Message from Governor James E. McGreevey

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NJDOC 2002 Annual Report

MESSAGE FROM GOVERNOR JAMES E. McGREEVEY

The New Jersey Department of Corrections, under the leadership of Devon Brown and his staff, continues to distinguish itself as an effectively operated agency dedicated to confining offenders and providing the safest possible environment for our correction officers as well as to the community-at-large.

The 2002 Annual Report brings richly deserved recognition to a department that has distinguished itself as one of the most innovative law enforcement agencies in the United States.

We know that most offenders will rejoin society and that more than 75 percent of all inmates under our jurisdiction are incarcerated either directly or indirectly because of a substance abuse addiction. Clearly, the problem of chemical dependence among inmates must be addressed. The Department of Corrections is doing just that on several fronts, as it strives to have drug-free and alcohol-free citizens ready to rejoin society once their sentences are completed.

The 2002 calendar year has seen the following developments:

The contract for the provision of Therapeutic Community treatment has been awarded to the Gateway Foundation, Inc., which brings more than three decades of experience in the field of Therapeutic Community treatment.

Governor James E. McGreevey

Fresh Start program was launched at Northern State Prison. It represents the department's first Therapeutic Community program for males in a minimum custody, rather than medium custody, setting.

The American Correctional Association (ACA) selected the Nu-View Therapeutic Community program at Mountainview Youth Correctional Facility as a site to field test its newly developed Therapeutic Community accreditation standards. The selection of Mountainview puts the NJDOC on the cutting edge of a new innovation and standardization for prison-based drug treatment. Furthermore, it establishes the department as a leader in the field and a model for other departments to emulate.

Other accomplishments include the continued reduction in overtime costs, the introduction of an on-line inmate locator and the debut of the Gang Awareness Prevention Program. Details can be found throughout these pages.

On behalf of the citizens of New Jersey, I'd like to express my gratitude to the staff of the Department of Corrections. On a daily basis, they help to provide a better quality of life for the people of the Garden State.