Rutgers Law

New Jersey Statutes, Title: 30, INSTITUTIONS AND AGENCIES

    Chapter 8: Sheriffs and jailers to receive prisoners; penalty

      Section: 30:8-16.19: County reentry coordinator.

          11. a. The governing body of each county in this State may, by duly adopted ordinance or resolution, appoint a county reentry coordinator who shall be responsible for evaluating the needs of, and navigating the appropriate treatment and services for, each inmate in a county correctional facility in this State.

b. The county reentry coordinator shall evaluate each inmate in a county correctional facility who has been sentenced to a term of incarceration or ordered detained pending trial following a pretrial detention hearing. The purpose of the evaluation shall be to:

(1) identify which social services and reentry and rehabilitative programs would benefit the inmate including, but not limited to, the Work First New Jersey Substance Abuse Initiative;

(2) determine whether the inmate is eligible to apply for federal, State, and county public assistance program benefits including, but not limited to, State and federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, Medicaid, and housing assistance program benefits;

(3) determine whether the inmate would benefit from substance use disorder treatment including, but not limited to, medication-assisted treatment; and

(4) identify other appropriate treatment, services, and programs which would benefit the inmate.

c. The evaluation required pursuant to subsection b. of this section shall be conducted in conjunction with the clinical screening of inmates as part of the initial classification process.

d. The county reentry coordinator shall offer assistance to the inmate in accessing any services deemed appropriate for the inmate, based on the evaluation conducted pursuant to subsection b. of this section, by:

(1) assisting the inmate with scheduling and otherwise accessing appropriate treatment, services, and programming upon the inmate's release from the facility;

(2) providing information concerning, and assistance in completing, applications for appropriate State and county public assistance program benefits which shall include, but not be limited to, State and federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, Medicaid, and housing assistance program benefits. The county reentry coordinator shall make every effort to ensure that the inmate is actively enrolled in appropriate programming upon or as soon as practicable following the inmate's release from the facility;

(3) providing information concerning available substance use disorder treatment and services including, but not limited to, medication-assisted treatment. The county reentry coordinator shall assist the inmate with scheduling and otherwise accessing appropriate treatment and services upon the inmate's release from the facility;

(4) providing information concerning relevant social services and reentry and rehabilitative programs including, but not limited to, the Work First New Jersey Substance Abuse Initiative. The county reentry coordinator shall assist the inmate with completing applications for and otherwise accessing appropriate services and programming upon the inmate's release from the facility;

(5) providing information concerning services provided by the State's One-Stop Career Centers. The county reentry coordinator shall schedule appointments for the inmate to meet with representatives from the career center and shall register the inmate for participation in any mandatory programming upon the inmate's release from the facility;

(6) providing information concerning insurance eligibility and assistance in completing applications for insurance coverage; the county reentry coordinator shall make every effort to ensure that coverage for the inmate is active upon or as soon as practicable following the inmate's release from the facility; and

(7) providing information concerning any other treatment, services, and programming deemed appropriate based on the evaluation required pursuant to this section.

e. The county reentry coordinator also shall:

(1) provide assistance to each inmate, upon release from a county correctional facility, with obtaining a non-driver identification card;

(2) ensure, to the best of the coordinator's ability, and conditioned on discharge information provided by the Administrative Office of the Courts, that each inmate is released from custody during regular business hours so that the inmate may access appropriate treatment and services immediately upon release; and

(3) ensure each inmate at the time of discharge is provided with the prescription medication required pursuant to paragraph (9) of subsection a. of section 6 of P.L.2021, c.312 (C.30:8-16.14).

f. The county reentry coordinator shall consult and coordinate with the county board of social services or welfare agency, as appropriate, when providing information or assistance with respect to a benefit or service administered by the board or welfare agency.

L. 2021, c.312, s.11.

This section added to the Rutgers Database: 2022-02-15 13:45:44.

Older versions of 30:8-16.19 (if available):

Court decisions that cite this statute: CLICK HERE.