Title
ORDINANCE TO ASSIST THE SUCCESSFUL REINTEGRATION OF FORMERLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE INTO THE COMMUNITY BY REMOVING BARRIERS TO GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT AND STABLE HOUSING AFTER THEIR RELEASE FROM PRISON; AND TO ENHANCE THE HEALTH AND SECURITY OF THE COMMUNITY BY ASSISTING PEOPLE WITH CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS IN REINTEGRATING INTO THE COMMUNITY AND PROVIDING FOR THEIR FAMILIES (Ban the Box Ordinance)
Sponsor: Rice
Body
I. Findings and Purpose.
WHEREAS, 65 million Americans-that is, 1 in 4 adults--have a criminal record; and
WHEREAS, Newark, the largest city in the state of New Jersey, with a population of more than 280,000, reportedly has the highest per capita number of parolees of any U.S. city; and
WHEREAS, in 2010, Newark was 52.4% Black, 33.8% Latino, and 11.6% Non-Hispanic White; and
WHEREAS, an arrest, without any conviction, can serve as a barrier to employment and housing, resulting in punishment of the innocent; and
WHEREAS, more than 1,700 individuals return to Newark from state prison annually and an additional 1,400 Newark residents are released from the Essex County Correctional Facility every month; and
WHEREAS, similar to many urban jurisdictions, more than 6,500 Newark residents are under Federal Probation, State Parole or County Probation at any given time; and
WHEREAS, 3,885 Essex County residents were in New Jersey Department of Corrections custody in 2010, representing sixteen percent of the total incarcerated population; and
WHEREAS, many more Newark and Essex County residents who are or have been involved in the criminal justice system have been sentenced to probation and were never incarcerated; and
WHEREAS, formerly incarcerated men with a criminal record can expect to lose $100,000 in income across their prime earning years; and
WHEREAS, the American Bar Association identified over 38,000 statutes imposing collateral consequences on individuals with a criminal record, many which de-incentivize...
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