A 2194 New Jersey General Assembly · 2026-2027 Regular Session

Authorizes use of county inmate welfare funds for certain reentry services.

This bill allows New Jersey county correctional facilities to use inmate welfare funds for reentry services that help incarcerated individuals transition to community life after release. Specifically, it permits counties to spend these funds - currently used for amenities like recreation, library materials, and commissary items - to pay staff salaries for coordinating access to benefits such as Medicaid, housing assistance, and substance abuse treatment. The policy directly affects county correctional facilities and the inmates they serve, expanding the permitted use of existing welfare funds beyond in-facility amenities. It requires no new funding, instead redirecting existing county inmate welfare resources toward post-release support.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 13, 2026 Last action Jan 13, 2026
Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
1
Key actions
0
Committee
0
Jan 13, 2026
Introduced
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee
lower
2 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors