The bill establishes a one-year pilot program known as the Pretrial Partnership for Community Support and Services Pilot Program, which will be implemented in Monmouth, Union, Camden, and Cumberland counties. This initiative aims to provide eligible defendants on pretrial release with biopsychosocial assessments, case management, and various treatment services to enhance their health and social well-being, ultimately improving court appearance rates and public safety. The program will be coordinated by an approved pretrial community support provider, which must have a minimum of two years of experience in delivering comprehensive reentry services. Importantly, the bill specifies that no state funds will be allocated to the support provider for the program's implementation.

Additionally, the bill modifies existing legislation to allow courts to consider a defendant's participation in the pilot program when making pretrial release decisions and during sentencing. It introduces provisions for the court to order assessments and participation in treatment services as part of pretrial release conditions. The bill also clarifies that risk assessments conducted by the Pretrial Services Program should exclude factors related to marijuana-related offenses. At the conclusion of the pilot program, the Administrative Office of the Courts is required to submit a report to the Governor and Legislature evaluating the program's effectiveness and providing recommendations for future actions.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 2A:162-17, 2A:162-20, 2A:162-25