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A1753
ASSEMBLY, No. 1753
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ANTHONY S. VERRELLI
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
Assemblywoman SHANIQUE SPEIGHT
District 29 (Essex and Hudson)
Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywomen Murphy, Haider, Assemblyman Calabrese and
Assemblywoman Park
SYNOPSIS
���� Directs Juvenile Justice Commission to establish arts
education pilot program for juvenile offenders.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.
��
An Act
concerning arts education programs for juvenile
offenders and supplementing P.L.1995, c.284 (C.52:17B-169 et seq.).
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.��� a.�� The Juvenile
Justice Commission, created pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1995, c.284
(C.52:17B-170), shall establish an arts education pilot program to be
administered by the commission pursuant to the provisions of this act. The
commission shall consult with the New Jersey State Council on the Arts in the
Department of State in the development, operation, administration, and
evaluation of the pilot program.� The pilot program shall provide for the
development of three model arts education programs to deliver innovative
arts-based programming for juvenile offenders in detention and correction
facilities in this State during a five-year period. The model programs, which
shall be developed through organizational partnerships including, but not
limited to, State and local arts organizations, community-based agencies,
philanthropic entities, and the private sector, shall have the following goals:
���� (1)�� to prepare juvenile
offenders for educational achievement by developing imagination, reasoning,
judgment and the critical thinking skills necessary for problem solving and
decision making;
���� (2)�� to develop an
arts-infused program based on interdisciplinary and thematic units;
���� (3)�� to broaden the role of
the teacher through staff development to include such diverse roles as
instructor, coach, mentor and exemplar;
���� (4)�� to improve student
performance as determined by standard measures and alternative assessment
strategies;
���� (5)�� to enhance student
self-concept as determined by measures of self-esteem;
���� (6)�� to encourage
understanding of traditional, local and diverse cultures;
���� (7)�� to integrate program
activities with professional and community-based arts organizations; and
���� (8)�� to further evaluate and
research arts education and its impact on the positive development and
rehabilitation of juvenile offenders.
���� b.��� The commission shall
forward a request for proposals for the development of arts-based programs
under this act to all appropriate agencies and organizations, including, but
not limited to, all State and local arts organizations in this State. An
organization which wants to participate in the pilot program shall submit a
proposal to the commission.� The proposal shall outline the organization�s plan
for arts-based programming for juvenile offenders to enhance positive
development, excellence, student motivation, and self-esteem. The proposal
shall include, but not be limited to, the following information:
���� (1)�� the specific elements of
the proposed arts programming;
���� (2)�� the content, techniques,
and materials to be used to advance the organizational ability, critical
thinking, problem solving, creative, and other skills of the juvenile offenders
participating in the program;
���� (3)�� the manner in which
professional development experiences in the arts will be factored into the
program design; and
���� (4)�� the funding sources for
the program for a five-year period.
���� c.���� The commission shall
select three programs to participate in the pilot program based upon the
commission�s evaluation of the organization�s ability to successfully implement
model arts-based programming. The selection process shall include visits to
potential organizations to ascertain their commitment and ability to develop
and implement arts-based programming specifically for juvenile offenders.
���� d.��� The commission shall
provide for the inclusion of an evaluation component within the pilot program.
The assessment methods designed to evaluate the model programs shall be based
on best practices for assessing arts-based programming for juvenile offenders
and youth, specifically their educational outcomes and student progress in
problem solving, comprehension, critical thinking and reasoning, and positive
development. During the initial four years of the pilot program each model
program shall undergo an annual evaluation conducted by the commission.� After
the program�s fourth year, the commission shall submit to the Governor, and to
the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), an
evaluation of the pilot program and a recommendation on the advisability of its
continuation and expansion within the State.
���� e.���� The Juvenile Justice
Commission, in consultation with the New Jersey State Council on the Arts,
shall adopt, pursuant to the �Administrative Procedure Act,� P.L.1968, c.410
(C.52:14B-1 et seq.), the rules and regulations necessary to
implement the provisions of this act.
���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.
STATEMENT
���� This bill directs the Juvenile
Justice Commission to establish an arts education pilot program for juvenile
offenders in the State.
���� In establishing the pilot
program, the bill requires the commission to consult with the New Jersey State
Council on the Arts to oversee the development, operation, administration, and
evaluation of the program.� The pilot program is to involve the development of
three model arts education programs to deliver innovative arts-based
programming for juvenile offenders in detention and correction facilities
during a five-year period. The model programs are to be developed through
organizational partnerships including, but not limited to, State and local arts
organizations, community-based agencies, philanthropic entities, and the
private sector, and are to be self-funded.� The commission is to select three
programs to participate in the pilot program, based upon the organization�s
ability to successfully implement model arts-based programming.
���� Under the bill, the commission
is required to include an evaluation component in the pilot program.� The
evaluation is to be based on best practices for assessing arts-based
programming for juvenile offenders and youth and, specifically, their
educational outcomes and student progress in problem solving, comprehension,
critical thinking and reasoning, and positive development.� During the initial
four years, each model program is required to undergo an annual evaluation
conducted by the commission.� After the program�s fourth year, the commission
is to submit to the Governor and the Legislature an evaluation of the pilot
program and a recommendation concerning whether the program should be continued
and expanded within the State.