Bill > A4501

Introduced Session

This bill directs the Juvenile Justice Commission to establish an arts education pilot program for juvenile offenders in this State. Under the bill, in consultation with the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the commission would oversee the development, operation, administration, and evaluation of the pilot program. The pilot program would involve the development of three model arts education programs to deliver innovative arts-based programming for juvenile offenders in detention and correction facilities during a five-year period. The model programs would be developed through organizational partnerships including, but not limited to, State and local arts organizations, community-based agencies, philanthropic entities, and the private sector, and would be self-funded. The commission would select three programs to participate in the pilot program based upon the organization's ability to successfully implement model arts-based programming. The bill requires the commission to include an evaluation component within the pilot program based on best practices for assessing arts-based programming for juvenile offenders and youth, specifically their educational outcomes and student progress in problem solving, comprehension, critical thinking and reasoning, and positive development. During the initial four years of the pilot program each model program would undergo an annual evaluation conducted by the commission. After the program's fourth year, the commission would submit to the Governor and the Legislature an evaluation of the pilot program and a recommendation on the advisability of its continuation and expansion within the State.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Pedro Mejia (D)*,  Shanique Speight (D)*,  Anthony Verrelli (D)*,  Ralph Caputo (D),  Angela Mcknight (D),  Carol Murphy (D),  Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D), 

Reported and Referred to Assembly Appropriations Committee (on 02/07/2019)