Collaborative Justice Services (CJS)

The goal of Collaborative Justice Services (CJS) is to provide jail diversion as an alternative to incarceration and effective discharge planning, linkage and referral to community resources for mentally ill offenders who re-enter the community following their release from the Essex County Correctional Facility (ECCF). Additionally, CJS educates Law Enforcement Officers regarding mental health issues at local municipal levels.

Services are designed to reduce the adjudication and incarceration of mentally ill consumers to municipal and county jails. CJS will also seek to decrease repeated criminal offenses and misdemeanor charges. The program will also increase access and linkage to mental health and social services for the offender following release.

Forensic case management services from CJS are designed to assist consumers, 18 years of age and older, in their recovery by helping them gain access to needed medical, social, educational, vocational, housing and other services and resources. The responsibility for locating and monitoring necessary and appropriate ambulatory services for an individual, rests solely with the case manager or case management team who then assists with re-entry or diversion from jail.
Forensic case management services should have the capability to offer varying degrees of service intensity based on the consumer's willingness to engage in case management services. The duration of services can range from short-term assistance to ensure linkage to long-term support based on the individual client need.

Program Director
Manuela Garcia

Program Location:
33 South Fullerton Avenue
Montclair, NJ 07042
Tel: (973) 509-9777
Fax: (973) 509-9888