Criminal Justice Advocacy Program

What is Criminal Justice Advocacy?

The  Criminal Justice Advocacy Program (CJAP), serves as a clearinghouse for information about offenders, victims and witnesses with developmental disabilities and serves as a liaison between the criminal justice and human service systems, monitoring the quality of care and service provided to those with developmental disabilities as they move from one system to another.

There are at least 25,000 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the nation's prisons, and some studies indicate that the actual number may be twice that. This means that approximately 1 out of every 20 prisoners in the United States has a developmental disability. Offenders with a developmental disability face certain disadvantages at various stages while involved with the criminal justice system. The Criminal Justice Advocacy Program (CJAP) provides alternatives to incarceration on behalf of individuals with developmental disabilities who are defendants in the criminal justice system, and is the only program of its kind in New Jersey.

Please be advised that The Criminal Justice Advocacy Program does not provide legal advice or services. Legal service references can be found here. For more on what we do and how we can help, please click here.

View our program brochures below:

• Understanding the Criminal Justice System
• Critical Stages
• Download our Intake and Release of Information Form.

Our Intake and Release of Information Form is required to advocate for an individual with intellectual and developmental disabilities that has been incarcerated and/or currently has pending charges.

  Please return the completed forms to cjap@arcnj.org or via fax # 732.733.6804.

Robyn Holt, Director of the Criminal Justice Advocacy Program Presents at SAHMSA