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WHEREAS, there
continues to be an absence of a comprehensive, coordinated range
of services for juveniles who become involved in the juvenile justice
system; and
WHEREAS, the
Department of Corrections, Division of Juvenile Services, has shown
that alternative correctional programs for troubled youth are appropriate
and cost-effective; and
WHEREAS, there
continues to be a lack of sufficient alternatives to costly institutional
care; and
WHEREAS, substantial
numbers of juveniles require timely prevention and intervention
services; and
WHEREAS, it
is essential that we avoid duplication and make the best possible
use of public funds; and
WHEREAS, there
are a number of separate departments and agencies involved in providing
services to troubled youth; and
WHEREAS, effective
prevention and intervention services for youth at risk of involvement
with the juvenile justice system will require cooperative and coordinated
efforts of various departments of state, county and local governments
as well as business, religious and community organizations; and
WHEREAS, the
Attorney General has developed and released an Attorney General
Directive to police and prosecutors on the handling of juvenile
matters;
NOW, THEREFORE,
I, JAMES J. FLORIO, Governor of the State of New Jersey, by virtue
of the authority vested in my by the Constitution and by the Statutes
of this State, do hereby ORDER and DIRECT:
1. There
is hereby created a Governor's Cabinet Action Group on Juvenile
Justice (hereafter referred to as the Action Group). The Action
Group shall consist of the Attorney General, who shall serve as
chairperson; the Commissioner of Education; the Commissioner of
Health; the Commissioner of Human Services; the Commissioner of
Corrections; the Commissioner of Labor; the Commissioner of Community
Affairs; and the Public Advocate. The Administrative Director
of the Courts should be invited to participate in the activities
of the Action Group.
2. The responsibilities
and functions of the Action Group shall include:
a. Identifying,
developing and implementing a range of services, both residential
and non-residential, for juvenile justice system involved youth
so that more uniform, timely, cost-effective and appropriate
alternatives to institutional care are made available to youth
for whom institutional care is not warranted.
b. Consistent
with the Code of Juvenile Justice, working cooperatively to
expand the range of disposition options available to the Court,
including the sharing of resources to allow for more appropriate
intervention services at the local level.
c. Substantially
increasing the availability of drug treatment services to juvenile
justice system involved youth and youth at risk of involvement
with the juvenile justice system.
d. Developing
formal interdepartmental policy and planning agreements in order
to improve coordination and cooperation among state departments
of government in the provision of services to youth at risk
of involvement with the juvenile justice system. These agreements
must include cross training sessions including cultural and
ethnic sensitivity training, the willingness to share state
and federal resources, and a mechanism to share data and department
policy decisions affecting juvenile justice system involved
youth.
e. Developing
more efficient, cost-effective community-based prevention and
intervention services to prevent youth from proceeding further
into the juvenile justice system. This shall include expanded
efforts to keep troubled youth within the educational system
and an emphasis by each department of state government on the
development of public/private partnerships in their service
delivery systems for youth.
f. Reporting
to the Governor on an ongoing basis as to issues, programs and
the setting of budgetary and policy priorities.
3. The Action
Group shall begin its efforts immediately. The Action Group shall
work cooperatively with the Judiciary and Legislature and shall
consult with the State Youth Services Commission, the Association
for Children of N.J., the Governor's Committee on Children's Services
Planning, the Governor's Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Advisory Committee, the Juvenile Delinquency Commission, the Governor's
Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, and any other agencies and
organizations involved with policy and program issues for delinquent
and pre-delinquent youth.
4. The Office
of the Attorney General shall coordinate staffing needs of the
Action Group. Each member of the Action Group shall assign a representative
of his or her department to be designated as staff support to
the Action Group. The Action Group is authorized to call upon
any department or agency of state government to provide such information,
resources or other assistance deemed necessary to discharge their
responsibilities under this Executive Order.
5. This
order shall take effect immediately.
GIVEN,
under my hand and seal
this 11th day of March in the Year
of Our Lord, one thousand nine
hundred and ninety-one, and of the
Independence of the United States,
the two hundred and fifteenth.
/s/
James J. Florio
GOVERNOR
Attest:
/s/ Andrew
Weber
Chief Counsel to the Governor
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