Signed by Governor Phil Murphy

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that prohibits physically damaged ballots from being rejected, authorizes voters to see whether their absentee ballots were accepted or rejected, and allows voters to fix rejected ballots up to 14 days after Election Day.

Highlights:

• Defines “restorative justice hubs” as physical spaces within the community where youth and families can heal, reconnect, and build healthy relationships in the community (Sec. 2).

• Alleges the Juvenile Justice Commission and community stakeholders should work together to create community-based public safety systems that support all young people as they return home from juvenile facilities and divert young people away from the youth justice system in the first place (Sec. 1.j).

• Establishes the first component of the pilot program will include restorative justice hubs. Each of the 4 pilot program municipalities will have one restorative justice hub (Sec. 3.a).

• Establishes Community-based enhanced reentry wraparound services will include, but not be limited to, the following services and supports (Sec. 3.b):

• Mental health services;

• Substance use disorders treatment and recovery;

• Education support;

• Employment services;

• Housing support;

• Financial literacy and debt support services;

• Life skills support services; 

• Social support services; and

• Preventative mentoring services.

• Requires a lead organization partnering with other organizations which are interested in becoming service providers at a restorative justice hub to submit a joint proposal using the existing request for proposal process to the appropriate youth services commission. If selected, they will jointly provide services at the restorative justice hub (Sec. 4-4).

• Requires each service provider participating in the pilot program to undergo intensive training in restorative and transformative justice practices. A service provider may be exempt from this training requirement upon a satisfactory showing of proof of prior training in these practices which may include certificates of completion of training courses provided by trainers in restorative and transformative justice practices approved by the Juvenile Justice Commission (Sec. 4-4.f).

• Requires the Juvenile Justice Commission to mandate the Passaic County Youth Services Commission to schedule one public meeting in Paterson; the Essex County Youth Services Commission to schedule one public meeting in Newark; the Mercer County Youth Services Commission to schedule one public meeting in Trenton, and the Camden County Youth Services Commission to schedule one public meeting in Camden (Sec. 5.a-1).

• Requires monies in the fund used to provide grants to develop and implement the pilot program to be allocated equally among the 4 county youth services commissions and distributed in accordance with rules and regulations adopted by the Juvenile Justice Commission (Sec. 5-2.b).

• Requires the pilot program to operate for a period of 2 years, exclusive of the time required to implement the grant application and award process, and to initiate the pilot program. To the extent necessary, funding distributed to the pilot program shall be carried forward and used for its purposes regardless of whether the funds are expended in the same fiscal year in which the funds were initially distributed (Sec. 5.e).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that prohibits physically damaged ballots from being rejected, authorizes voters to see whether their absentee ballots were accepted or rejected, and allows voters to fix rejected ballots up to 14 days after Election Day.

Highlights:

• Defines “restorative justice hubs” as physical spaces within the community where youth and families can heal, reconnect, and build healthy relationships in the community (Sec. 2).

• Alleges the Juvenile Justice Commission and community stakeholders should work together to create community-based public safety systems that support all young people as they return home from juvenile facilities and divert young people away from the youth justice system in the first place (Sec. 1.j).

• Establishes the first component of the pilot program will include restorative justice hubs. Each of the 4 pilot program municipalities will have one restorative justice hub (Sec. 3.a).

• Establishes Community-based enhanced reentry wraparound services will include, but not be limited to, the following services and supports (Sec. 3.b):

• Mental health services;

• Substance use disorders treatment and recovery;

• Education support;

• Employment services;

• Housing support;

• Financial literacy and debt support services;

• Life skills support services; 

• Social support services; and

• Preventative mentoring services.

• Requires a lead organization partnering with other organizations which are interested in becoming service providers at a restorative justice hub to submit a joint proposal using the existing request for proposal process to the appropriate youth services commission. If selected, they will jointly provide services at the restorative justice hub (Sec. 4-4).

• Requires each service provider participating in the pilot program to undergo intensive training in restorative and transformative justice practices. A service provider may be exempt from this training requirement upon a satisfactory showing of proof of prior training in these practices which may include certificates of completion of training courses provided by trainers in restorative and transformative justice practices approved by the Juvenile Justice Commission (Sec. 4-4.f).

• Requires the Juvenile Justice Commission to mandate the Passaic County Youth Services Commission to schedule one public meeting in Paterson; the Essex County Youth Services Commission to schedule one public meeting in Newark; the Mercer County Youth Services Commission to schedule one public meeting in Trenton, and the Camden County Youth Services Commission to schedule one public meeting in Camden (Sec. 5.a-1).

• Requires monies in the fund used to provide grants to develop and implement the pilot program to be allocated equally among the 4 county youth services commissions and distributed in accordance with rules and regulations adopted by the Juvenile Justice Commission (Sec. 5-2.b).

• Requires the pilot program to operate for a period of 2 years, exclusive of the time required to implement the grant application and award process, and to initiate the pilot program. To the extent necessary, funding distributed to the pilot program shall be carried forward and used for its purposes regardless of whether the funds are expended in the same fiscal year in which the funds were initially distributed (Sec. 5.e).

Full Bill Text