TOMS RIVER – Ocean County officials were recently recognized by the New Jersey Reentry Corporation (NJRC) for their support of men and women re-entering the community after incarceration, especially those who are recovering from drug and alcohol addiction.
Ocean County Freeholder Director Virginia E. Haines and Deputy Director John P. Kelly were honored on March 27 during a Community Leader Breakfast by NJRC, a nonprofit aimed at breaking down the barriers to employment for citizens returning from jail or prison.
NJRC sites offer employment training, contacts with employers and unions, education on available services, computer training, online employment search, network building workshops, adult basic education tests, life skills training, financial literacy and more.
The county freeholders support the various programs that provide assistance to those seeking employment after incarceration as well as those recovering from drug and alcohol addiction.
According to Freeholder Kelly, also Director of Law and Public Safety, through the Department of Corrections, Ocean County offers a host of programs to assist with release referrals to community organizations and placement into substance abuse treatment programs working with eight different providers. In coordination with NJRC, the county also helps deliver vocational counseling, help with securing a high school diploma, and basic skills.
Also in attendance at the ceremony were Toms River Mayor Thomas F. Kelaher, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer, Ocean County Jail Warden Sandra Mueller, Ocean County Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy and former Gov. Jim McGreevey, who is now chairman of the NJRC.
For more information on the New Jersey Reentry Corporation in Ocean County call 1-848-238-7000.
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