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The Division of Programs and Community Services provides institutional and community-based program opportunities for offenders, including community labor assistance, academic and vocational educational programs, recreational programs, library (lending and law) services, substance abuse treatment and transitional services. Other specialized services include victim assistance, chaplaincy services, stress management for employees and their families, county assistance quality assurance and liaison to the Intensive Supervision Program. Additionally, the division contracts with private and non-profit providers throughout the state to provide community-based residential treatment programs for offenders under community supervision. Public safety is enhanced through the development, coordination, administration and delivery of these institutional and community-based programs and services.
Office of Community Programs
The mission of the Office of Community Programs is to prepare offenders to reenter society as productive citizens and to reduce the likelihood that they will relapse (return to drug and/or alcohol use) and/or recidivate (commit additional offenses). To that end, the office contracts with private not-for-profit agencies and provides for the effective administration of the contracts. The contracts provide the framework for the provision of community services to inmates and mandates oversight and monitoring for delivery of these services. The Office of Community Programs continually tracks the movement of Residential Community Release Program (RCRP) inmates through the Continuum of Care. The office also seeks to develop and maintain effective programs and services in collaboration with other departments, government subdivisions and stakeholders.
The NJDOC has embraced offender transition through community corrections. The Office of Community Programs currently contracts for 25 RCRPs that provide an extensive variety of assessment, counseling, treatment and employment services to facilitate inmates’ gradual reintegration into the community. Eleven programs are pre-release work release programs; nine are substance use disorder treatment programs that focus on sobriety and group dynamics; two are assessment and treatment centers that provide orientation to male and female inmates to the treatment process as well as comprehensive assessments of each resident; and three are special-needs programs. RCRPs that provide in-house mental health services for the special needs inmate preparing to return to the community were established through two separate contracts in 2006; one program is provided to the females and one program to the males. There are presently 2,744 RCRP beds under contract with the NJDOC.
NJDOC contracted Residential Community Release Programs consist of the following programs:
- Assessment and Treatment Centers – These centers provide eligible inmates with a comprehensive assessment of their needs and risks, an orientation to a treatment regimen and a referral to Work Release Programs, Substance Use Disorder Treatment Programs or Mutual Agreement Programs.
- Special Needs Programs – The NJDOC currently contracts for three Special Needs Programs. The focus of these programs is the provision of specialized services for inmates with mental health issues, Medically Ill Chemically Addicted (MICA) issues and specialized health service needs. Two of these programs collaborate with a third party to provide on-site mental health services. Once treatment needs are met, participants may be eligible to participate in a work release component. Although all of the RCRPs work closely with the residents to assist them with discharge planning, discharge planning and the provision of concrete linkages to community services is an essential element of these programs.
- Substance Use Disorder Treatment Programs – The focus of these programs is the provision of services that will provide the tools for inmates with substance use issues to reenter society as productive and sober members. These programs utilize the assessments provided by the Assessment and Treatment Centers as well as the assessments performed during an inmate’s incarceration to create a seamless continuum for inmates with substance use issues. Ongoing assessments are performed throughout the inmate’s stay to determine progress in treatment. When inmates complete the treatment portion of their RCRP stay, they are generally eligible to seek employment.
- Work Release Programs – These programs provide residents with a solid foundation for successful reentry into the workforce with the goal of obtaining and retaining viable employment.
The Office of Community Programs is also responsible for the oversight of the Intensive Supervision Program (ISP).
The ISP is a highly structured and rigorous form of community supervision that involves extensive client contact, surveillance, a restrictive curfew and urine monitoring. It is located in the judicial branch of government under the auspices of Probation Services in the Administrative Office of the Courts. An NJDOC representative serves as a member of the review panel, which screens, evaluates and recommends applicants to resentencing judges for acceptance to the program.
A cost-effective alternative to incarceration, the ISP permits carefully selected state-prison sentenced offenders to serve the remainder of their sentences in the community. Treatment and group meetings, monitored by ISP officers and/or professional therapists, are the cornerstone of ISP and have set the program apart from other programs. The ISP mandates for all participants full-time employment, community service, maintenance of a budget and diary, payment of all court-ordered financial obligations, and payment toward child support and the cost of the program.
Office of Drug Programs
The mission of the Office of Drug Programs is to provide the addicted NJDOC inmate with the tools necessary to successfully reintegrate into society and succeed in remaining crime- and substance-free. The NJDOC currently contracts for 1,414 therapeutic community beds in 10 different programs, located in eight different correctional facilities, including a 60-bed program for females incarcerated at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women.
The goals and objectives of the Office of Drug Programs include ensuring the placement of treatment-need offenders in the appropriate treatment opportunity to maximize treatment outcomes; providing quality assurance and monitoring oversight of the Therapeutic Community Substance Use Disorder Treatment Program; identifying and effectuating system-wide improvements in the provision of drug/alcohol treatment services to the addicted inmate under the jurisdiction of the NJDOC; promoting the NJDOC Continuum of Care treatment approach; and conducting outcome research related to drug treatment programming.
The Office of Drug Programs also is responsible for:
- Operating, managing and monitoring the Therapeutic Community Program, an evidence-based in-prison treatment model chosen by the department as its principal treatment modality to address substance use disorder. The Therapeutic Community represents the first phase in the “Continuum of Care” strategy; in-prison treatment is followed by time in community corrections. The program, nine to 23 months in duration and based on progress in treatment, addresses addiction from a holistic approach. The Therapeutic Community views substance abuse as a disorder of the whole person, one that necessitates changes in lifestyle and self identity. The program resident is provided with the tools to assist him or her with successfully reintegrating into society. The eligibility criteria are based on an identified addiction and treatment need, proper time under the jurisdiction of the department to meet recommended dosage/exposure and the ability of the offender to achieve community corrections custody status.
- Operating, managing and monitoring the Mutual Agreement Program (MAP),which is the formal cooperative agreement between the NJDOC and the New Jersey Department of Human Services to make available state-licensed, residential, community-based substance use disorder programs throughout New Jersey that provide community-based treatment for inmates under the jurisdiction of the NJDOC.
- Operating, managing and monitoring the Responsible Parenting Program, which was developed collaboratively with the Department of Human Services to provide for greater family reunification through parenting skills, enhanced employment assistance and improved child support compliance for those inmates under the jurisdiction of the NJDOC who have outstanding child support issues.
- Operating, managing and monitoring the Offender Workforce Development Specialist Initiative, a specialized training and activities program coordinated for the various agencies and professionals who have the opportunity to assist former inmates in preparing for, obtaining and/or retaining employment.
- Operating, managing, and presenting the Living in Balance Program. The criteria to participate in the Continuum of Care precludes certain addicted offenders who have too little time to participate and/or are not eligible for halfway house attendance. The Living in Balance approach is designed as a practical instructional system for conducting treatment sessions for persons who abuse or are addicted to alcohol and other drugs. The Living in Balance client sessions are facilitated by professionals who are trained to provide addiction treatment services in general and the Living in Balance curriculum.
- Operating, managing, and monitoring the Engaging the Family in the Recovery Process – An Innovative Program for the Max-Out Offender. This program engages the spouse/committed partner and children of offenders under its jurisdiction as allies in the end of the criminal and addictive lifestyle of their loved ones. It is the mission of the NJDOC to ensure public safety through appropriate confinement and offender rehabilitation programming. It is the family, however, that has the greatest personal stake in the success of this mission. The family can offer support under the stresses of reintegration and can provide external motivation for behavior change. The focus of the program is those who max-out (complete their sentence) while behind bars. The goals of the program are to strengthen marriage and family relationships of the incarcerated offender, enhance the well-being of children of incarcerated fathers and motivate and prepare incarcerated fathers to maintain drug-free and crime-free lifestyles. Case managers will arrange for family counseling and will begin to establish specific links to social and drug treatment services in preparation for release.
Office of Educational Services
The Office of Educational Services is responsible for providing comprehensive academic, vocational and life skills programming and services to the offenders committed to the custody of the New Jersey Department of Corrections.
Each of the fourteen (14) correctional facilities offers education programming, which reflect the demonstrated needs of the inmate learners. While there are site specific variations relative to vocational and special programs, all offer basic skills, pre-secondary, secondary, post-secondary and English as a Second Language (ESL) academic programs and a full complement of appropriate support services. Each academic program is designed to service students at their grade performance expectancies. Students may earn their high school diploma or General Education Development (GED) upon meeting the qualifications. The Office of Educational Services is proud of the 84.1% GED pass rate obtained by their education departments.
The Career Technical Education (CTE) programs offered within the department are designed to provide participants with the skills, competencies and attitudes necessary for a successful entry into employment upon release. While each facility will offer different CTE programs reflecting the current physical plant and space limitations, each CTE program offers the participant a genuine opportunity to gain meaningful skills and documented training certificates.
Students may earn certificates in the following instructional areas:
Every inmate is encouraged to participate in education programming while under the care and custody of the New Jersey Department of Corrections. Inmates should make contact with the facility’s education department upon admission to develop an education plan which meets their needs for successful re-entry to the community.
Additionally, the Office of Educational Services develops and schedules community outreach programs such as:
- Project P.R.I.D.E. (Promoting Responsibility in Drug Education), which brings minimum custody offenders, escorted by correction officers, into middle and high schools or other agencies, to talk about their personal experiences with drugs and alcohol. Young people have an opportunity to hear real-life stories and to consider the consequences of substance abuse. The program is designed to reduce the appeal of drugs and alcohol and to promote decision-making skills.
- Juvenile Awareness Program – East Jersey State Prison’s Lifers Group developed the Juvenile Awareness Program for youth more than 20 years ago. Participants must already be involved with a law enforcement agency or the court system and be accompanied by a parent and/or probation officer, to the facility’s discussion groups.
Office of Internal Support and Outreach Services
The Office of Internal Support and Outreach Services includes the following entities:
Office of County Services
As required by state statutes, the Office of County Services conducts annual inspections of the 22 county correctional facilities and 376 municipal detention facilities located throughout the state. The office also reviews and approves documents for the construction, renovation or alteration of those facilities to ensure compliance with New Jersey Administrative Code (NJAC) requirements.
The Office of County Services is also responsible for:
- Reviewing the operation of all county work release programs.
- Providing training in “Cell Block Management and Suicide Awareness” to county police officer recruits and line staff, and county correctional facility staff, as requested.
- Reviewing and responding to inquiries from state inmates confined in county correctional facilities.
- Providing technical assistance to county correctional wardens/administrators and police chiefs concerning the revision, development or implementation of any policy, procedure or written protocol required by the NJAC.
Office of Chaplaincy Services
Chaplaincy Services are provided to the inmate population and offered to staff on request. Each NJDOC facility has chaplaincy representation. Normally, a facility is serviced by a chaplain representing a major faith group and supplemented by the use of volunteers.
The Office of Chaplaincy Services has developed a network program designed to assign inmates with trained faith-based mentors. The mentors serve as guides and role models while providing direction and/or assistance to the inmate along with his or her family to facilitate a successful return to society. The faith-based mentor program is offered to inmates within eight to 12 months prior to their max or parole date. Families of the incarcerated are included in the program, and faith-based mentoring groups are encouraged to reach out to families prior to the release of inmates. The Chaplaincy Network Program has trained more than 250 volunteers as mentors, successfully matched more than 150 inmates with appropriate mentors and experienced an average success rate of 90 percent for the first three months of matches made.
Volunteer Services
The primary goal of Volunteer Services is to ensure proper recruitment, processing, training, evaluation and recognition of NJDOC volunteers. As such, professionals, students and members of the community who wish to volunteer in the areas of chaplaincy, educational, social, medical and psychological, and recreational services are subject to an extensive application process, which includes appropriate screening, a criminal history background check, and volunteer orientation and training.
Volunteer
Application Form (English) 450-I
Volunteer
Application Form (Spanish) 450-I
Volunteer
Rules and Regulations (English) 450-II
Volunteer
Rules and Regulations (Spanish) 450-II
Application
For Clearance and Issuance of Identification Card
Please note that the completed forms must be mailed to:
The Office of Internal Support and Outreach Services
New Jersey Department of Corrections
P.O. Box 863
Trenton, NJ 08625.
Volunteer Services provides recommendations for accurate procedures and manuals with regard to the Volunteer Services Program. The unit provides documentation, tracking, and reports regarding the Volunteer Services Program, and also works closely with institutional volunteer coordinators, and the Special Investigations Division to ensure proper processing of volunteers.
Critical Incident Stress Management
The Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) team was formed to provide assistance and support to NJDOC employees and their families during critical incidents. The program seeks to stabilize negative impact as a result of a tragic event.
The CISM team functions under the supervision of a standing committee appointed by the commissioner. The outcomes associated with this initiative include an improvement in staff morale, job retention, safety and a reduction in costs associated with injuries and time-loss. Crisis intervention services include pre- and post-incident crisis education, family support services, on-scene support services and demobilizations for large-scale incidents, small group defusing, and group interventions.
Office of Victim Services
The Office of Victim Services serves as a liaison to crime victims, victim service providers and allied professionals on matters related to services and support for victims of crime, relative to the offenders in the NJDOC.
Responsibilities of Office of Victim Services include:
- Offering guidance to department administration and staff in matters related to victim/witness assistance, including programs, policy development and implementation; and providing recommendations to the NJDOC on the implementation of core victims' rights, including notification, restitution, protection from intimidation, harassment or harm, victim input, information and referral services.
- Providing general information on status and location of inmates, serving as a referral agent to assist in obtaining community resources, and acting as a liaison between victims, families of victims, the NJDOC and the offender. Inquiries often include assistance with court ordered restitution, community release impact statements, sentencing information, and notification methods and requirements.
- Providing services that increase chances for offenders to succeed in the community, such as the “Focus on the Victim Program.”
- Enhancing awareness and support for employees, and their service to the public; educating staff on good coping mechanisms and sensitivity to the victimized; and helping staff better understand victims’ needs, to improve their skills for dealing with victims’ stress and trauma.
- Actively participating in state, county and other local victim related meetings; and networking with national, state, and local offices to ensure that victims are afforded rights and services under federal, state and local laws.
Office of Transitional Services
The mission of the Office of Transitional Services (OTS) is to enhance public safety by reducing the risk that offenders will re-offend and return to prison. The OTS provides comprehensive social services starting from the time the offender enters prison. Under the auspices of the OTS, approximately 120 social workers provide group programming, group counseling and general social service support to inmates in all 14 state correctional facilities.
In addition to its role as the primary unit within the NJDOC to facilitate the prisoner reentry process, the OTS also forges partnerships with intra-agency offices, other state agencies and the federal government to identify and eliminate barriers to successful reentry. The OTS serves as a community resource by advising municipalities and community groups on ways to address reentry in their community.
The OTS matches inmates to institutional programs and community-based services according to their identified risk to recidivate and needs for rehabilitation. These programs and services are coordinated in four key interrelated areas: employment and economic stability, mental, physical and spiritual health, housing and family stability. The OTS continues to develop innovative programming for inmates, while spearheading NJDOC efforts to reduce recidivism rates in New Jersey.
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