By Jeff FriedmanEditor’s Note: Here, Jeff Friedman, founder and chief executive officer of Livingston Philanthropies, Inc., describes, in his own words, the work of a long-time LPI distribution partner, the New Jersey Re-entry Corporation. • • •New Jersey prisoners within a year of their release dates are once again eligible to get out early due to the pandemic, according to the governor’s office.Let’s take a moment to visualize. Just imagine… you have been incarcerated for years and finally released. The prison bus drops you and others on the corner behind Penn Station. You may have no family and little or no money, some clothing, food stamps, a bus ticket and a prison ID good for 90 days. Now what?Here comes the New Jersey Re-entry Corporation (NJRC), headed by chief executive officer and former New Jersey governor Jim McGreevey. The NJRC was there in Newark to greet returning former inmates with cheerful “welcome back” greetings, materials directing them to immediately utilize the NJRC’s re-entry benefits and programs, on-site counseling right there-and-then, along with basic life survival items provided by Livingston Philanthropies, Inc. (LPI) and others.The NJRC’s stated vision, “striving to develop a culture where people with histories of incarceration face no barriers to employment and are no more likely to be arrested than people who have not been incarcerated,” is both inspirational and practical. “If they don’t have a family to go to it’s very difficult,” said the NJRC’s Newark site director, Jennifer Pena. “That’s why the NJRC is always there to let them know they have us to assist and give them the support they need.”Under the early release measure, the state’s prison population has been reduced by 40%. Still, the NJDOC early-release program is not without its opposition. State Senator Anthony Bucco (R-Morris) said in a statement it’s “shocking” prisoners would be released days after the Urban Mayors’ Association met to discuss bail reform and rising crime rates.Livingston Philanthropies, Inc. (LPI) supports the NJRC’s prisoner re-entry initiatives and was more than happy to provide thermal gloves, winter beanies, Bombas socks, and toiletries gift bags to bolster their efforts on behalf of this disenfranchised community.“Back to enjoying life, back to freedom,” declared one newly released former prisoner.LPI initiatives on behalf of folks living below the poverty line can be supported at njhomeless.org, paypal.me/njhomeless or by mail to LPI, 8 Country Club Road, Livingston, NJ 07039. We are pleased to be a ...
