NCJ Number
54180
Date Published
1977
Length
230 pages
Annotation
NEW JERSEY'S CORRECTIONAL MASTER PLAN SETS FORTH THE STATE'S CORRECTIONAL PHILOSOPHY AND PRESENTS GUIDELINES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF STATE AND LOCAL CORRECTIONS AND PROBATION AND PAROLE SERVICES.
Abstract
THE PLAN'S MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS RELATE TO SENTENCING AND PAROLE POLICY, LOCALLY ORIENTED CORRECTIONS, AND ALLEVIATION OF OVERCROWDING IN STATE INSTITUTIONS. A CORRECTIONAL PHILOSOPHY IS RECOMMENDED THAT ACKNOWLEDGES PUNISHMENT AS A LEGITIMATE GOAL OF THE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM AND EMPHASIZES EQUITY OF PUNISHMENT. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT FORMALIZED SENTENCING CRITERIA BE USED IN DETERMINING DISPOSITIONS WITHIN A STATED RANGE OF AVAILABLE DISPOSITIONS, WITH EMPHASIS ON THE OFFENSE RATHER THAN ON THE OFFENDER. IT IS FURTHER RECOMMENDED THAT DETERMINATE SENTENCES FOR FIXED MAXIMUM PERIODS REPLACE INDETERMINATE SENTENCES, THAT THE PRINCIPLE OF LEAST RESTRICTIVE DISPOSITION GUIDE SENTENCING DECISIONS, AND THAT PAROLE DISCRETION BE MINIMIZED THROUGH USE OF PRESUMPTIVE PAROLE AT FIRST ELIGIBILITY. A PLAN FOR INCREASING THE ROLE OF LOCAL CORRECTIONAL PROGRAMS IS PRESENTED, TOGETHER WITH GUIDELINES FOR IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN. UNDER THE LOCAL CORRECTIONS PLAN, THE STATE WOULD PROVIDE FUNDING AND OTHER ASSISTANCE TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FOR THE CARE OF LESS SERIOUS OFFENDERS WHO OTHERWISE WOULD BE COMMITTED TO STATE INSTITUTIONS. ON THE BASIS OF BEDSPACE NEED PROJECTIONS IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT 1,200 NEW BEDSPACES BE CONSTRUCTED TO ALLEVIATE SEVERE OVERCROWDING CONDITIONS THAT HAVE RESULTED IN SUBSTANDARD INMATE LIVING CONDITIONS. PRIORITIES FOR CONSTRUCTION ARE SET FORTH. THE MASTER PLAN ALSO INCLUDES A DESCRIPTION OF THE CORRECTIONAL PLANNING PROCESS, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE SUPPORT AND IMPROVEMENT OF SPECIFIC CORRECTIONAL COMPONENTS, AN ANALYSIS OF STATE-LEVEL CORRECTIONAL ORGANIZATION, AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION AND DATA. THE PLAN'S DISCUSSION OF CORRECTIONAL PHILOSOPHY TOUCHES ON SENTENCING AND PAROLE DECISIONMAKING IN NEW JERSEY AS WELL AS SUCH PHILOSOPHICAL ISSUES AS OFFENSE-BASED VERSUS OFFENDER-BASED POLICIES, DETERMINATE VERSUS INDETERMINATE SENTENCING, THE VALIDITY OF THE YOUTH OFFENDER CLASSIFICATION, DISPOSITION CRITERIA, COMMUNITY PROGRAM ALTERNATIVES TO INSTITUTIONALIZATION, AND DECRIMINALIZATION. FOR RELATED DOCUMENTS, SEE NCJ-54178, 54179, AND 54181.