Bill Text: NJ A2394 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Prohibits transfer of certain juveniles to adult correctional facilities.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-02-06 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee [A2394 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-A2394-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman CRAIG J. COUGHLIN
District 19 (Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Prohibits transfer of certain juveniles to adult correctional facilities.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the detention of juvenile offenders and amending P.L.1982, c.77 and P.L.1995, c.284.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 18 of P.L.1982, c.77 (C.2A:4A-37) is amended to read as follows:
18. Place of detention or shelter. a. The Juvenile Justice Commission established pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1995, c.284 (C.52:17B-170) shall specify the place where a juvenile may be detained; and the Department of Children and Families shall specify where a juvenile may be placed in shelter.
b. No juvenile shall be placed in detention or shelter care in any place other than that specified by the Juvenile Justice Commission or Department of Children and Families as provided in subsection a.
c. A juvenile being held for a charge under this act or for a violation of or contempt in connection with a violation of Title 39 of the Revised Statutes, chapter 7 of Title 12 of the Revised Statutes or N.J.S.2C:33-13, including a juvenile who has reached the age of 18 years after being charged, shall not be placed in any prison, jail or lockup nor detained in any police station, except that if no other facility is reasonably available a juvenile may be held in a police station in a place other than one designed for the detention of prisoners and apart from any adult charged with or convicted of a crime for a brief period if such holding is necessary to allow release to his parent, guardian, other suitable person, or approved facility. No juvenile shall be placed in a detention facility which has reached its maximum population capacity, as designated by the Juvenile Justice Commission.
d. No juvenile charged with delinquency shall be transferred to an adult county jail solely by reason of having reached age 18. No juvenile who is arrested after reaching the age of 18 on a warrant emanating from the commission of an act of juvenile delinquency shall be transferred to an adult county jail solely by reason of having reached age 18. [The following standards shall apply to any] No juvenile who has been placed on probation pursuant to section 24 of P.L.1982, c.77 (C.2A:4A-43) and who violates the conditions of that probation after reaching the age of 18[;], or who has been placed on parole pursuant to the provisions of the "Parole Act of 1979," P.L.1979, c.441 (C.30:4-123.45 et seq.) and who violates the conditions of that parole after reaching the age of 18 [; or who is arrested after reaching the age of 18 on a warrant
emanating from the commission of an act of juvenile delinquency:
(1) In the case of a person 18 years of age but less than 20 years of age, the court, upon application by any interested party, shall determine the place of detention, taking into consideration the age and maturity of the person, whether the placement of the person in a juvenile detention facility would present a risk to the safety of juveniles residing at the facility, the likelihood that the person would influence in a negative manner juveniles incarcerated at the facility, whether the facility has sufficient space available for juveniles and any other factor the court deems appropriate. Upon application at any time by the juvenile detention facility administrator or any other interested party, the court may order that the person be relocated to the county jail. The denial of an application shall not preclude subsequent applications based on a change in circumstances or information that was not previously made available to the court. The determination of the place of detention shall be made in a summary manner;
(2) In the case of a person 20 years of age or older, the person shall be incarcerated in the county jail unless good cause is shown] shall be transferred to an adult county jail; except, however, if the violation of the condition of that parole or probation constitutes a crime the person shall be eligible for transfer to an adult county jail.
e. (1) The Juvenile Justice Commission and the Department of Children and Families shall promulgate such rules and regulations from time to time as deemed necessary to establish minimum physical facility and program standards for juvenile detention facilities or shelters under their respective supervision.
(2) The Juvenile Justice Commission and the Department of Children and Families, in consultation with the appropriate county administrator of the county facility or shelter, shall assign a maximum population capacity for each juvenile detention facility or shelter based on minimum standards for these facilities.
f. (1) Where either the Juvenile Justice Commission or the Department of Children and Families determines that a juvenile detention facility or shelter under its control or authority is regularly over the maximum population capacity or is in willful and continuous disregard of the minimum standards for these facilities or shelters, the commission or department may restrict new admissions to the facility or shelter.
(2) Upon making such determination, the commission or department shall notify the governing body of the appropriate county of its decision to impose such a restriction, which notification shall include a written statement specifying the reasons therefor and corrections to be made. If the commission or department shall determine that no appropriate action has been initiated by the administrator of the facility or shelter within 60 days following such notification to correct the violations specified in the notification, it shall order that such juvenile detention facility or shelter shall immediately cease to admit juveniles. The county shall be entitled to a hearing where such a restriction is imposed by the commission or department.
(3) Any juvenile detention facility or shelter so restricted shall continue under such order until such time as the commission or department determines that the violation specified in the notice has been corrected or that the facility or shelter has initiated actions which will ensure the correction of said violations.
(4) Upon the issuance of an order to cease admissions to a juvenile detention facility or shelter, the commission or department shall determine whether other juvenile detention facilities or shelters have adequate room for admitting juveniles and shall assign the juveniles to the facilities or shelters on the basis of available space; provided that the department shall not assign the juvenile to a facility or shelter where such facility or shelter is at the maximum population. A juvenile detention facility or shelter ordered to accept a juvenile shall do so within five days following the receipt of an order to accept admission of such juvenile.
(5) A juvenile detention facility or shelter restricted by an order to cease admissions shall assume responsibility for the transportation of a juvenile sent to another juvenile detention facility or shelter so long as the order shall remain in effect.
(6) A facility or shelter receiving juveniles pursuant to paragraph (4) of this subsection shall receive from the sending county a reasonable and appropriate per diem allowance for each juvenile sent to the facility, such allowance to be used for the custody, care, maintenance, and any other services normally provided by the county to juveniles in the facility or shelter and which reflects all county expenditures in maintaining such juvenile, including a proportionate share of all buildings and grounds costs, personnel costs, including fringe benefits, administrative costs and all other direct and indirect costs.
(7) The governing body of a county whose juvenile detention facility or shelter has been prohibited from accepting new admissions, and whose juveniles have been assigned to other juvenile detention facilities or shelters, shall appropriate an amount to pay the county receiving such juveniles for all expenses incurred pursuant to paragraph (6) of this subsection.
(cf: P.L.2006, c.47. s.16)
2. Section 7 of P.L.1995, c.284 (C.52:17B-175) is amended to read as follows:
7. a. Notwithstanding the Juvenile Justice Commission's responsibility for State secure juvenile facilities and State juvenile facilities and programs, the Department of Corrections, through agreement with the commission, shall provide central transportation, communication and other services required by the commission in connection with the operation of these facilities and the custody and care of juveniles confined in the facilities.
b. Notwithstanding the commission's responsibility for State secure juvenile facilities and State juvenile facilities, the Department of Children and Families shall provide care and custody for juveniles placed under the care and custody or committed to the department pursuant to paragraphs (5), (6) and (7) of subsection b. of section 24 of P.L.1982, c.77 (C.2A:4A-43).
c. The commission and the Commissioner of Children and Families shall formulate a plan to provide adequate and appropriate mental health services to juveniles in secure juvenile facilities and juvenile facilities operated by the commission. The commission and the Commissioner of Children and Families shall jointly adopt regulations pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), establishing the procedures included in the plan. The plan shall include the following:
(1) Procedures for identifying juveniles in need of such services upon admission to and while in a facility, including procedures for evaluation;
(2) Procedures for providing appropriate and adequate treatment and for terminating treatment when it is no longer needed;
(3) Procedures for ensuring cooperation between employees of the commission and the Department of Children and Families; and
(4) Procedures for review and revision of the plan.
d. The commission, through agreement with the Attorney General, the Commissioner of Corrections or the Commissioner of Children and Families as appropriate, shall arrange to provide such other services as may be required by the commission and may enter into other agreements as authorized pursuant to R.S.52:14-1 et seq. or any other law of this State.
e. [The commission and the Commissioner of the Department of Corrections shall, consistent with applicable State and federal standards, formulate a plan setting forth procedures for transferring custody of any juvenile incarcerated in a juvenile facility who has reached the age of 16 during confinement and whose continued presence in the juvenile facility threatens the public safety, the safety of juvenile offenders, or the ability of the commission to operate the program in the manner intended. The commission and the Commissioner of the Department of Corrections shall jointly adopt regulations pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), establishing the procedures included in the plan] No juvenile adjudicated delinquent and incarcerated in a juvenile facility shall be transferred to the care and custody of the New Jersey Department of Corrections. No juvenile who has been adjudicated delinquent and who has been placed on probation pursuant to section 24 of P.L.1982, c.77 (C.2A:4A-43) and who violates the conditions of that probation after reaching the age of 18, or who has been placed on parole pursuant to the provisions of the "Parole Act of 1979," P.L.1979, c.441 (C.30:4-123.45 et seq.) and who violates the conditions of that parole after reaching the age of 18, shall be transferred to an adult county jail or to the care and custody of the New Jersey Department of Corrections; except, however, if the violation of the conditions of that parole or probation constitutes a crime the person shall be eligible for transfer to an adult county jail or to the care and custody of the New Jersey Department of Corrections. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to include juveniles who have been waived into an appropriate adult court pursuant to section 7 of P.L.1982, c.77 (C.2A:4A-26), or section 8 of P.L.1982, c.77 (C.2A:4A-27).
(cf: P.L.2006, c.47, s.193)
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill prohibits the transfer to adult correctional facilities of juveniles who have been adjudicated delinquent, and were subsequently found to be in technical violation of the conditions of their probation or parole, even if the violation occurred after the individual reached the age of 18.
However, this bill does not apply to those juveniles who have been adjudicated delinquent and were subsequently found to be in violation of the conditions of their probation or parole if the violation constituted a crime. This bill would not apply to juveniles who have been waived into adult court.
