Timberlake Introduces Budget Resolution Denouncing the Development of Youth Detention Centers, Wants to Better Fund Education

(East Orange) – Amid conversations about the development of youth detention centers throughout New Jersey, Assemblywoman Britnee N. Timberlake (D-Essex, Passaic) introduced a budget resolution denouncing the development of the centers. Instead, she supports budget resolutions that will better fund educational resources for New Jersey’s youth.

“I refuse to allow New Jersey to be a state where at-risk school districts are laying teachers off due to loss of funding while simultaneously committing one hundred million dollars to build youth detention facilities. We should be funding education, mentoring programs, and preventive programs like recreation and the arts. We should not be building more jails that house our children,” said Assemblywoman Timberlake. “Our fight must be to ensure that every child is afforded equal access to a high-quality education, and that each school be given the resources to afford programs, extracurricular activities, teachers, books, and more. We must legislate to be proactive for our youth.”

Assemblywoman Timberlake is working with Salvation and Social Justice and the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice to advocate for changes. Timberlake also joined as the third prime sponsor of A5365/S3701, sponsored by Assemblymembers Shavonda E. Sumter and Linda S. Carter in the General Assembly and Senators Ron L. Rice and Sandra B. Cunningham in the Senate. The bill seeks to annually appropriate $100,000,000 to require the Juvenile Justice Commission to close its secured facilities and develop a transition plan for juveniles incarcerated in these facilities.