325 Latino Pastors and Ministers that Lead to 32,500 Parishioners,  

Strongly Urge Governor Phil Murphy and the State Legislature to 

Support the $1.5 Million Supplemental Appropriations for the  

New Jersey Reentry Corporation 

Newark, NJ (June 25, 2019) – The New Jersey Coalition of Latino Pastors and Ministers, together with NJ Reentry Corporation officially entered into a partnership in March 2019 to combat the opioids crisis in New Jersey. Our pastors identify parishioners who have a history of incarceration and who are in need of addiction treatment. The Coalition then refers these persons to the New Jersey Reentry Corporation.   

In New Jersey, the opioid epidemic has claimed 1,100 lives so far this year. Last year, 3,200 were lost to opioid overdose deaths. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, opioid overdose deaths among Latinos have increased 52.5% between 2014 and 2016 as compared to 45.8% for Caucasians. 

For these reasons, the 325 pastors of the New Jersey Coalition of Latino Pastors and Ministers that lead to 32,500 parishioners throughout the state, strongly urge Governor Phil Murphy and the State Legislature to support the $1.5 million supplemental appropriations for the New Jersey Reentry Corporation.  

The rising drug overdose rate among Latinos can primarily be attributed to language, cultural barriers and fear of deportation. Language keeps anyone who can’t read English out of treatment, because they have trouble reading websites or brochures that explain options. also, when calling a treatment center, often the person answering the phone doesn’t speak Spanish. Group counseling sessions and clinics often are not bilingual.  

For those with opioid addiction is going to take coordination throughout communities, social and economic conditions. We are committed to building an infrastructure across all twenty-one counties that will help Latinos with opioid use disorder to access treatment services and achieve long-term recovery. 

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ABOUT 

The New Jersey Latino Pastors and Ministers Coalition is an independent Christian group of pastors and ministers committed to using its collective power to effectively empower Latinos and communities that are economically, socially, politically, and spiritually disenfranchised. 

Its mission is to empower Latino communities of faith to effectively participate in the political, environmental, social and economic decisions affecting their lives.