N.J. Admin. Code § 13:90-4.10

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 21, November 4, 2024

Section 13:90-4.10 - Funding applications

(a) In a format to be determined by the Commission, a county participating in the Restorative and Transformative Justice for Youths and Communities Pilot Program (Pilot Program) shall submit a single funding application for the entire two-year Pilot Program. The funding application shall address two components. The first component of the Pilot Program shall include restorative justice hubs. Each of the four Pilot Program municipalities shall have one restorative justice hub. The second component shall include community-based enhanced reentry wraparound services to be provided within each restorative justice hub. Each submission shall include, at a minimum, the following items and information, and any other additional items and information deemed appropriate by the Commission:

1. A description of the overall program design and the services that will be funded by the county within the restorative justice hub, including a designation as to which services will be funded to support youth presently living in the community, which services will serve youth returning to the community from a Commission facility, and which services will serve both populations. These services and supports shall include, but are not limited to, the following:

i. Mental health services;

ii. Substance use disorders treatment and recovery;

iii. Education support;

iv. Employment services;

v. Housing support;

vi. Financial literacy and debt support services;

vii. Life skills support services;

viii. Social support services;

ix. Preventative mentoring services; and

x. Community conferences and/or peace circles to heal and repair harm caused by youth as a result of their behavior;

2. A detailed description of both the nature and extent of the service needs of youth in the communities to be served by the Pilot Program that supports the need for the services included in the program design;

3. A detailed description of how activities and services funded by the Pilot Program shall:

i. Increase participation in education, vocational programming, and employment;

ii. Increase participation in mental health and well-being programming;

iii. Decrease incidents of harmful and unlawful behavior;

iv. Ensure restorative justice hubs establish working relationships with local law enforcement agencies, courts, prosecutors, and defense attorneys to support the diversion of youth from arrest and prosecution and towards participation in restorative justice services provided in the hubs;

v. Promote the use of community conferencing and/or peace circles as a means to informally address delinquent behavior and to divert youth from formal justice system involvement;

vi. Improve the socioemotional and behavioral responses of youth within communities through the use of more appropriate and less punitive interventions, thereby establishing more restorative interventions; and

vii. Increase program participation rates in other restorative and transformative justice programs in the municipalities in which the Pilot Program is established;

4. A plan for ensuring providers, relevant personnel, and system stakeholders are provided appropriate training in restorative and transformative justice practices;

5. A plan for holding the public meeting required pursuant to P.L. 2021, c. 196 to announce the program and inform the public of the rules, regulations, and processes for applying for the grant funds under the Pilot Program;

6. A certification that funds provided under the Pilot Program have not been used directly or indirectly, to replace, supplant, reduce, eliminate, or otherwise substitute funding, including funding for capital construction and reconstruction, from any other sources;

7. The identity of the administrator of the county youth services commission;

8. A list of all personnel who are funded by or are otherwise responsible for the implementation of the Pilot Program;

9. A certificate executed by the county representing that the county, the Youth Services Commission, and funded providers are in compliance with all statutes, rules, and regulations pertaining to the Pilot Program, including P.L. 2021, c. 196, and this subchapter; and

10. Efforts employed to ensure that supports and services are culturally appropriate.

(b) The Executive Director of the Commission, or designee, shall approve a county application for funding, provided that:

1. The application is timely submitted in proper form and is complete;

2. The application is in compliance with all applicable requirements of this subchapter and P.L. 2021, c. 196; and

3. The county youth services commission is otherwise in compliance with all applicable requirements of this subchapter.

N.J. Admin. Code § 13:90-4.10

Adopted by 54 N.J.R. 98(a), effective 1/3/2022

Amended by 55 N.J.R. 1187(b), effective 6/5/2023