The Law and Public Safety Committee of the New Jersey Assembly met recently to hear public comment on the  Restorative and Transformative Justice for Youths and Communities Pilot Program bill.  This bill “would assist with the reintegration of youths released from juvenile facilities to prevent repeated involvement with the youth justice system and to help youths avoid any initial involvement with such a system” and implement measures that could save not only our youth, but lives for generations to come. 

New Jersey has the opportunity to lead, by example, a formulated plan of best practices. 

If passed, the Restorative and Transformative Justice for Youth and Communities Pilot Program (A4663/S2924) will establish pilot programs in Paterson, Newark, Trenton and Camden. We urge our representatives to pass Assembly bill A4663/S2924 so that our kids in New Jersey can have the opportunity to heal, learn, and thrive in a system that we can collectively create.

F.O.R.T.E. House strongly and passionately supports the passage of this bill. Our founder, our residents, and our community know first-hand that current methods used within the state youth justice system are ineffective in turning young lives around. They do nothing to address the underlying causes of  a young person’s involvement with the system. They have been ineffective in reducing recidivism. They serve no one: not the individual youth, not the young person’s family or community, not even the residents and tax payers of our state. 

To read the Open Letter, become a signer, and receive updates from the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice as they continue to lead these efforts, visit here.