Bill Text: NJ A2435 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Directs the collection by the Administrative Office of the Courts of data about crimes committed by persons released on bail.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-02-06 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee [A2435 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-A2435-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman RONALD S. DANCER
District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Directs the collection by the Administrative Office of the Courts of data about crimes committed by persons released on bail.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning data about crimes committed by persons while on bail and supplementing chapter 45 of Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts shall establish a program to record and analyze crimes committed by persons released on bail.
b. The program shall record data regarding types of crimes committed by persons released on bail, the arrests for all offenses committed by persons released on bail, amount of time from release on bail to arrest for an offense committed while on bail, any convictions resulting from the arrests and the number of repeat offenders. This data shall be analyzed to determine whether the rates and nature of rearrests and convictions differ according to the criminal histories and personal characteristics of the persons released on bail, any treatment they received during the bail period, the participation and involvement in rehabilitation initiatives and programs, and such other factors as may be relevant to the purposes of this section, including, but not limited to, race, gender, ethnicity, and age, but without referencing personally identifying information.
c. The Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts shall prepare and disseminate to the public annual reports summarizing the data, and other findings and analyses resulting from the information gathered pursuant to this section. To facilitate the accessibility of these reports to the general public, the Director shall, to the greatest extent possible, utilize the Internet.
d. The Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts shall, pursuant to section 2 of P.L. 1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), annually prepare and transmit to the Governor and the Legislature the reports prepared pursuant to subsection c. of this section and a summary of the recommendations set forth in the reports prepared pursuant to subsection c. of this section, along with any recommendations the Administrative Office of the Courts may have for legislation to improve the effectiveness of the State's bail system.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would require the Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts to establish a program to record and analyze crimes committed by persons released on bail. Under the bill, the program shall record data regarding types of crimes committed by persons released on bail, the arrests for all offenses committed by persons released on bail, amount of time from release on bail to arrests for offenses committed while on bail, any convictions resulting from the arrests and the number of repeat offenders. This data shall be analyzed to determine whether the rates and nature of rearrests and convictions differ according to the criminal histories and personal characteristics of the person released on bail, any treatment they received during the bail period, participation and involvement in rehabilitation initiatives and programs, and such other factors as may be relevant to the purposes of the bill, including, but not limited to, race, gender, ethnicity, and age, but without referencing personally identifying information. The bill is not intended to profile any person or group of persons.
The reports shall be made available to the public on an annual basis utilizing the Internet, to the greatest extent possible. Additionally, the Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts shall annually prepare and transmit to the Governor and the Legislature the reports and a summary of the recommendations set forth in the reports, with any recommendations for legislation to improve the effectiveness of the State's bail system.
