What’s New?

ACNJ’s Census team interviewing, traveling statewide to ensure an accurate count

Posted on February 4, 2020

ACNJ has been working since last year to inform the public about the importance of an accurate Census count in 2020. Not only does the Census help inform our reports such as Kids Count, it also helps, it also helps the federal government decide how to allocate funds and informs how many seats we will have in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Now, with one month to go, we are ramping up our efforts to spread the word on the importance of this Constitutionally-mandated count and working to ensure that everyone gets counted.

Census Team on the Road – Census Training and Education Opportunities
ACNJ’s Census team members have been traveling across the state in order to bring attention to the importance of the Census, helping to empower others to spread the word and ensure an accurate count. View our latest Census events and resources.

Kids Count Coordinator Alana Vega Interviewed By Comcast Changemakers
On January 31st, Vega joined Jill Horner from Comcast Newsmakers to highlight the importance of remembering children under five and other hard-to-count populations on the Census questionnaire. Watch the interview.

First Lady Tammy Murphy’s Child Care Announcement and New Nurture NJ Initiative

Posted on January 23, 2020

Your voice continues to make a difference! Today, Maternal Health Awareness Day, First Lady Tammy Murphy and NJ Human Services Commissioner Carole Johnson announced the Murphy Administration will reduce co-payments for parents who receive state assistance paying for child care by 50 percent, saving New Jersey families $23 million per year. Read their news release. 

In addition, the First Lady announced a strategic partnership between the administration, the Nicholson Foundation and the Community Health Acceleration Partnership, aimed at reducing NJ’s maternal mortality rate by 50 percent and eliminating racial disparities in birth outcomes. Read more.

Thank you for raising your voices for children. 

ACNJ applauds Gov. Murphy signing of legislation to reform juvenile justice system

Posted on January 21, 2020

On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Governor Phil Murphy today signed landmark legislation to reform New Jersey’s juvenile justice system.  ACNJ Vice President Mary Coogan is quoted in the news release from the governor's office:

“New Jersey has led the nation with a drastic decline in the rate at which youth are locked up, but disparities remain. We applaud Governor Murphy and members of the New Jersey Legislature, who are working with advocates and stakeholders across the state to create a stronger, fairer and more effective juvenile justice system.

While young offenders should be held accountable for their actions, the goal is to return them to their communities, equipped with the skills they need to stay out of trouble and mature into productive adults. To do this, we need to construct a juvenile justice system that is truly therapeutic rather than punitive. We need to provide youth with better alternatives, diverting those who have committed minor offenses into more constructive enterprises, and rehabilitate serious juvenile offenders with the support they need, providing a path for successful re-entry once they are released.”

Key features of the legislation include:

  • incorporating JDAI principles into sentencing decisions;
  • eliminating mandatory minimums;
  • eliminating many of the mandatory and discretionary financial penalties imposed on youth;
  • improving the standards governing parole and revocation;
  • replacing the now-mandatory post-incarceration supervision period with one that is discretionary, cannot exceed a year, and cannot lead to reincarceration; and
  • rigorous data collection and reporting requirements.

In the news: 
Murphy signs laws to streamline parole, reform juvenile justice

Governor Murphy Signs Criminal Justice Reform Legislation