Assemblyman Cites SCI Reports as Evidence for Need to Address Gang Problem in State Prisons
Assemblyman Dave Rible today reiterated his call for legislative hearings to be held to address reports of prison gang activity in light of a recent report that gang presence is on the rise throughout New Jersey state prisons.
“This report shows a rise in gang activity within our state prisons that and it is clear that this issue is not going to disappear with time,” said Rible. “It is becoming increasingly evident that preventative measures must be taken to help control this situation.”
According to an article in the Asbury Park Press, a report released by the State Commission of Investigation, SCI, gang members are continuing to run their crime operations from within prisons with ease through the plentiful supply of drugs and cell phones being smuggled into the facilities.
Assemblyman Rible previously requested in a letter written to Chairman Gordon Johnson that a special hearing to be held in the Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee with Department of Corrections Commissioner George Hayman to any answer questions regarding this growing problem.
In the letter the legislator wrote, “It is our responsibility as legislators to ensure that these state facilities are being properly managed and to exercise oversight of these departments. This is an instance where I believe we need to exercise that oversight and hold the department accountable.”
“Gang members are in these state facilities to pay their debt to society, not to make more money in their criminal enterprises,” said Rible. “It is completely unacceptable that these inmates are helping gangs to grow stronger by continuing to engage in illegal activities and recruiting additional members while in prison. We must work to initiate strict reform of the state prison system to ensure that there is stringent security regulations within the state facilities to help prevent these illegal activities from continue to occur.”
Assemblyman Rible has met with Attorney General Anne Milgram and Commissioner Hayman and his staff regarding these problems and he looks forward to working with other state officials to solve this very serious crime problem here in New Jersey.
Rible added, “We need to keep finding ways to get the tools to law enforcement while protecting our citizens.”
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May 6, 2009
