community through a Halfway House Substance Abuse Treatment Center, a Partial Care Substance Abuse Treatment Center, and an Intensive Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment Center, all while being subject to parole supervision and regular drug testing. The bill also makes individuals in the Program eligible for Work First New Jersey public assistance benefits and mandates an evaluation of the Program's effectiveness by Rutgers University.