It's an issue that spans political lines – and governors – in New Jersey.
Five current and former Garden State governors recently found common ground at an annual conference on trauma and the criminal justice system, hosted by the New Jersey Reentry Corporation (NJRC).
The panel of speakers included two Democrats – Mikie Sherrill and Jon Corzine – and three Republicans: Chris Christie, Donald DiFrancesco, and Thomas Kean.
According to the NJRC, which runs several programs that help former prisoners get back on their feet, the justice system has struggled to respond effectively to trauma, addiction and mental illness.
Speakers at the conference blamed the chronic problem on a combination of poverty, addiction, domestic violence and education. There is also an urgent need for mental health care – both before and after prison.
Gov. Sherrill said it's important to find ways to help people thrive after incarceration – "or if we're really successful, to avoid it in the first place."
"In too many cases we have seen a prison sentence be a lifetime sentence, so that's why the work to create better job opportunities… to have mental health support… to have diversion programs," the governor added.
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Christie, a Republican who also served as a U.S. attorney before becoming governor, advocated for more "compassion" and "understanding" when it comes to criminal justice and the court system.
Christie recalled his time as a federal prosecutor, which included hiring staff. On his wall, there was a seal of bearing the name of the agency that employed them. Urging the new hires to read the words on the seal, he'd point out that it read "Department of Justice."
"It doesn't say Department of Prosecution," he'd tell them. "Your job every day is to make sure justice is done. Sometimes, justice requires backing away."
Kean, who served as governor from 1982 to 1990, agreed with his Republican peer.
During the NJRC conference, Kean dug up a painful memory from his past, telling attendees about growing up as a young child with dyslexia and a stutter. Back then, learning differences weren't as understood as they are today – he'd routinely face insults about being "dumb" – and without the support of a few teachers who went above and beyond the call of duty, his life may have turned out very differently, the former governor said.
According to Kean, preventing youth from "going into the swamp to begin with" can pay off tremendously – and education is a big part of the equation.
"When we can put those teachers in the classroom, dealing with kids at very early ages, we can prevent a lot of what we're talking about," he said.
DiFrancesco pointed to changing public opinion and understanding about domestic violence, which is now widely seen as a systemic problem – not something that should be kept private.
Domestic violence victims have historically lacked the financial means and institutional support needed to navigate a complex legal system – particularly when trauma, children and the need to relocate are involved, he said.
"It almost becomes impossible to manage alone," DiFrancesco said.
New Jersey domestic violence victims who committed crimes against their abuser can now petition for pardons or sentence commutations under the state's revamped clemency program.
Corzine, a Democrat who served as governor from 2006 to 2010, said "every human being deserves dignity and to be treated with dignity," whether in the criminal justice system or the mental health system – a comment that sparked applause from attendees at the conference.
For now, New Jersey needs to look at each person's case as an individual, he said.
"It's one person that you're trying to deal with," Corzine said. "I think if that would be infused into our policies and our responses, we'd have a much better system going forward."
Other speakers at the NJRC conference hammered home many of the governors' points.
Phil Alagia, chief of staff in Essex County, which is home to the state's largest county-run prison, said the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark currently has 400 inmates who are in detox. The prison is now running the largest inpatient substance abuse program in the entire state, he said.
"And it shouldn't be at the jail – but it is," Alagia added.
On the national stage, the drive to reform America's criminal justice system has also forged an unlikely alliance between President Donald Trump and U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, both of whom have supported the First Step Act.
The legislation, which Trump signed into law in 2018, expanded job training and other programs that reduce recidivism rates among federal prisoners. It also expanded early-release programs and changed sentencing laws, including mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenders.
According to the NJRC, there is a larger truth that has to be confronted: the role of prisons and jails has changed. These days, correctional institutions are increasingly finding themselves struggling to manage inmates with serious mental illness, addiction and history of trauma – and all the clinical needs that come along with them.
"Public policy must respond with stronger mental health care, addiction treatment, stabilization and structured clinical support," the nonprofit urged.
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