December 13, 2012 (Press-News.org) New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie recently signed into law a new measure expanding state programs that allow some people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses to receive treatment through the state's drug court rather than spend time in prison. The measure has been praised as a way to help ease financial strain on the New Jersey prison system while providing services that are more effective at improving recovery rates and reducing recidivism.
Drug court programs have existed in New Jersey for over a decade, giving people convicted of certain drug crimes the opportunity to receive intensive drug or alcohol treatment as an alternative to prison. The new law establishes a $2.5 million pilot program that will gradually expand New Jersey's existing drug courts over the next five years. In addition to loosening the eligibility requirements to include more types of crimes and remove previous disqualifications, the new law also makes drug court mandatory rather than voluntary for qualifying individuals.
Drug Courts Offer Many Benefits Over Imprisonment
Over the past ten years, more than 12,000 people have participated in New Jersey drug court programs, according to one of the bill's sponsors. More than 4,500 New Jersey residents are currently participating in drug court, and the new law provides for another 1,500 participants to be enrolled during the first year. According to state data, drug courts in New Jersey cost about $11,300 per participant each year, compared to the roughly $42,000 per year that the state must spend to house an inmate in prison, nj.com reported.
Not only is drug court less expensive than imprisonment, but it has also proven to be far more effective at reducing the likelihood of future offenses by a convicted individual. Among participants in New Jersey's drug courts, only 16 percent are arrested again within the first three years after completing the program, with 8 percent convicted of new crimes. In contrast, among convicted individuals who do not participate in the program, 54 percent are arrested again within three years and 43 percent are convicted.
If you are arrested for drug crimes in New Jersey, contact an experienced criminal defense lawyer for help understanding your legal options and defending against any criminal charges you may face.
Article provided by Law Office of Sara Sencer McArdle, LLC
Visit us at http://www.saramcardlelaw.com
New Jersey Expands Drug Court Program as an Alternative to Prison
New Jersey lawmakers recently enacted a measure that will expand the state's drug courts and help keep many people out of prison when convicted of certain drug offenses.
2012-12-13
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Florida Continues to Fund assisted Living Homes Despite Abuse, Neglect
2012-12-13
An investigation by the Miami-Herald found that Florida's Agency for Healthcare Administration has continued to award assisting living facilities Medicaid funds despite repeated instances of abuse and neglect of residents.
The state of Florida gives the agency the power to withdraw or suspend Medicaid funding to assisted living facilities that fail to pass inspections or that have documented instances of abuse or neglect. Often, Medicaid funds mean the difference between survival and closing up shop for assisted living facilities, which rely on Medicaid money to fund ...
Divorce and Children: Tips for Successful Co-Parenting
2012-12-13
No matter how acrimonious a divorce is, when it comes to taking care of the needs of children, cooler heads must prevail. In order to successfully co-parent with your ex, you do not have to be best friends, but you do have to work together to give your child the care that he or she deserves.
How to co-parent successfully
The following tips can help you to successfully work as a team with your ex in order to care for your child following divorce.
Proximity. Although it is not always possible, and jobs can sometimes move us far away from home, do your best to keep ...
Overview of Child Support in Nevada
2012-12-13
Nevada couples know what a painful and emotional experience a divorce is. If children are involved, child support complicates the situation even further.
Child support in Nevada
Child support is a financial contribution by one parent to help support his or her child. In Nevada, child support is required until the child is emancipated. The normal emancipation age is 18, although if a child is still in high school emancipation may not occur until age 19.
The main factor when determining custody is the best interest of the child. Joint physical custody is granted ...
Asset Protection Trusts: Domestic Versus Offshore Accounts
2012-12-13
Trusts are popular estate planning tools that were once used primarily to pass assets down through generations. Since this tool can reduce the fees and taxes associated with transferring money, some choose to use trusts as a way to better manage their financial portfolio.
In recent years, the benefits associated with trusts have expanded. One primary example involves the shift society has made toward litigation. As litigation has increased in popularity, trusts have evolved to offer an effective form of asset protection. Asset protection planning is designed to help ...
Highway Funds May Entice States to Adopt Tougher Ignition Interlock Laws
2012-12-13
In these tough economic times the power of the purse is as strong as ever. Federal highway dollars are once again being used to persuade every state to adopt tougher drinking and driving laws. In the early 1980s, the National Minimum Drinking Age Act was passed, and the law tied federal highway money to the establishment of age 21 as the legal drinking age in all 50 states. If individual states failed to change the drinking age in their state to 21, Congress withheld a percentage of federal highway money. Today, the carrot of highway money is in use again as the National ...
Many Teens Still Admit to Texting While Driving
2012-12-13
Parents, you've all seen it before -- your teenager glued to his or her cellphone at the dining room table, in front of the TV, while walking down the street. It seems the opportunities for cellphone use are endless. Have you ever considered, however, whether your teen also uses his or her cellphone while behind the wheel? While many parents may assume their children would never engage in such risky behavior when driving, the results of a government survey indicated it is more common than you might imagine.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted the ...
Congress Considers Laws Extending Bankruptcy Relief to Struggling Students
2012-12-13
The Federal Reserve recently released a report showing that Americans owe over 470 billion dollars in federal student loans. Unfortunately, many financial experts predict that this number is deceivingly low and estimate the actual federal student loan debt to be closer to 840 billion dollars. They argue the discrepancy is due to the fact that the report does not include federal loans issued by borrowers other than the Department of Education.
This massive amount of debt is connected to continued tuition increases during tough economic times. Parents and students are ...
Estate Planning and Trusts: Trust Basics and the Impact of New Laws
2012-12-13
Trusts can offer a wide array of financial protections. In addition to easing the transfer of assets and allowing a great level of control over which taxes are applied to transfers, using a trust as part of an estate plan can also protect assets from creditors.
In addition to these benefits, a trust can also offer the creator ease of mind by providing financial assistance to minor children or family members who may not be experienced with asset management. These advantages make the use of a trust beneficial for many individuals.
Setting Up a Trust
Before establishing ...
New Brain Scan Could Lead to Better Treatment for Patients With TBIs
2012-12-13
With the recent lawsuit filed by former football players against the NFL and an increasing number of soldiers returning from deployment with these serious injuries, traumatic brain injuries have become a medical issue familiar to most Americans. Despite the increasing frequency of these types of injuries, however, properly diagnosing and consequently treating the damage caused is a challenge. Until recently, the scans used to show brain damage have not been as high tech as might be expected.
A new test, referred to as high-definition fiber tracking, is providing physicians ...
Are You Paying too Much for Your Property Taxes in Michigan?
2012-12-13
An estimated 60 percent of U.S. homes are overvalued for tax purposes, according to the National Taxpayers Union. Because property taxes are based primarily on the value of a home, it follows that most homeowners end up paying more than they should on their property taxes.
Surprisingly, the NTU estimates that only 2 percent of homeowners appeal their property taxes -- but a majority of those who do appeal win at least a partial victory, ABC News reported.
A number of factors go into assessing the value of a home for tax purposes, including:
-Home size
-Lot size
...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
CMD-OPT model enables the discovery of a potent and selective RIPK2 inhibitor as preclinical candidate for the treatment of acute liver injury
Melatonin receptor 1a alleviates sleep fragmentation-aggravated testicular injury in T2DM by suppression of TAB1/TAK1 complex through FGFR1
Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals Shen-Bai-Jie-Du decoction retards colorectal tumorigenesis by regulating the TMEM131–TNF signaling pathway-mediated differentiation of immunosuppressive dendritic ce
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B Volume 15, Issue 7 Publishes
New research expands laser technology
Targeted radiation offers promise in patients with metastasized small cell lung cancer to the brain
A high clinically translatable strategy to anti-aging using hyaluronic acid and silk fibroin co-crosslinked hydrogels as dermal regenerative fillers
Mount Sinai researchers uncover differences in how males and females change their mind when reflecting on past mistakes
CTE and normal aging are difficult to distinguish, new study finds
Molecular arms race: How the genome defends itself against internal enemies
Tiny chip speeds up antibody mapping for faster vaccine design
KTU experts reveal why cultural heritage is important for community unity
More misfolded proteins than previously known may contribute to Alzheimer’s and dementia
“Too much going on”: Autistic adults overwhelmed by non-verbal social cues
What’s driving America’s deep freezes in a warming world?
A key role of brain protein in learning and memory is deciphered by scientists
Heart attacks don’t follow a Hollywood script
Erin M. Schuman wins 2026 Nakasone Award for discovery on neural synapse function and change during formation of memories
Global ocean analysis could replace costly in-situ sound speed profiles in seafloor positioning, study finds
Power in numbers: Small group professional coaching reduces rates of physician burnout by nearly 30%
Carbon capture, utilization, and storage: A comprehensive review of CCUS-EOR
New high-temperature stable dispersed particle gel for enhanced profile control in CCUS applications
State gun laws and firearm-related homicides and suicides
Use of tobacco and cannabis following state-level cannabis legalization
Long-term obesity and biological aging in young adults
Eindhoven University of Technology and JMIR Publications announce unlimited open access publishing agreement
Orphan nuclear receptors in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease development
A technological breakthrough for ultra-fast and greener AI
Pusan National University researchers identify key barriers hindering data-driven smart manufacturing adoption
Inking heterometallic nanosheets: A scalable breakthrough for coating, electronics, and electrocatalyst applications
[Press-News.org] New Jersey Expands Drug Court Program as an Alternative to PrisonNew Jersey lawmakers recently enacted a measure that will expand the state's drug courts and help keep many people out of prison when convicted of certain drug offenses.