Governor Christie Reaffirms Commitment to Reclaiming Lives, Providing Second Chances

TRENTON — Reaffirming a commitment to second chances for individuals to reclaim their lives, on March 31 Governor Chris Christie opened a new 50-bed residential treatment facility for male clients who are in New Jersey’s Drug Court program. The Governor participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony at Paterson’s Straight & Narrow Inc. after meeting with clients whose lives have been turned around through the initiative.
“New Jersey’s widely- acclaimed Drug Court is making a difference in thousands of lives,” said Governor Christie. “The program participants I met with today demonstrate why this program works – proving that proper treatment and hard work is much more effective than incarceration in overcoming the cycle of crime and stigma of addiction and substance abuse disorder. More importantly, it reinforces that everyone deserves a legitimate second chance.”
The new halfway house beds at Straight & Narrow are part of the Phase II Drug Court Expansion. Named in honor of Straight & Narrow’s former Executive Director, Reverend Norman J. O’Connor, the facility is located on the refurbished second and third floors of a former warehouse area. Straight and Narrow received $210,560 from the Department of Human Services’ Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services to help fund the $1.2 million expansion.
“Without the support of Governor Christie and the Diocese of Paterson, we would not be able to help so many people recover from such a deadly disease,” said Joseph Duffy Executive Director of Straight & Narrow.
Governor Christie signed landmark bipartisan Drug Court legislation in 2012, which calls for a five-year phase-in period that establishes mandatory drug court programs in all of New Jersey’s 21 counties.
To date, nine vicinages (Ocean, Hudson, Somerset/Hunterdon/Warren, Passaic, Mercer, Atlantic/Cape May, Bergen, Burlington, and Monmouth) have implemented mandatory Drug Courts, with another three (Essex, Cumberland/Salem/Gloucester and Middlesex) slated for July 2016. The final three courts, Camden, Morris/Sussex and Union are due to be phased in July 2017.
“Just like addiction affects the entire family, so does recovery, and Governor Christie has opened the doors to that path for thousands of families through the mandatory drug court program,” said DHS Acting Commissioner Elizabeth Connolly.
In 2015 alone, 5,344 clients received treatment through Drug Court, and 19,080 individuals have received assistance since its inception. Governor Christie has continually expanded the state’s investment in Drug Court and is recommending total funding of nearly $64 million to support the Drug Court program in his fiscal year 2017 proposed budget.
The rate at which drug court graduates are re-arrested for new offenses is 16 percent and the reconviction rate is just 8 percent as compared to re-arrest rates for drug offenders released from prison that stand at 54 percent with a re-conviction rate of 43 percent.
Founded in 1954, Straight & Narrow serves as a comprehensive social service, health care and community development agency with 300 staff that services approximately 1,200 clients and families each day. The range of services includes the following: inpatient, and intensive outpatient care, detoxification, methadone, and suboxone maintenance.