Establishes task force to review current status of juvenile delinquency and remediation.

A1395

ASSEMBLY, No. 1395

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman ELLEN J. PARK

District 37 (Bergen)

Assemblywoman LUANNE M. PETERPAUL

District 11 (Monmouth)

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes task force to review current status of
juvenile delinquency and remediation.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act
establishing a task force to examine certain issues
related to juvenile justice.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� a.� There is established
the �Task Force on the Status of Juvenile Delinquency and Remediation.�

���� b.��� The task force shall
consist of 23 members as follows:

���� (1)�� four legislative
members, who shall include two members of the Senate, who shall not be of the
same political party, and two members of the General Assembly, who shall not be
of the same political party.� The President of the Senate, the Speaker of the General
Assembly, the Minority Leader of the Senate and the Minority Leader of the
General Assembly each shall appoint one legislative member;

���� (2)�� ten ex officio members
or their designees, who shall include the following:

���� (a)�� the Attorney General;

���� (b)�� the Administrative
Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts;

���� (c)�� the Executive Director
of the Youth Justice Commission;

���� (d)�� the Commissioner of
Education;

���� (e)�� the Commissioner of
Children and Families;

���� (f)�� the Commissioner of
Human Services;

���� (g)�� the Public Defender;

���� (h)�� the Superintendent of
the Division of State Police;

���� (i)��� the Director of the
Division of Criminal Justice; and

���� (j)��� the chair of the
Governor�s Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Committee;

���� (3)�� six public members
appointed by the Governor, who shall include the following:

���� (a)�� a county prosecutor who
has been recommended by the County Prosecutors Association of New Jersey;

���� (b)�� a representative of the
New Jersey Association of County Youth Services Commission Administrators who
has been recommended by the Youth Justice Commission;

���� (c)�� a representative of the
Office of Local Programs and Services in the Youth Justice Commission who has
been recommended by the Youth Justice Commission;

���� (d)�� a representative of the
New Jersey Juvenile Officers Association;

���� (e)�� a person who, by
training or experience, is knowledgeable regarding motor vehicle theft, and has
been recommended by the Superintendent of the State Police; and

���� (f)�� a representative of an
organization that defends civil rights or promotes social justice; and

���� (4)�� three members of the
public with experience in processing juvenile offenders, who may be retired
Family Court judges or attorneys in private practice, to be appointed by the
Administrative Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts.

���� c.���� The members of the task
force shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for necessary
expenses incurred in the performance of their duties to the extent that funds
are made available for that purpose.

���� 2.��� a.� All appointments to
the task force shall be made within 90 days of the effective date of this act.�
Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments.� The
task force shall elect a chairperson from among its members.� The Youth Justice
Commission shall provide staff and administrative support to the task force.

���� b.��� The chairperson shall
call an initial meeting of the task force within 120 days of the effective date
of this act.� The task force may meet at the call of its chairperson at the
times, and in the places it may deem appropriate and necessary to fulfill its
duties, and may conduct public hearings at any place it shall designate.� The
presence of a majority of its members shall constitute a quorum.

���� c.���� The task force shall be
entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the
employees of any State, county or municipal department, board, bureau,
commission, or agency as it may require and as may be available to it for its
purposes.

���� d.��� The task force shall
submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including legislative
proposals, to the Governor and to the Legislature, pursuant to section 2 of
P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1) within 18 months of its initial organizational
meeting.

���� 3.��� The charge of the task
force shall be to examine the cause of the recent increase in juvenile
delinquency cases; identify possible legislative, executive and judicial
remedies; and to assess coordination in the processing and rehabilitation of
juvenile offenders.� Specifically, the task force shall evaluate:

���� a.���� the increase in
juveniles charged with serious offenses and the increase in repeat offenders,
as assessed by the Judiciary;

���� b.��� the coordination and
availability of noncustodial, post adjudication services, across all counties
and vicinages in the State, including the needs of the Youth Justice Commission
in meeting those demands;

���� c.���� the capability of
existing detention and rehabilitation facilities, including contracted partner
organization facilities, in meeting the current needs of the State�s
adjudicated delinquents; and

���� d.��� any other issue related
to the furtherance of the State�s commitment to the Juvenile Detention
Alternative Initiative, including a minimum age for adjudication, a
legislatively mandated review of mitigating factors of youth for the purpose of
sentencing, and the possibility of resentencing juveniles serving lengthy
sentences that amount to lifetime incarceration without the possibility of
parole.

���� 4.��� This act shall take
effect immediately and shall expire 30 days after the submission of the report
pursuant to subsection d. of section 2 of P.L.�� , c.� (C.������ ) (pending
before the Legislature as this bill).�

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes the
�Task Force on the Status of Juvenile Delinquency and Remediation.�

���� The task force is to consist
of 23 members.� Four legislative members are to be appointed to the task force
including two members of the Senate and two members of the General Assembly.�
The task force is to have ten ex-officio members, including: the Administrative
Director of the Courts; the Attorney General; the Executive Director of the Youth
Justice Commission; the Commissioners of Education, Children and Families, and
Human Services; the Public Defender; the Superintendent of the State Police;
the Director of the Division of Criminal Justice; and the chair of the
Governor�s Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Committee.� ������ An
additional six public members are to be appointed to the task force by the
Governor, including a person knowledgeable of motor vehicle theft, and
representatives of: the County Prosecutors Association of the State of New
Jersey; the County Youth Services Commission Administrators; the Office of
Local and Program Services within the Youth Justice Commission; the New Jersey
Juvenile Officers Association; and an organization that defends civil rights or
promotes social justice.� Finally, three public members with experience in
processing juvenile offenders, such as retired Family Court judges or attorneys
in private practice, are to be appointed by the Administrative Director of the
Administrative Office of the Courts.

���� The charge of the task force
is to examine the cause of the recent increase in juvenile criminal activity
and to identify legislative, executive and judicial remedies.� Specifically,
the task force is required to evaluate the increase in juvenile offenders
charged with serious offenses and repeat offenders, the coordination and
availability of post adjudication services across the State, the capability of
existing facilities in meeting the current needs of adjudicated delinquents,
and any other issues related to the furtherance of the State�s commitment to
the Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative.

���� This bill becomes effective
immediately upon enactment. All appointments to the task force are to be made
within 90 days of the bill�s effective date and the task force will organize
within 120 days of the bill�s effective date.� The task force will choose a
chairperson from among its membership and will have administrative support from
the Youth Justice Commission. The task force is entitled to call to its
assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State,
county, or municipal department, board, bureau, commission or agency as it may
require and as may be available to it for its purposes.� Within 18 months of
its initial organization meeting, the task force is required to submit a report
of its findings, including any legislative proposals, to the Governor and the
Legislature.� The task force will expire 30 days after the submission of its
report.