New Jersey A 2307: Makes FY2024 supplemental appropriation of $500,000 to Judiciary to support expansion of Pretrial Services Program.

Bill Text

A2307 

ASSEMBLY, No. 2307 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman LUANNE M. PETERPAUL

District 11 (Monmouth)

SYNOPSIS

���� Makes FY2024 supplemental appropriation of $500,000 
to Judiciary to support expansion of Pretrial Services Program.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative 
Counsel.

�� 

A 
Supplement to the annual appropriations act 
for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, P.L.2023, c.74.

���� Be It 
Enacted by the Senate and the General Assembly 
of the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.� In addition to the amounts 
appropriated under P.L.2023, c.74, the annual appropriations act for the fiscal 
year ending June 30, 2024, there is appropriated from the General Fund the 
following amount for the purpose specified:

98 The Judiciary

10 Public safety and Criminal Justice

04 Criminal Courts

9725 Criminal Courts

DIRECT STATE SERVICES

04-9725� Criminal Courts ....................................................... $500,000

���������������� Total Direct 
State Services appropriation,��������������������������� 

������������������ Criminal 
Courts ................................................... $500,000

Direct State Services:

�������� 04��� Statewide 
Pretrial Services Program......... $500,000

���� 2.� This act shall take effect 
immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill supplements the 
Fiscal Year 2024 appropriation act to provide $500,000 in supplemental funding 
to the Judiciary�s Statewide Pretrial Services Program. The Pretrial Services 
Program was established in New Jersey in 2017 pursuant to the Criminal Justice 
Reform Act.

���� A 2023 Report of the 
Reconvened Joint Committee on Criminal Justice made a recommendation to provide 
additional funding to enable the Judiciary to increase Pretrial Services 
Program staffing in order to ensure adequate oversight of the large number of 
defendants on pretrial release. During a March 7, 2024 Senate Judiciary 
Committee meeting, a similar concern about the lack of adequate resources for 
pretrial services was raised during oral and written testimonies. The Director 
of the Administrative Office of the Courts reiterated the recommendation for 
increased funding and staffing for pretrial services. Furthermore, during oral 
testimonies, multiple county prosecutors also underscored the need for 
additional funding for pretrial services, particularly with regard to staff and 
equipment for electronic monitoring of defendants.

���� The FY2025 Governor�s Budget 
recommends a $24.2 million for Statewide Pretrial Services Program, which is 
unchanged from the FY2024 appropriation of the same amount.