TRENTON — A Senate panel has cleared a bill that would encourage counties and municipalities to reward businesses for hiring former prisoners. The bill, which was approved 7-4 mostly along party lines, would permit towns and counties to set aside a certain amount of public contracts for companies that employ former prisoners. “It’s difficult for most of us who...
Sen. Sandra B. Cunningham introduced a bill in the state senate that would reward businesses who hire former prisoners.TRENTON — A Senate panel has cleared a bill that would encourage counties and municipalities to reward businesses for hiring former prisoners.
The bill, which was approved 7-4 mostly along party lines, would permit towns and counties to set aside a certain amount of public contracts for companies that employ former prisoners.
“It’s difficult for most of us who have college degrees and a great deal of job experience to find jobs in these times. It’s especially difficult for people who may have made a mistake in life, been incarcerated, and then come back in society,” said state Sen. Sandra Cunningham (D-Hudson), the bill’s main sponsor. "We want to give these people an opportunity.”
In an interview, Cunningham said she is not sure if local governments could create such programs under current law, but none have.
“We’ve got to do something, so we should encourage it,” said Cunningham.
Supporters of the bill said when former prisoners can’t find jobs, they’re more likely to turn back to crime.
“I can understand people are concerned about doing set-asides, but at the tame time these are folks who have served their prison terms and are now back out on the street and need work to become a productive part of society. If we don’t provide them some opportunities, they could end up right back in a prison cell,” said Senate Budget Committee Chairman Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen).
Most Democrats supported the bill, while all three Republicans on the committee this morning opposed it.
One Democrat, state Sen. James Beach (D-Camden), voted no.
“Here we have folks who have fallen below the standard we expect of our citizens,” said state Sen. Michael Doherty (R-Warren). “I can’t understand why we are giving a preference to folks who have fallen behind acceptable standards… to put (them) ahead of citizens who have not been incarcerated is not something I can support.”
Similar laws already exist for counties and towns to set aside contracts for small businesses and those owned by women and minorities. Cunningham’s bill does not establish guidelines for the towns on how many former prisoners the company must employ or how long has passed since they’ve served time.
Far less controversial was a bill that would require state agencies to set aside 3 percent of their contracts for businesses owned by veterans. The committee approved it 11-0.