S 1279 — Creates "Youth Detention Task Force."

S1279 1R [First Reprint] SENATE, No.

GREENSTEIN District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)  Senator   SHIRLEY  K.   SYNOPSIS      Creates "Youth Detention Task Force."   CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT      Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

TURNER District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)   Co-Sponsored by:

Senators McKnight and Ruiz         SYNOPSIS      Creates "Youth Detention Task Force."   CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT      As reported by the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee on March 19, 2026, with amendments.

     b.    The task force shall consist of 251[25] 261 members as follows:

     (1) (1)   four legislative members, who shall include two members of the Senate, who shall not be of the same political party, and two members of the General Assembly, who shall not be of the same political party.  The President of the Senate, the Speaker of the General Assembly, the Minority Leader of the Senate and the Minority Leader of the General Assembly each shall appoint one legislative member.member 1[.] ;1      (2)   ten ex officio members or their designees, who shall include the following:

     (2)  ten ex officio members or their designees, who shall include the following:

     (b) (b)   the Administrative Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts;

     (d) (d)   the Commissioner of Education;

     (g) (g)   the Public Defender;

     (h) (h)   the Superintendent of State Police;

     (i)  (i)    the Director of the Division of Criminal Justice;

and      (j)  (j)    the Chair of the Governor’s Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Committee.Committee 1[.] ;1      (3)   four public members appointed by the President of the Senate, who shall include the following:

     (3)  four public members appointed by the President of the Senate, who shall include the following:

     (b) (b)   a county prosecutor who has been recommended by the County Prosecutors Association of New Jersey;

and      (d) (d)   a county commissioner serving in a county which does not have a youth detention facility.facility 1[.] ;1      (4)   1[four] five1 public members appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, who shall include the following:

     (4)  four public members appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, who shall include the following:

     (b) (b)   a representative of the New Jersey County Jail Wardens Association;

     1(d) a representative from the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police;1 and      (d) 1[(d)] (e)1  a County Human Services Director.Director 1[.] ;

and1      (5) (5)   three members of the public with training or experience in the adjudication of youth offenders, who may be retired Family Court judges or attorneys in private practice, to be appointed by the Governor.

     c.   c.     The members of the task force shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties, within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the task force for its purposes.

     c.   c.     The task force shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county or municipal department, board, bureau, commission, or agency as it may require and as may be available to it for its purposes.

STATEMENT        This bill establishes the “Youth Detention Task Force.”       The purpose of the task force is to assess the current condition of youth detention in this State and to recommend a system that would best serve this population.  The task force is to recommend whether existing county youth detention facilities, facilities managed by the Youth Justice Commission, or an alternative system of detention would best serve the youth of this State.  The task force may examine factors including, but not limited to, available resources, logistical considerations, safety protocols, staff training, rehabilitation opportunities, security requirements, and overall facility conditions.       The task force is to consist of 25 members.  Four legislative members are to be appointed to the task force including two members of the Senate and two members of the General Assembly.  The task force is to have ten ex-officio members, including:

the Attorney General;

the Administrative Director of the Courts;

the Executive Director of the Youth Justice Commission;

the Commissioners of Education, Children and Families, and Human Services;

the Public Defender;

the Superintendent of the State Police;

the Director of the Division of Criminal Justice;

and the chair of the Governor’s Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Committee.       An additional four public members are to be appointed to the task force by the President of the Senate, including:

a representative of the New Jersey Association of County Youth Services Commission Administrators who has been recommended by the Youth Justice Commission;

a county prosecutor who has been recommended by the County Prosecutors Association of New Jersey;

a county commissioner serving in a county which has a youth detention facility;

and a county commissioner serving in a county which does not have a youth detention facility.

     An additional four public members are to be appointed to the task force by the Speaker of the General Assembly, including:

a representative of the New Jersey Juvenile Detention Association;

a representative of the New Jersey County Jail Wardens Association of New Jersey;

a representative from the Sheriffs’ Association;

and a County Human Services Director.