Halfway houses have become a growing fixture within the criminal justice system of New Jersey. They are largely seen as a money-saving option for the state and a chance to avoid prison for those sentenced to them. But, they are underfire for what the New York Times says is an alarming number of escapes due, in part, to a lack of oversight. [Read more…]
Gov. Christie Suggests Mandatory Drug Court Participation
Drug courts exist to help those accused of drug crimes get the treatment they need and want. But they are voluntary, and not everyone opts to have their cases heard in a drug court. If Governor Christie has his way, however, every qualifying drug offender would be required to participate in drug court programming, a suggestion that has some people worried. [Read more…]
Man Faces Litany of Charges in Drunk Driving Death of Niece
A 30-year old Guttenberg man is facing numerous criminal charges following a tragic accident that occurred last weekend. He is accused of driving drunk and causing an accident that ended in the death of his infant niece, only one year old. [Read more…]
Will Changes Make Police Internal Affairs More Accountable?
Before she leaves her post as State Attorney General, Paula Dow is facing some criticism on the new reporting forms she rolled out to reportedly improve accountability among police internal affairs units. The problem, say many, is that the forms don’t require departments to note how many investigations are open at the close of the year. For others, despite this minor oversight, the reports are a step in the right direction. [Read more…]
NJ Program Aims to Free Wrongly Convicted
By now we’ve all heard of the Innocence Project, the organization that works to free those who were wrongly convicted using DNA evidence. But DNA evidence isn’t available in all criminal cases. As a matter of fact, it’s not available in most criminal cases. One program, out of Seton Hall University Law School is working on all of the other cases, those in which the convicted maintains their innocence but where there is no DNA evidence available. [Read more…]
Trenton PD’s “Send a Message” Campaign Nets 41 Arrests in 1 Weekend
Last Friday night began a campaign by Trenton police officers to “Send a Message” to criminals and would-be criminals alike. The message—that officer layoffs doesn’t detract from the departments commitment to violent crime enforcement. [Read more…]