In 2009, Assembly Majority Leader, Bonnie Watson Coleman hosted numerous, public Counting the Costs hearings across the state to hear the experiences of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals, nonprofit organizations, community activists and criminal justice leaders. Watson Coleman said the hearings were a ground-breaking effort to hear from experts and residents on how the state could overhaul programs to prevent recidivism and save taxpayer money. “Former prisoners and their families lack a voice in our system despite the dire need for rehabilitation services for the more than 18,000 people who are released from prison each year,” said Watson Coleman.
“New Jersey spends more than $40,000 per inmate – two times more than what we spend on educating our children. Yet, nearly none of this money has found its way into rehabilitation programs to support a better future for ex-prisoners and their families.” The Assemblywoman was able to build consensus, understanding and support for more effective policies. “From a fiscal and a social perspective, it makes more sense to focus on keeping people out of jail,” Watson Coleman said. “It’s time that we create a pathway for people who have served time to finally become contributing members of society. It’s hypocrisy that we are punishing people for the same crime twice through a system that prohibits better opportunities.”
Voices of Hope Productions collaborated with Michael Jackson of Prison Nation Radio, and the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice a social justice think-tank to transcribe hearing audiotapes into a brief package of expert and citizen testimony. The package was used as a leaflet to mobilize citizens to help pass historic legislation for prison reform.
