Trenton, New Jersey – On Wednesday, 35+ public health, recovery, housing, and civil rights organizations sent a letter to Senate President Scutari and Assembly Speaker Coughlin urging passage of S-5000/A-6206, which would reform New Jersey’s parole system to focus on public safety rather than non-criminal technical violations.
“Too often, parole functions as a revolving door back to prison rather than a pathway to stability, healing, and successful reentry,” the letter states. “People are routinely reincarcerated for technical parole violations such as returning to drug use, missing appointments, or struggling to meet supervision requirements.”
S-5000/A-6206 passed out of the Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee on Monday after five hours of testimony and discussion, including testimony from Felix Duprey about his four technical violations for substance use disorder.
The letter was signed by over 35 organizations including: New Jersey Association of Addiction Professionals, National Center for Advocacy and Recovery, Prevention Links, Monmouth County Cares, NJCRI, Hyacinth, South Jersey AIDS Alliance, Returning Citizens Union, Black Lives Matter Paterson, Maryville Integrated Care, Monarch Housing Associates, ACLU of New Jersey, Faith in New Jersey, REFORM Alliance, Salvation and Social Justice, NJ Working Families Alliance, Isles, New Jersey Policy Perspective, Sea Change, and Newark Community Street Team.
“More than ten percent of New Jersey’s prison population consists of individuals reincarcerated for technical parole violations, many related to drug use,” the letter continues.
“Revoking someone’s parole for behaviors that are expected symptoms of substance use disorder, such as returning to use or missing appointments, is also likely a violation of New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination,” the letter adds.
“A parole system that responds to relapse or instability with punishment undermines both health outcomes and community safety. Keeping people in their communities — connected to care, treatment, housing, and support — produces better outcomes for individuals, families, and the broader public,” the letter concludes.
“We commend legislative leadership for advancing this critical reform and respectfully urge you to support the passage of Senate Bill 5000/Assembly Bill 6206.”
