2021 NJPN Conference Program Book

Decriminalization: Creating a Community Safety Net

DR.SANDY GIBSON Clinical Coordinator & Professor The College of New JerseyMarijuana

JENNIFER OLIVA Associate Professor of Law Seton Hall University

This workshop focuses on effective decriminalization and intervention practices that contribute to the safety net of education, resources and support. The presentation will detail how initiatives supporting decriminalization generate outcomes to assist communities repair, families remain intact, individuals no

longer have a criminal record and support services to be readily available. US criminal justice policies towards drug use continue to target Black and Brown people, families, and communities -- despite their drug use rates being lower than that of Whites. Today 1 in 3 Black men have been in prison, on probation or on parole, primarily due to racially unjust drug laws. This presentation will detail the devastating, long-term effects on families and communities. The presentation explores national focus groups (including NJ specific data) regarding societal perceptions of decriminalization, as well as review literature on outcomes of compulsory treatment and the economics of decriminalization and discuss how decriminalization will reduce the number of people involved in the criminal justice system, create a climate where people can seek treatment rather than fear stigma or arrest, improve treatment outcomes where treatment is called for, and remove barriers to the

implementation of evidenced-based practices, such as harm reduction. 30