The New Jersey Reentry Corporation held its annual conference on April 2 at Saint Peter’s University in Jersey City, bringing together leaders from government, medicine, psychiatry, law, and public life to discuss the impact of trauma on individuals involved with the justice system and the need for mental health and addiction treatment as part of reentry policies.
The event addressed how untreated trauma can affect thinking, emotions, and behavior among people returning to society after addiction treatment, incarceration, or wartime combat. The conference highlighted that addressing behavioral health is essential for successful reentry and public safety.
Governor Mikie Sherrill opened the conference by emphasizing her commitment to effective reentry strategies and public safety. She said that many people affected by the criminal justice system are also dealing with poverty, addiction, instability, or untreated trauma. “In too many cases we have seen a prison sentence be a lifetime sentence, so that’s why the work to create better job opportunities, to have mental health support, to have diversion programs … is important,” Sherrill said. “We are finding ways to make sure that people can thrive after incarceration, or if we’re really successful to avoid it in the first place.”
Medical professionals at the event discussed how trauma impairs cognition and emotional regulation. Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor explained during her keynote address how trauma affects brain function. A bipartisan panel of former New Jersey governors explored issues such as poverty and domestic violence while stressing clinically driven care for those incarcerated or recently released.
Judges Madeline Cox Arleo, Zahid Quraishi, and Esther Salas participated in discussions about creating a more humane justice system. Phil Alagia from Essex County noted that correctional facilities increasingly serve individuals with serious mental health needs; he said Essex County Correctional Facility now operates as New Jersey’s largest mental health hospital.
Meanwhile,the New Jersey Business and Industry Association serves as one of the nation’s largest statewide employer associations representing private-sector employers throughout New Jersey. According to its official website, it advances competitive excellence among members while providing advocacy services and facilitating partnerships between businesses and government entities.
